January 2014 PDSM Assignment Brief Page 1

Edexcel BTEC (Level 7) Extended Diploma in Strategic

Management and Leadership
Unit Title: Professional development for strategic
managers


Unit Code: F/602/2058

Unit no.2

Issue Date: 20
th
January, 2014

Review Dates: 10
th
February, 2014
10
th
March 2014
7
th
April 2014

Submission Date: 17
th
April 2014

Assessor: N Mirza







January 2014 PDSM Assignment Brief Page 2

Unit aim

This unit provides the learner with the methods and techniques to assess the development of their
own skills to support the achievement of strategic direction.

Unit introduction

This unit is designed to enable learners to take responsibility for their learning and development
needs to gain the personal and professional skills needed to support the strategic direction of an
organisation. Learners can achieve this through analysing their current skills and preparing and
implementing a personal development plan.
This unit highlights the importance of seeking feedback from others to improve performance by
continuously reviewing learning needs. The development of appropriate personal and professional
skills will allow learners to cope with demanding responsibilities and career progression. Learners
will conduct a skills audit to evaluate the strategic skills they need to meet current and future
leadership requirements and then use it to identify their preferred learning style. This will also
inform the structure of a personal development plan.

Evidence for this unit needs to be generated continuously throughout the qualification, enabling
learners to take ownership of their development needs Learners will need to demonstrate that they
have a regularly updated and realistic personal development plan that fits with their preferred
learning style. This unit will also enable learners to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of their
learning against the achievement of strategic goals and their chosen career path.





























January 2014 PDSM Assignment Brief Page 3


Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to
demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit.
The assessment criteria determine the standard required to achieve the unit.

On completion of this unit a learner should:

Learning outcomes Assessment criteria

1 Be able to assess personal and
professional skills required to
achieve strategic goals

1.1 Use appropriate methods to evaluate
personal skills required to achieve
strategic goals
1.2 Apply techniques to assess the
professional skills required to support
the strategic direction of the
organisation
2 Be able to conduct a skills audit to
identify learning style

2.1 Carry out a skills audit to evaluate
strategic skills needed to meet current
and future leadership requirements

2.2 Apply appropriate techniques to
identify preferred learning style

3 Be able to implement a personal
development plan

3.1 Construct a personal development plan
that meets leadership development
requirements identified in the skills
audit
3.2 Use suitable methods to assess the
outcomes of a personal development
plan against personal work objectives

3.3 Evaluate the impact of own learning
against the achievement of strategic
goals
















January 2014 PDSM Assignment Brief Page 4


ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

You can use your own workplaces as a base for much of the assessment for this unit.
However, if you are not a part of a suitable organisation, other strategies may have to be used,
for example a work placement, a detailed investigation of an organisation or the use of
suitable case study material.



Assignment 1: Personal and Professional Skills Review

Assignment Scenario:

You have recently been promoted as senior manager by a supermarket chain that tend to
grow further in the UK market .For this new management positions in the organisation, you
wish to enhance your prospects for success by further development of your leadership and
management skills. You plan to do this by undertaking some research on management,
leadership and team building.

REQUIRED:
Learners to review skills needed to achieve strategic goals.

Task 1:Be able to assess personal and professional skills required to achieve strategic
goals

(Written Report: 1500 words)

You need to write report on the personal and professional requirement of skills and ,
evaluating these will be useful in meeting strategic goals. You need to cover below
mentioned assessment criteria.

A.C: 1.1 Use appropriate methods to evaluate Personal skills required to achieve strategic
goals


A.C:1.2 Apply techniques to assess the professional skills required to support the strategic
direction of the organisation

For AC 1.1 and 1.2, learners need to use appropriate methods to evaluate personal skills and
assess the professional skills needed for effective leadership and management. To meet the
strategic goals and direction of the organisation, learners need to link their evaluation to
leadership requirements for a specific goal.







January 2014 PDSM Assignment Brief Page 5

Assignment 2: Personal Development Planning

Assignment Scenario:

You will then undertake a personal assessment of your skills and construct and implement a
personal development plan. You must file all of this information for future reference, either
as an electronic or hard copy. As this information is important and will be accessed, as your
future career progresses it must be carefully and systematically organised

REQUIRED: Learners to prepare and implement a personal development plan through
carrying out a skills audit.

Task 1: Be able to construct a skills audit to identify learning styles (Theoretical
Review: 1000 word)

You need research on current and future leadership requirements using your own organisation
and case studies. Write down the theoretical review creating a leadership strategy.

A.C 2.1: Carry out a skills audit to evaluate strategic skills needed to meet current and
future leadership requirements


A.C 2.2: Apply appropriate techniques to identify preferred learning style

For AC2.1, learners will need to demonstrate they can conduct a skills audit, to evaluate
current and future leadership requirements. Learners need to benchmark against suitable
criteria such as National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership. This can
help inform their preferred learning style for AC2.2

Task 2: Be able to implement a personal development plan : 1000 word)

A.C: 3.1 Construct a personal development plan that meets leadership development
requirements identified in the skills audit


A.C 3.2 Use suitable methods to assess the outcomes of a personal development plan
against personal work objectives


A.C 3.3 Evaluate the impact of own learning against the achievement of strategic goals

For AC 3.1 and 3.2, learners will construct a personal development plan using the
information from their skills audit. They can use a standard template or construct their own
plan, but it must include SMART objectives and an identification of the resources needed to
achieve the objectives, as well as assessing the outcomes against personal work objectives.
To be of value, the plan needs to be implemented for at least six months in order for learners
to evaluate the impact of their learning against the achievement of strategic goals for AC3.




January 2014 PDSM Assignment Brief Page 6

Guidelines:
1. Use a standard business report structure in a word document with Times New Roman
Script at 12 point font size.
2. Your report should be approximately 4000
3. Use Harvard Referencing in your Report.
4. Do not plagiarise. Any paper with over 15% plagiarism will not be accepted for
marking.
5. Complete the Assignment title page and sign the statement of authenticity.
6. You must submit a hard copy and soft copy of the assignment with a fully filled
Tutors approval and review sheet on the said date to the College Admin Department.
7. No assignments will be accepted after the given deadline date.
8. All works should be emailed to [email protected] on the published deadline
date.