Evidence based learning and analysis of business strategy

5CO02 guidance on Report – Part 1
The AC and the command words are provided in the grey boxes to help you.
Remember to have your unit descriptor to hand and read the indicative content as this
gives you hints as to what is being looked for.
Use this column to help structure your
report
Make sure you cover these points in each
section
Scope/Introduction Give an explanation of what you are writing
about and why.
Think about who your audience will be and
how much knowledge they will have.
1.1 Evaluate the concept of evidence-based practice including how it can be applied to decision
making in people practice.
Evaluate: to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of something
Appraise: to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of especially: to give an expert judgment of
the value or merit of something.
1.1 Provide an evaluation of the concept of
evidence-based practice and assess how
evidence-based practice approaches can be
used to support sound decision-making and
judgments for people practitioners across a
range of people practices and
organisational issues.
What is evidence-based practice? Define it
and then explain it.
Use a mix of your own observations
(examples) and wider reading
Take 2 approaches and explain how they
might support decision making?
Critical thinking
Group decision making
Rational model
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
When might you use them?
Appraise the value of these approaches
Identify 2 people practices or organisation
issues and assess how these models might
be used to make sound decisions on those
issues.
Eg: High turnover.
Importance of effective data analysis?
Evidence from a variety of sources
How are judgements formed? Bias?
Personal views? Company style?
1.2 Evaluate a range of analysis tools and methods including how they can be applied to diagnose
organisational issues, challenges and opportunities
Evaluate: to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of something
1.2: evaluate one micro and one macro
analysis tools or methods that can be used
in people practice to explore an
organisation’s micro and macro
environment, and how those identified
might be applied to diagnose future issues,
challenges and opportunities.
issues: legislation changes
Challenges: new product?
Opportunities: growth
Choose 1 micro method:
Tools: Fishbone/balanced scorecard/SWOT
for instance
And
1 macro method:
Tools such as PESTLE/Porter 5 forces
(See study guide for more options)
Evaluate each of these and explain how
they can be used to used to diagnose future
issues etc.
Use personal examples where possible.
1.3: Explain the principles of critical thinking including how you apply these to your own and
others’ ideas.
Explain: make something clear or easy to understand, by describing or giving information about it
1.3: explain the principles of critical
thinking and give examples of how you
apply these yourself when relating to your
own and others’ ideas, to assist objective
and rationale debate.
What is critical thinking? Define it.
Give examples of when you have applied
critical thinking to your own ideas/work.
E.g.: checking data
Give examples of when you have applied
critical thinking to others’ ideas
EG: checking validity of others work
1.4: Assess how different ethical perspectives can influence decision making.
Assess: evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.
1.4: Assess at least two different ethical
theories and perspectives and explain how
an understanding of these can be used to
inform and influence effective decisionmaking.
Identify 2 ethical theories – define them
Utilitarianism, deontology
Assess how they can be used to help
decision making.
3.1: Appraise different ways organisations measure financial and non-financial performance.
Appraise: to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of especially: to give an expert judgment of
the value or merit of something.
Compare and contrast: looking for similarities and differences between two things,
3.1: compare and contrast a range of
different ways and approaches that are
used to measure financial and non-financial
performance within organisations.
Identify a minimum of:
2 financial performance measures
and
2 non- financial performance measures
Firstly, explain what then tell us
then
Compare and contrast these approaches.
Are they effective? You could use a table.
2.3: Explain a range of decision-making processes to identify potential solutions to a specific
people practice issue.
Explain: make something clear or easy to understand, by describing or giving information about it
2.3: explain a range of decision-making
approaches that could be used to identify
possible solutions to a specific issue relating
to people practice.
Identify a specific issue in your workplace.
Explain 3 decision-making approaches you
could use to identify solutions.
Eg: fishbone, De Bono, brainstorming.
3.4: Measure the impact and value of people practice using a variety of methods.
3.4 Explain how people practices add
value in an organisation and identify
methods that might be used to
measure the impact of people
practices
Measurement Methods: for example costbenefit analysis, evaluation, validation,
ROI, ROE. Models of evaluation;
evaluation methods, determining
evaluation scope and criteria; types of
information and evidence for evaluation;
evaluation tools (for example staff
satisfaction surveys, absence data,
wellbeing).
Choose 2 people practices from your
organisation.
How do they add value?
How do you measure that they add value?
Make recommendations for people practices
that might be used to improve the situation.
Report – Part 2
Use this column to help structure your
submission
Make sure you cover these points in each
section
You have to carry out data analysis. Do this in an excel document and then import into word and
present you final submission as a word document.

2.1: Interpret analytical data using appropriate analysis tools and methods
2.2: Review relevant evidence to identify key insights into a people practice issue.
Review: a formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary.
3.2: Scrutinise key systems and data used to inform people practice in relation to measures of
work and people performance calculations.
3.3: Collate key findings for stakeholders from people practice activities and initiatives.
Labour Turnover data
Present the costings for each year across each
of the departments
Represent the turnover per year as a
percentage of the total number of employees in
each department
Tables 1 and 2 Present your findings using appropriate
methods to highlight themes and trends that
appear to be occurring.
Review and analyse the two data sets.
2.4: Provide a rationale for your decision based on evaluation of the benefits, risks and financial
implications of potential solutions
Make 3 recommendations to reduce
employee turnover based on your analysis
Justify your recommendations and potential
solutions.
Take into consideration:
 Benefits
 Risks
 Financial implications