appendices - bournemouth university web viewyou may of course contact your pdas at any time if you...

The Business SchoolFaculty of Management

BA (Hons) Accounting and BusinessBA (Hons) Accounting and FinanceBA (Hons) Accounting and LawBA (Hons) Accounting and TaxationBA (Hons) EconomicsBA (Hons) Finance and BusinessBA (Hons) Finance and Economics

BSc (Hons) Marketing

Professional Development Portfolio

2017-2018

CONTENTS Page

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE PLACEMENT 4

PLACEMENT YEAR REQUIREMENTS 4

FINAL YEAR OPTION CHOICES 4

PLACEMENT SUPPORT & REVEIW 5

PREPARATION FOR REVIEW MEETINGS 5

PLACEMENT COURSEWORK 6

CONTENTS OF THE PLACEMENT DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO 7

MAHARA E-PORTFOLIO 9

APPENDICESAPPENDIX A: PERSONAL SKILLS AUDIT 10APPENDIX B: SMART OBJECTIVES 11APPENDIX C: MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES 12APPENDIX D: MY WORK WISH LIST 15APPENDIX E: APPRAISAL 16

BIBLIOGRAPHY 20

AFE BSMS PDP Handbook 2017-18 2

Intended Learning Outcomes from the Placement To enable you to:

1. Develop a portfolio of transferrable skills and competencies:a. Be able to identify those skills b. Maximise development by setting SMART objectivesc. Articulate your competencies with good work based examples and be able to

‘market’ yourself to future employers

2. Develop better defined career aspirations:a. Awareness of key strengths and self-efficacy b. Develop a ‘wish list’ regarding the world of work and future roles c. Have researched the graduate job market and built a network of contacts

3. Have the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts studied to working practice:a. Be able to look at the wider picture within which you operate and critically

appraise the environment and your role within it b. Bring awareness of working practice back into your final year of study

Placement Year RequirementsSatisfactory completion of the placement year depends on the following:

1. A minimum of thirty weeks work experience (excluding holidays and sickness)2. Achieving an appropriate level of performance in your work, as evidenced in the

employer feedback3. Demonstrating your performance and learning over the year to your Placement

Development Adviser, by completion of the tasks in the Professional Development Portfolio

4. Submission of an e-portfolio reflecting upon and showcasing your learning

Final Year Option ChoicesYou will be asked to select your final year options and project type sometime in February or March 2018. All information regarding option and project choices will be made available on MyBU.

There may also be discussion forums or a live feed event for you to participate in.

Further announcements about your choices will be made via MyBU and sent out to your university email address closer to the time. Your PDA will also be able to advise you of further information.


Placement Support and ReviewYour Placement Development Adviser (referred to in this document as your PDA) has a number of roles:

To provide a link between you, your employer, and the University To discuss and appraise your performance with both yourself and your employer To encourage the practice of continuing professional development To check on your learning through your progress with the Professional Development

Portfolio (PDP) and to encourage the reflective learning process To satisfy themselves that you are doing work appropriate for a placement

In normal circumstances you will receive a minimum of one ‘face to face’ company visit during the placement year and one ‘remote’ review. Expect these reviews to last approximately an hour and a half to two hours. You may of course contact your PDAs at any time if you need additional support.

Throughout your placement, regular updates and announcements will be made via MyBU and it is important that you check this and your BU email on a regular basis.

You will have the opportunity to discuss any aspect of the placement you wish with your PDA; indeed it is in your interests to give him/her as complete a picture as possible of your work and the placement experience. Please make sure that you work continuously on your Professional Development Portfolio in preparation for the review meetings and that the work is at hand at the time of the face to face or remote visit.

Preparation for Review MeetingsYour PDA will expect you to make all necessary arrangements for the meetings by ensuring that you are available, and that your supervisor is also informed and is able to set aside some time to speak with your PDA. Similar formal arrangements should also be made for the ‘remote meeting’.

Once the date of a meeting is arranged, (remote or face to face) please make every effort to keep it, as last minute cancellations are very inconvenient, involve a lot of re-arrangements, and may result in another student missing out on a visit altogether.

At your first review your PDA will discuss your goals and the areas you have identified for development during the course of the placement. To prepare for this meeting please consider your personal objectives, and be prepared also to give a concise summary of your job role and how it fits into the department/company. (See sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the PDP coursework - work on these should be ongoing).

At your second meeting you will discuss the transferable skills and competencies gained during the year and the impact on your career aspirations and further study. You will be expected to demonstrate your ability to reflect on the experience and highlight the significant learning lessons. (See sections 5 and 6 of the PDP and the appendices).

Review meetings are both a reflection and a planning activity. You will be encouraged to stand back from your role and identify and critically appraise the wider learning you have gained from your placement experience. You will be encouraged to reflect on your personal learning, identifying strengths and weaknesses and setting objectives for your development and future career development.


Placement CourseworkDuring your placement you are expected to work on the tasks outlined in the Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) handbook and a summary of this work must be submitted to your PDA via the portfolio tool (Mahara).

The purpose of the Professional Development Portfolio is to enable you to:

Track, analyse and reflect on your experiences during the placement Help you to critically evaluate and articulate your competence based development Enable you, your organisation and your PDA to assess your performance on

placement Create and develop a Professional Development Portfolio reflecting on and

demonstrating your learning while on placement

In other words, it seeks to encourage reflection on learning supported by evidence.

The Professional Development Portfolio:

Is a tool for managing self-development Is a record of your achievement Is proof of your competence Contains pertinent pieces of evidence

Manager’s FeedbackYou are expected to complete the manager’s feedback form twice during your placement. This can be found in Appendix E. The second of these must be forwarded to your PDA by 29 June 2018 as it will be required for the placement exam board.

Aim of the Appraisal:

The purpose of this document is to assist you and your manager to assess your strengths and identify areas for further development, through a formal appraisal of your work performance.

If your company has an assessment process similar to this, you may use theirs as an alternative.


Contents of the Professional Development Portfolio You should be continuously working on the following sections and collecting and storing the relevant documents. You are expected to be able to share and discuss this work during your PDA reviews.

Section 1: Background to your placement: setting the context and looking at the ‘bigger picture’ you operate within

Job Description

1. Give a brief outline of your job role and core duties 2. Draw up a list of competencies/skills and attributes required to fulfil this role3. Identify where your role fits into the team/company - look at the wider picture and the

environment you operate in. (Including an organisational chart will help with this task). If you work for a large company, then narrow this down to the relevant area that you operate within.

Analysis of the Organisation

Research and write a brief report on the company background, i.e. who is this company and where do they fit into the external environment?

You should:1. Outline the aims / strategy of the organisation. This may include a mission statement2. Analyse the company structure and culture3. Analyse the external environment within which the organisation operates e.g. who are

the customers and main competitors. You can even include a SWOT and PESTLE analysis.

This work should be drafted during the first 3 months on placement. (You can develop it further as the placement progresses).

At your first review with your PDA you will be expected to give an overview of your role, including an analysis of the skills required and demonstrate an awareness of the bigger picture within which you operate. This exercise will also assist you in planning your development and identifying your objectives during the placement.

Section 2: The Reflective Journal: Recording and critically evaluating your development and progress

Once you have settled into your placement role, you should keep a monthly journal of your work covering the areas of work/ tasks /projects you have worked on. This should not be a descriptive diary but should contain evidence of reflective learning.

Ensure that each month you answer the following questions:

1. What skills/competencies am I developing in the course of this work?2. What did I do well?3. What did I not do so well?4. What would I do differently the next time?5. What do I need to do to further my development?

The journal can take the form of a blog, a word document or be hand written.


Section 3: Management competencies, skills audit and SMART objectives

These documents should be completed every three months in order for you to be able to monitor and track your personal & professional development.

Personal Skills Audit (Appendix A): This is a personal audit where you can identity your skills and strengths and take stock of your development, noting weaknesses and or developmental areas.

SMART Objectives (Appendix B): This will enable you to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timescale) objectives for the following three month period and monitor results.

Management Competencies (Appendix C): This is a list of the competencies required to manage workplace tasks. Please use this template to detail the tasks that you have undertaken that illustrate the relevant competence. In the results box note the resulting piece of work or document. (If you are a BABS student doing the Reflective Practitioner project in the final year, it is advisable to keep documentary evidence).

Work ‘Wish List’ (Appendix D):Use your placement year to analyse how you feel about work and the working environment. Also look at other roles around you that seem interesting, or that you can shadow, and use your network of contacts to find out about the career steps other employees have taken. You should be able to build a ‘wish list’ regarding what you are looking for in a graduate role and maybe even what you would like to avoid in future.

Section 4: Record of Training and Achievements

You should keep a record and / or evidence of formal and informal training. You should include any certificates or evidence of special achievements / awards. Remember to record any special contributions you make to the company both in your professional capacity and any extra activities in which you are involved, such as charity work or sporting activities.

It is advisable to keep a professional copy of your portfolio as proof of appropriate work experience in case exemption is given when studying for future professional qualifications.

If you intend to qualify as a professional accountant after graduation then keep a detailed log of all work undertaken; this should be signed off by a qualified accountant to certify that the work has been satisfactorily completed. The work experience may be acceptable to the professional accounting bodies as part of the required three years practical work experience.

Section 5: An updated copy of your CV

Towards the end of the placement you are expected to update your CV to reflect the experience and skills gained during the placement year. If you draft this document prior to leaving the company you can ask relevant staff to give you feedback.

Section 6: Evaluation and a Company Presentation

Towards the end of your placement your PDA will encourage you to make a short presentation to your team/company. The presentation should:

1. Cover your achievements during the placement year2. Give examples of how and when you have used your key skills3. Outline the main learning lessons 4. Highlight the contribution that you feel you have made to the company5. Acknowledge and give thanks to relevant staff for the support and experience offered


The Mahara E-portfolio: Compulsory Coursework

The e-portfolio is a summary / synthesis of your work on the tasks in the Professional Development Portfolio and reflects appraisals with your supervisor and discussions during PDA reviews. It provides the opportunity to showcase your placement year (a living CV) and reflect upon your learning within the context of your continuing professional development.

The requirement for successfully completing the placement year is that by 29 June 2018 you have produced an e-portfolio summary page which you submit to your PDA.

The layout of the e-portfolio is very individual and there is no set word count. You can upload all / any of your work from the Professional Development Portfolio.

As a minimum you must upload the following items:

1. An introduction to your placement role and where this fits within the organisation

2. A list of the main competencies you have developed

3. Your 3 key strengths, giving examples of how they have been used

4. Details of an area/skill you would like to develop further

5. Your main achievement

6. A reflection on the employer feedback/appraisal you have received

7. Additional activities (outside the placement role) undertaken during the placement

year

8. An updated CV

9. An outline of the impact of the placement on your career aspirations and your next

steps

10. Any placement related pictures

How to Access Mahara

You can access Mahara either with the link from myBU or direct at https://maharabu.bournemouth.ac.uk. You will be able to login using your normal University logon.

If you have not used Mahara before or need a refresher, there are Mahara tutorials here:

https://maharabu.bournemouth.ac.uk/view/view.php?t=zJndOg82BXq6wE0Y3DGC

There is plenty of information on the web page & for each section there is a tab (in the bottom corner) for a PDF version which can be downloaded. Keep checking the link as the information is updated regularly with useful tips.


https://maharabu.bournemouth.ac.uk/view/view.php?t=zJndOg82BXq6wE0Y3DGC

https://maharabu.bournemouth.ac.uk/

Appendix A: Personal Skills AuditPlease complete one of these, every three months, during your placement. This will allow you to reflect on your development and set new objectives. By the end of the year we should see your strengths substantially outweigh the weaknesses.

Think about skills such as: communication, decision making, problem solving, analytical ability, negotiation, leadership, motivation, confidence, teamwork, networking, prioritisation, ability to work under pressure as well as any work specific skills.

STRENGTHSSkills / Attributes

WEAKNESSESDevelopmental Areas


Appendix B: SMART ObjectivesLooking at the developmental areas on your personal skills audit, now set yourself SMART objectives for the next three months.

EXAMPLE OF A SMART OBJECTIVE

SPECIFICA bite sized piece of

learning or development

MEASURABLEWhat will I be able to do better as a result?

ACHIEVABLEHow will I acquire

the skills?

RELEVANTWhat area of my

work is it relevant to?

TIMESCALEWhat deadline am I

setting myself?

OUTCOMES/REFLECTIONSHow did I do?

Develop ability to use formulas in Excel

Run my weekly reports more efficiently therefore saving me time and allowing me to take on additional responsibilities as a result

Book onto a workshopUse the expertise of other staff membersYouTube

Weekly & monthly reports which form a large part of my workload

1 month from today Now that I am able to confidently use all the formulas required I have saved myself time every week. I am more effective in my role and can now help out with new projects in the time saved


Appendix C: Management CompetenciesBelow are six areas of competence required for managing activities at work. Download an electronic version of this form and update it every three months, detailing specific examples of any relevant tasks undertaken as part of your role. Ensure that you also note the outcome and keep any evidence where relevant.

You should be able to identify 8 – 10 key competencies that underpin your role.

Area A MANAGING ACTIVITIES Situation Task Action Result

A1 Contribute to the improvement of the quality of a service/product

A2 Manage activities to meet changing requirements

A3 Demonstrate ability to work in an international context

Area B MANAGING RESOURCES

B1 Proposals/Actions to manageresources more efficiently

B2 Ensure improved resource allocation

B3 Action to encourage environmentally friendly management

Area C MANAGING SELF

C1 Show initiative and thoroughness in a situation requiring problem solving

C2 Illustrate decision making skillsC3 Show ability to think laterally/creatively

C4 Respond positively to an unexpected challenge/new situation

C5 Demonstrate specialist subjectknowledge

C6 Present one’s work positively to others


C7 Take ownership and responsibility for a situation/event

C8 Identify and respond to a cause ofstress

C9 Accept personal criticisms without becoming defensive

Area D MANAGING OTHERS

D1 Contribute to the training and development of others

D2 Participate in the work of a projectteam to achieve a specific objective

D3 Maintain an effective network ofcontacts

D4 Display ability to manage conflict to a constructive conclusion

D5 Manage activities to meet customer requirements

D6 Advise and inform others

D7 Display "effective citizenship" (Charity/community work)

Area E MANAGING INFORMATIONE1 Provide information for action

E2 Ability to use IT to improve job performance

E3 Facilitate meetings and groupdiscussions

E4 Establish information andcommunication systems


Area F MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEMS

F1 Use a range of software for managing processes

F2 Collate, store and present market intelligence / data / analytics

F3 Write a business or digital / socialmedia programme

F4 Manage, monitor, optimise andmeasure social media channels

F5 Develop or improve a web site

F6 Provide advice on informationtechnology

F7

Develop strategies for (web) site innovation, optimisation andmonitoring results and planongoing site development


Appendix D: My Work ‘Wish List’Use this form to reflect on your placement year experience and to draw up a list of positives and negatives. This will help you to develop a better informed wish list regarding your future career and next steps.

Positive Negative

Working EnvironmentConsider the size of the organisation, sector, structure, culture, values, opportunities and day to day

working conditions

Work ContentWhat aspects of work do I enjoy / am I good at / where do I use my key strengths? What might I

want to avoid in future?

Personal Issues / InterestsWhere do you want to live, what do you do outside of work, what else is important to you that might

impact on where, when and how you want to work? Consider location e.g. London, commuting, local to home, going overseas, people you may wish to live near etc..


Appendix E: Appraisal FormYou need to complete two of these appraisal forms during your placement e.g. at around the four and seven month points. The second of these must be forwarded to your PDA by 29 June 2018, at the latest, as it will be required for the Placement Exam Boards.

Please note that if you undertake a placement at more than one organisation during your year, you will need to send your PDA an appraisal from each.

Placement Details Summary

Student Name:

Course of Study:

Placement Company:

Placement Start Date:

Expected Placement End Date:

Expected number of weeks on placement:

Placement Student Signature:

Date:

Manager’s Name:

Manager’s Signature:

Date:

AFE BSMS PDP Handbook 2017-18

15

Student Self-Assessment (prior to meeting with manager)

Identify your areas of strength and weakness, evaluate these in relation to your role and the impact they are having.

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Identify areas of personal development and work experience that would be beneficial over the next few months.

You should then complete your section of the assessment form prior to the appraisal meeting. The final column will then be completed by your manager and you can compare and discuss the scores.

Score on a scale of 1 – 5 where 5 is high (Exemplary - characterised by a consistently high level of achievement in the stated area) and 1 is low (Developmental area - in which the student can work to develop the skills required for the job).


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Assessment Form

Manager SelfIndividual Characteristicsa) Professional conduct: appearance, punctuality, attendance.

b) Integrity: reliability, trustworthiness, honesty.

c) Personal management: planning and prioritising work.

Communication Skills(presentation of information in a clear, concise and accurate manner)

a) Verbal communication / telephone skills.

b) Reports, correspondence, documentation.

c) Meetings, presentations.

Working With Othersa) Ability to deal with colleagues / customers and utilisation of

interpersonal skills.

b) Willingness to seek help, guidance.

c) Supporting others.

Motivationa) Application to and completion of tasks required.

b) Flexibility to adapt: additional workloads / hours /responsibilities.

c) Desire to succeed, achieve, perform.

Intellectual Abilitya) Approach to work: logical, methodical and objective.

b) Ability to develop skills and accept / develop new ideas.

c) Innovative and creative approach to problem solving.

Responsibilitya) Demonstrates initiative; actively influencing and driving their role in the business.

b) Ability to make decisions, act and take responsibility forthem.

c) Competent and active team worker.

Student Self-Assessment Mean Score:

Manager Assessment Mean Score:


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Manager’s ReportThis section to be completed by your manager / supervisor at the end of your assessment interview.

Manager’s CommentsPlease include details of any performance measures as detailed in the assessment forms which have scored particularly well or badly.

Action PointsPlease give details of those actions or changes in job role, which will take place as a result of your discussions


Bibliography

(Useful references related to your placement experience)

Alvesson M and Willmott H (1996) Making Sense of Management, Sage Arnold, J (1997) Managing Careers into the 21st Century, PCP, London. Burgoyne, J & Boydell, T (1997) A Managers Guide to self-development,

McGraw Hill Brockbank, A and McGILL, I (1998) Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher

Education, SRHE & OU Press, Buckingham Caproni, P J (2001) The Practical Coach: Management Skills for Everyday

life. Prentice Hall Cottrell, S (2003) Skills for Success Palgrave Golding D and Currie D (2000) Thinking about Management, Routledge Knights D and Willmott H (1999) Management Lives, Sage Hamlin, B, Keep, J & Ask, K (2001) Organisational Change & Development:

A Reflective Guide for Managers, Trainers and Developers, FT/Pitman Jackall, R (1988) Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers. Pp 137-

144, New York Oxford University Press Knight D & Willmott, H (1999) Power and Identity in Work Organisations,

Sage Lee-Davies, L (2007) Developing Work and Study Skills, Thompson Linstead S, Grafton Small R and Jeffcutt P (1996) Understanding

Management, Sage Megginson, D & Whitaker, V (2003) Continuing Professional Development,

CIPD Morgan, G (1997) Images of Organisation, Sage Mabey, C & SalaMayon- White B (1993) Managing Change, OU/PCP Moon, J A (1999) Learning Journals: A Handbook for Academics, Students

and Professional Development. Kogan Page, London Moon, J A (2000) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development:

Theory and Practice, Kogan Page, London. Thompson P and McHugh D (2002) Work Organizations: A Critical

Introduction, Palgrave Winstanley, D (2005) Personal Effectiveness CIPD

Journals: Journal of Management Studies Academy of Management Review


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