Improving Business Performance
Choose an organisation that you work for, or are familiar with.
Investigate your chosen organisation to evaluate how it is currently performing, and identify three operational areas that require change.
– Start off by briefly introducing your chosen organisation and explaining what 3 changes you have identified and why you believe they should be made
From the changes that you have identified, select one change that you want to make.

– Review the literature on project / investment appraisal and identify what methods / criteria can be used to do this. At least 3 references are required.
– From the review, choose the methods / criteria that are relevant for your changes and organisation
– Evaluate all proposed 3 changes, using the same evaluation methods / criteria, and from your analysis choose the change that you will implement
Decide upon the approach you will take to manage and implement the change by putting forward a case for using both Radical Change and Continuous Improvement as the means for delivering the required improvements for the organisation, identifying the benefits and disadvantages of using each method.
– Review the literature on Radical Change vs Continuous Improvement and identify what criteria you could use to identify which improvement method should be used. At least 3 references are required
– From the review, choose the criteria that are relevant for your change and organisation
– Evaluate your chosen change using the evaluation criteria and…
Recommend your choice of improvement method(s), giving reasons for your choice.
– Radical Change, Continuous Improvement, or both, and why?

Produce a draft Project Plan using MS Project, identifying all the tasks, timescales, dependencies, and resources that are required to implement the change.
– Outline the factors that you will consider when constructing your project plan, and apply them to create an initial draft project plan for your chosen change, using MS Project
Identify the potential barriers to the implementation of your Project Plan, and what you would do to overcome these barriers, and alleviate any significant risks.
– Review the literature on Risk Management within projects and identify what criteria you could use to identify barriers and risks. At least 3 references are required.
– From the review, choose the risk criteria that are relevant for your change and organisation
– Evaluate your chosen change using the risk evaluation criteria and explain what alterations you have had to make to your draft project plan to overcome them
Produce a final detailed Project Plan using MS Project, taking account of changes you have had to make as a result of your risk analysis, including an analysis of the impact of your proposed change on the organisation, identifying the costs, benefits and timescales.
– The original plan should be included in the appendices, and the final plan as part of the main report.
– The costs benefits and timescales should be presented within the report

Individual feedback will be provided in the form of comments, where appropriate, within the body of the assignment.

In order to fulfil the requirements of your Personnel Development Plan (PDP) you may wish to include a personal reflection on the process of managing your learning on this module. If you would like to include this as an appendix to your individual assignment then you can receive feedback on your reflection. This will not count towards your overall mark or the word count.

The recommended text book for advice on referencing is Cite Them Right – the Essential Referencing Guide, by Richard Pears and Graham Shields, ninth edition, published 2013 by Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-137-27311-6

The marking guidelines are as follows:

Criteria Fail Pass Excellent
Overall Unsatisfactory with some serious shortcomings with some attempt at meeting the requirements of the questions but the answers are unclear or not of sufficient detail. Good in most respects with the majority of answers being clear and relevant to the questions and scenario. Excellent in most respects with full, clear, concise and correct answers, considering all facts relevant to the questions and scenario.
Knowledge and application
Little evidence of knowledge or understanding shown. Fundamental misconceptions.
Learning outcomes not met. Some display of relevant knowledge and understanding at an appropriate level. Thorough display of relevant breadth and depth of knowledge, at the appropriate level.
Research and reading
Little or no evidence of wider reading or research. Evidence of satisfactory research and reading, using mainly recommended sources. Evidence of wide and varied reading, from up-to-date and relevant sources. Wider research apparent.
Evaluation and synthesis

Little or no critical evaluation – mostly descriptive. Attempt at critical evaluation, with appropriate conclusion. High standard of critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Summary & conclusions

Few or no conclusions. Some appropriate conclusions. Good evaluation of findings, appropriately summarised.
Presentation

Poorly presented. Content mainly unstructured and a failure to communicate ideas. Clear and recognisable format with logical structure. Excellent presentation of work- clear structure and logical development of arguments.