Break It Down - DVP
Break It Down - DVP
Developing Professional Practice should ideally be completed first (DVP01) and last (DVP02),
as this unit helps introduce you to reflective learning and attempts to help you understand
what it means to be a human resources professional.
To pass DVP01, you should provide written responses for each of the four tasks
below, equating to approximately 2,500 words in total.
CIPD are big on academic concepts, theories and professional practice, so ensure that
you read your module materials and buy a copy of ‘Studying Human Resources
(The Lizard Book). Search ‘CIPD Level 5 Books’ on Amazon.
Important Note
The CIPD operates what is known as an ‘Assessment Bank’, which includes a
number of different versions of the same assessment. This guide is written using
assessment briefs for ICS, which is also used by a number of other learning
providers. It is important to know that whilst the questions may be different, the
Assessment Criteria will always be the same.
Disclaimer
All guides in my ‘Break it Down’ series are intended to be advice and guidance only;
you will not pass the course solely by reading the guides. You will be required to
complete a number of hours’ independent study and write up each assignment
according to your learning provider’s guidelines.
Learning Outcome
1 Understand what is required to be an effective and efficient HR professional.
Break it Down:
So, what makes a good HR professional? What knowledge is required? Hint: you are
working on this right now! Do HR professionals require a certain set of skills and
behaviours? The answer to these questions is of course ‘yes’, however you need to
Break it Down – Developing Professional Practice
discuss them and why they are important. Link up examples from any of the
4
professional areas and behaviours in the CIPD 2013 Profession Map. Also read up on
the ‘Thinking Performer’, which features in your CIPD book and should be included
in your module materials.
Other
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6
Points to Discuss
Skills required Knowledge required
Why are the above behaviours Notes on the four concentric circles
important
Break it Down:
There are two parts to this question. The first part wants you to look at Group
Dynamics. Group dynamics are the influential actions, processes and changes that
occur within and between groups. Both Forsyth and Lewin discuss the theory
behind Group Dynamics. Group dynamics works best when the abilities of the entire
group working together outperforms the individuals in the group performing
individually. Group dynamics has been studied widely in psychology, sociology and
business.
Think about models that accurately define group processes like Tuckman or Hersey
and Blanchard's (1977) Situational Leadership model. You can also mention tools
that are available to measure Group Dynamics, such as interaction analysis tools, but
you would be best sticking to the theory and then Tuckman for a strong answer.
The second part of this activity relates to examples of conflict resolution methods.
‘Methods’ is the important words here. Your activity question might ask for one or
two examples from the workplace, but this is purely a ‘scene setter’. What they really
want to see is that you adopted a number of methods in order to resolve the conflict.
Sacking people or belting them with a block of wood doesn’t count as ‘conflict
resolution’.
4.6 Teamworking
4.6.1 Group Dynamics
Active Listening
Problem Solving
Tuckman
Compromise
2.1, 2.2 Provide evidence of using project management and problem-solving techniques in
the course of the project.
Explain how you successfully influenced, persuaded and negotiated with others in the
course of the project (or other related activity).
Break it Down:
This should be one of the biggest parts of your assignment. As you can see, there are
three specific assessment criteria, and it is important that you give each AC equal
consideration. Also, remember that you will need a couple of introductory
paragraphs to discuss the type of company you work(ed) for and the background to
the project you managed.
One of the biggest queries I get about this activity is that apparently, you’ve never
been involved in a project. Ever. It is important to remember that whilst they are
asking about a project that ‘you were involved in’ (note the quotes), they really want
to see what you know about setting up a project, dealing with problems and how
you influenced others. This should be the main focus of your answer; the actual
details of the project are inconsequential. I suppose you could write what you would do
theoretically…
2.1
For the first part of this Activity, think about how you set up your ‘project’. The size
of the project is irrelevant so long as it meets the aims of the assessment criteria. You
need to discuss your fantastic project management techniques to meet this criterion.
A good project will be made up of the following elements:
2.2
Very few projects pass by without any problems. Here you need to discuss how
problems were identified and how you worked to resolve them. Do this in stages:
Identify, Define, Explore, Action, Review. By writing your response in this way will
hopefully enable you to justify how you resolved any problems.
2.3
Following on from problems in a project, you need to write about how you were
able to influence, persuade and negotiate with others. All three words have similar
meanings, so try and write it in a way that isn’t repetitive. For example, I wrote quite
a bit influencing and persuading in the same paragraph. Negotiation was included
in a paragraph that discussed problems and conflict.
It’s also important to know that 3.2 DOESN’T form part of your word count! So you
only need to write about 3.1 here.
3.1
For 3.1, your learning provider wants to see if you can apply personal development
planning objectives, otherwise known as a ‘self-assessment’. Personal development
planning is the process of creating an action plan based on awareness, values,
reflection, target-setting and planning for personal development within the context
of your career, education, performance or for self-improvement. In order to pass,
you should write up a good 300-400 words on your area for development. Think
about this development need in terms of ‘professional practice’ and as such I would
pick something from the 2013 Profession Map as my subject matter. I used ‘Leading
HR’ as mine as this is a core part of the CIPD profession map and is about
maximising the contribution that HR makes in your organisation by supporting,
developing and leading others across the business, and by acting as a role model.
Once you have identified your area for self-development, think about how you are
going to achieve this. Set some targets that you can review as part of your DVP02
assignment at the end of your course. Mine included receiving feedback,
approaching someone to mentor me and working with people who had a different
management style to see if I could learn anything new from them. You could also
think about attending training courses or going on secondment to another
department in the business.
Break it Down – Developing Professional Practice
3.2
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Completing 3.2 is relatively straightforward, in that you can download a CPD/PDP
plan from the CIPD website and follow the prompts on it. Your PDP should include
lots of information about how you are going to develop your skills. You also need
realistic timeframes. I’ve included a sample document for you to look at.
Other
Break it Down – Developing Professional Practice
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Points to Discuss
Notes on 3.1
Break it Down – Developing Professional Practice
APPENDICE 1 18
3.2 Produce a plan to meet personal development objectives based on an evaluation of different options
MEMBERSHIP
NAME: Mr Sample Student 123456789
NUMBER:
COVERING THE PERIOD
February 2030 TO: December 2030
FROM:
Planned outcome
Where do I want to be by the end of this period? What do I want to be doing? (This may be evolutionary or “more of the same”.)
This record sheet is for your guidance only – you may present your CPD plan in any other format
Learning Outcome
3 Be able to apply CPD techniques to construct, implement and review a personal
development plan.
You need to write a reflective summary of each module that you have completed, plus
some general reflections on your career progress within HR.
Each learning provider will have a different way that you should present this. The guide
below should be treated as just that, a guide. Check with your learning provider if you are
unsure.
You should lay DVP02 out similar to a report. This means that you can write an
introduction, reflections on each module, further reflections and include your PDP. Here is
an example contents page for your DVP02 report:
Section
1.0 Introduction
1.1 PDP
Reflection 2.1 Developing Professional Practice
Reflection 2.2 Business Issues and the Contexts of HR
Reflection 2.3 Managing and Coordinating the HR Function
Reflection 2.4 Using Information in HR
Reflection 2.5 Employment Law
Reflection 2.6 Contemporary Developments in Employment Relations
Reflection 2.7 Reward Management
Reflection 2.8 Resourcing and Talent Planning
2.9 Further reflection on my CPD plan
3.0 Conclusion
References & Bibliography
When reflecting, you should write about half a page in continuous prose to cover each module.
There is no word count, but half-to-a-page should suffice. In your reflection, try and cover the
following: