UNIT CMI 519 Managing Quality and Continuous Improvement Assessment Brief

KEY INFORMATION FOR LEARNERS

Overview of assessment tasks

Each task in this assessment brief has been developed to enable you to evidence achievement of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for CMI 519: Managing Quality and Continuous Improvement.  Each of the assessment criteria must gain a pass outcome for you to successfully achieve the unit.

Preparation for the assessment

• Before you begin the assessment brief please read the CMI 519 unit specification thoroughly as only the content related to the achievement of the assessment criteria will be assessed.
• Research the topics being assessed. Suggested reading/web resources are provided on the CMI 519 unit specification. Your tutor may signpost you to relevant resources. Additionally, you may access excellent online resources at ManagementDirect https://members.md.cmi.org.uk. Please note that if you have a customised site the link will differ, please contact your Centre for clarification.
• If you are enrolled on the Trailblazer Apprenticeship programme you are encouraged to review the Apprenticeship Standard for Operations/Departmental Manager.

Completing the assessment brief

• The assessment brief contains a series of tasks which are clearly referenced to the relevant assessment criteria and indicative content.
• Refer to the Assessment Guidance Table at the end of the assessment brief which outlines the requirements for a Pass or Refer.
• Evidence must be provided in the evidence booklet. Additional work based evidence such as plans or documentation (which has been referred to within the main text) should be included at the end of the booklet marked ‘Work Based Evidence’. Appendices are not a requirement of this assessment brief.  If appendices are included these will not be marked or moderated by the CMI.
• Work based evidence must be accompanied by a supporting statement in the learner evidence box, to explain the link to the assessment criteria. Work based evidence (where required by the task) must not exceed SIX (6) pages.  Files embedded in the booklet must not exceed 10MB.
• The evidence booklet must be completed in a professional manner (e.g. applying business conventions for writing formal reports) and by using Microsoft Word, Rich Text Format or another compatible software programme and not in a PDF format.
• An appropriate referencing system (such as Harvard Referencing) must be used to ensure the original source(s) of quotations or models can be verified.
• Finally, you must sign the Learner Authenticity statement (an electronic signature is accepted).

Learner support

For information regarding policies and procedures for assessment (e.g. special assessment arrangements, learner support, appeals, complaints, certification, confidentiality, plagiarism) you should contact your tutor or Centre manager and refer to the CMI Level 5 in Management and Leadership syllabus.

INTRODUCING ASSESSMENT BRIEF CMI 519

Quality may be defined as excellence, capacity, grade, worth or meeting customer expectations.  Whilst the definition for quality can easily be found in a dictionary it is much harder to develop and maintain.

Assessment brief CMI 519 looks at the challenge of developing quality within organisations. It focuses on embedding continuous improvement into working practices.  On successful achievement of this unit learners will understand the scope and purpose of quality management, approaches, tools and techniques for managing quality and how to judge its success.

ASSESSMENT TASKS AND WORD COUNT

Assessment brief CMI 519 features the following assessment tasks. Further detail is provided against each assessment task within the brief.

Guideline word count

The written word, however generated and recorded, is still expected to form the majority of assessable work produced by Learners at Level 5. The amount and volume of work for this unit should be broadly comparable to a word count of 4000-4500 words within a margin of +/-10%.  The excessive use of word count is not grounds for referral, however the CMI reserve the right to return work to the Centre for editing and resubmission by the Learner.

The following are excluded from inclusion in word count, if used and not required by the assessment brief an introduction to a job role, organisation or department, index or contents pages, headings and sub headings, diagrams, charts and graphs, reference list or bibliography, reflective statement drawn from undertaking the assignment and how this has impacted on the learner’s work.

Please see the CMI Assessment Guidance Policy for further guidance.

THE SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT WITHIN ORGANISATIONS

Structures for managing quality are dependent on an organisation’s structure, size, organisational maturity, purpose, objectives and stakeholder groups. The combination of factors informs and influences approaches to quality management and an organisation’s choice of quality management system.  It is essential for managers to develop a detailed understanding of the scope and purpose of quality management so its principles can be applied in the work setting. 

SCENARIO

 TASK 1a

You are required to write an account on the scope and purpose of quality management within organisations.

The account must use examples to:

1. Evaluate the scope and purpose of quality management within organisations (AC1.1)
2. Analyse different organisational structures used for managing quality (AC1.2)

TASK 1 b

You are required to create a good practice guide entitled ‘Stakeholder influence and the impact of quality management systems on an organisation’s activities’.  The good practice guide will be used by other managers in the organisation.

1. Examine the influence of stakeholders on an organisation’s approach to quality management (AC1.3)
2. Analyse the impact of quality management systems on an organisation’s activities (AC1.4)

Guidance for completion of Task 1b

It is important for all managers to understand approaches for managing and maintaining quality, as well as the tools and techniques that can be used within different contexts (i.e. business as usual, development of new products and services, projects and programmes of work). With more than 50 analytical tools and techniques that can be applied to quality management, selecting the right one can be a challenge.  Managers who understand the range of approaches for managing quality will be able to select the best approach/approaches to meet organisational needs.

From the list shown below write an account and select TWO (2) approaches evaluating how these can be used to manage and maintain quality (AC2.1)

You are required to write an account.  From the table shown below select TWO (2) tools and techniques and use well chosen examples to evaluate their use in quality management within an organisational setting (AC2.2)

Continuous improvement in its simplest form can be observed by the use of quality tools and techniques. Alternatively, continuous improvement can be viewed as a long term strategy and approach to organisational learning.

Short term strategies can be dramatic with fast, big steps leading to immediate improvement.  Long term strategies may include many small incremental steps.  These strategies impact on people, process and culture.

Basing your response on the scenario on page 3, your own experience of managing quality in the workplace or using well chosen examples from an organisation you know well or have researched:

Write a report entitled ‘The application of continuous improvement within organisations’

The report must be presented in TWO (2) sections:

1. Short and long term strategies for continuous improvement
2. Using examples, justify the use of short and long term strategies for continuous improvement within an organisation (AC3.1)
3. The process for embedding continuous improvement
4. Using examples, you are required to evaluate the process for embedding continuous improvement within an organisational setting (AC3.2)

It is essential to be able to judge the success of quality management.  There are a number of different ways this can be carried out.  The success of quality management can be assessed by using metrics, standards of quality, business impact, levels of waste and costs, suitability and application of policies, procedures and processes. Another popular approach is to use scorecard methods.

Using examples, write an account to discuss how the effectiveness of quality management within an organisational context can be assessed (AC4.1)

You are required to write an account. From the list shown below, use well-chosen examples to evaluate the use and purpose of a scorecard method to judge the success of quality management. You may use other relevant methods you are familiar with (AC4.2).

Answer

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