Assignment Scenario

You are working for an organisation called Future Enterprises Ltd which, over recent years, has grown its market both nationally and internationally. The Director now intends to promote the right person from within the company to head up its Corporate Communications Department. In today’s business environment, this is a key role to sustain the business for future success.

You have applied for the post and as part of the selection process the senior management team are keen to hear your ideas on corporate communication strategies for a growing organisation. This is a great chance for you to demonstrate your knowledge of this important function, and you wish to showcase your understanding of best practice principles.

Note: Throughout this assignment learners can relate their answers to an organisation that they are familiar with. This may be where they are employed or the centre where they are studying.

Task 1

The first part of the selection process requires you to prepare a document for submission to the interview panel in which you:

•        Explain the purpose of corporate communications

•        Assess how corporate communications link to corporate objectives

•        Analyse the relationship between corporate communications and corporate branding

•        Analyse the reasons why business organisations conduct internal and external corporate communication audits

Extension activities

To achieve a Distinction, you must also include in your document a section which reviews the importance of corporate communications to the success of a named organisation.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Task 2

You have been invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process and have been invited to interview. You have been asked to prepare a presentation with notes for the selection panel that:

•        Explains the strategic objectives of a corporate communications strategy

•        Assesses the desired impact of a corporate communications strategy on different stakeholders

•        Includes a plan for an internal corporate communications audit for a named organisation

Extension activities

To achieve a Merit, you must add further sectionsto the presentation and/or notes which:

•        Recommend appropriate measures to monitor the effects of a planned corporate communication strategy

•        Provide an internal corporate communications audit that you have conducted for a named organisation

To achieve a Distinction, you must add another section which evaluates the effectiveness of current levels of organisational corporate communications for a named organisation.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Note: When citing sources of information that you have used, provide a reference using an appropriate format, e.g., Harvard.

Guidelines for assessors

The assignments submitted by learners must achieve the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by the assessment criteria for the unit. To achieve a merit or distinction grade, the learners must demonstrate that they have achieved all the criteria set for these grades. Where work for the pass standard is marginal, assessors can take account of any extension work completed by the learners. The suggested evidence listed below is how learners can demonstrate that they have met the required standards. The command verbs contained within the AC are highlighted in bold in the suggested evidence boxes.