The learning plan, learning journal and portfolio of evidence
What characterises the best professionals you have worked with? A range of behaviours come to
mind such as reliable, brave, rational, supportive, open, and inclusive, influential and wellconnected,
appreciative and ethical. These types of behaviour are often mentioned before
knowledge, such as well-informed or up to date. Our profession map therefore places behaviour
alongside knowledge as key characteristics of an impactful people professional. However,
behaviour can be much harder to teach and is certainly more difficult to assess in people
professionals.
The CIPD recognises that this is a demanding assessment for level 7 learners. It deals with broad
senior-level behaviours because this is a strategic qualification at postgraduate level. It stretches
across a longer period than most units because we want learners to have full scope to develop and
then demonstrate their professional skills. It involves planning as well as summative assessment
because the behaviours demanded in the profession map are largely self-developed or coached
rather than taught in the classroom. Finally, learners and centres are afforded wide discretion over
the first two elements of this tripartite assignment because we want learners to do things in ways
that work for them; that requires autonomy.
Experience with this assessment has shown that it is discriminating in that it is clear who has taken
the development of their skills seriously and can evidence the results. It is inclusive by providing
opportunities for learners to be assessed on behaviours from the widest possible range of
environments, not just in their workplace. And for some learners, it has been the springboard into
lifelong habits of reflection, planning and execution of self-directed learning.
This unit consists of three tasks:
1) At the start of your programme carry out a self-assessment of your competence in each of
the units fifteen assessment criteria (for ease, these are listed in Appendix A) and from this
develop a personal learning plan. Then,
2) During your programme keep a learning journal to monitor and adjust your progress and
record evidence of your growing competence. Then,
3) At the end of your programme, you will submit a portfolio of evidence of your competence
covering six of the units fifteen assessment criteria. (You will be told which six
assessment criteria nearer your submission date for moderation.)
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Preparation for the Tasks:
? For task 1 you will need the CIPD Profession Map.
? Refer to the indicative content in the unit (see Appendix A) to guide and support your
planning, learning and evidence gathering.
You will also benefit from:
? Recognising that this level of planning, reflection and recording of self-development is
something new to most people. It will not come naturally. You will get faster and better at
doing it as you progress through your programme. At the same time, you will find journaling
growing in impact on your thinking and behaviour. So, experiment and expect to change
the way you do things – that shows that you are developing.
? Putting aside a realistic amount of time at the beginning of your programme for your selfassessment
and planning. Go slow to go fast.
? Reflecting on experiences or other courses outside of work that may be relevant to this unit.
? Gaining an understanding of the theories underpinning this unit and research into real
people and organisations.
? Reading the CIPD Fact Sheets and related on-line material on these topics.
? Clearly separating your work from that of others.
? Including a wide range of sources of both learning and evidence – reading, observing,
shadowing, internet research, experimentation, secondment, mentoring or coaching,
volunteering, regular personal reflection and so on.
? Paying attention to how your evidence is presented in your portfolio.
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Helpful advice:
? A template to help you is found on the course site.
? Identify any modules, lectures, webinars, fact sheets, case studies, CIPD website, visits,
activities etc.that might be relevant to this unit. Then build them into your learning plan.
? In the plan, try to make your learning goals SMART.
? Consider how you will reward yourself for reaching each of your goals.
? Any mark or grade given will not form part of your final assessment for the unit.
Task One Initial Self-Assessment and Plan
At the start of your programme carry out a self-assessment of your knowledge and skill in each of
the fifteen assessment criteria (listed in Appendix A). Then formulate your development plan for
each one. This plan must take you to the required standard in each assessment criterion by the
time you submit Task 3.
The purpose of this task is to:
? Identify your current strengths and the competencies you must develop during your
programme.
? Enable you to plan and deliver your development and monitor your progress towards your
learning goals.
This document will be an essential foundation for your learning.
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Task Two Learning journal
During your programme follow your development plan and record your learning in a journal. This
journal will then provide you with the rich source material you need to compile your final
assessment portfolio.
Identify real evidence of your competence in each of the fifteen areas and record these in your
journal. Apply relevant theories and models to help you critically evaluate your performance.
By the end of your programme, you should be able to report on, have critically evaluated and show
evidence of your competence in, all fifteen assessment criteria.
You choose the format for your journaling. You might keep a chronological journal carrying out
regular reflection – rather like a diary – perhaps on a weekly basis. Or you can divide your journal
into the fifteen sections and record your learning as it arises, under the relevant heading. Or you
may combine these formats.
Helpful advice:
? Take care. There is a lot to cover in this unit and you are strongly advised to start work
early, gradually developing your knowledge and behaviour, and assembling your portfolio.
If you leave your portfolio until you know which six assessment criteria to cover, you are
very unlikely to pass.
? Learn from other learners. You may find it useful to work in an action learning set or similar
group with fellow learners. This will enable you to share your areas of strength and
weakness; learn from, challenge, and motivate each other; and enable you to find solutions
to your problems.
? Learn from a range of experiences. If you are developing as a result of experiences outside
work and study, you can include that in your journal. Clubs, sports, voluntary work and
even home life are sources of learning and therefore also evidence. If you are not currently
in an HR/L&D role, you will need to draw more heavily on these sources of learning. Again,
you will need supporting evidence for what you have done and what impact it is has had.
? This unit is at Level 7 (post-graduate). It is not sufficient in your portfolio simply to describe
what you have done. You must display a post-graduate approach. You will find it helpful to
consider the higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy – analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. For
example:
Assessment criterion 1: Critically assess different ethical standpoints on people
practice and the maintenance of high standards of ethical behaviour.
Description Analysis Evaluation Synthesis
A challenging situation in
which you sustained a
high standard of ethical
behaviour.
The model of ethics that
you followed and why.
The shortcomings of that
model.
How you would behave
differently (better) in
future.
How you might
generalise this learning
across different areas of
people practice.
Lecture on ethics. Critique of the different
models or theories.
Situations in which you
might apply this learning.
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? Asking yourself So what? at any of these stages of your thinking will often result in useful
insights.
? Many commentators suggest that much of our behavioural development comes from
practical experiences rather than formal teaching. Such learning is often emergent rather
than planned; informal rather than formal; and unstructured rather than organised. Include
these in your regular reflections. You might use a format for recording and analysing
incidents from which you have learned, such as:
Description Analysis Evaluation Creation
The event. Who, what, when,
where, how and/or why?
What worked well or
could have been better.
Any relevant model or
theory.
What you learned and
how you can use this
elsewhere
? You can use this document later as evidence in your portfolio.
? Your journaling will need to reflect the contemporary work and working life environment,
which is often volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
? Any mark or grade given will not form part of your final assessment for the unit.
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Task Three Your portfolio
Your final task is to submit a portfolio of evidence of your competence in six of the units fifteen
assessment criteria. This will be the culmination of all your work in the unit and the mark for this
portfolio will be your final mark for the unit.
Your portfolio should consist of:
? An evaluation of your competence (knowledge and behaviours) in six of the units fifteen
assessment criteria.
? Evidence to support your evaluation, clearly cross-referenced to each of your claims.
? A brief continuing professional development plan in each area showing how you will
continue to develop after you have finished your programme.
Six weeks before your submission deadline, you will be told which six of the fifteen assessment
criteria you should cover in your portfolio. The six assessment criteria will include at least one from
each of the units four learning outcomes, but no more than two will come from any single learning
outcome.
Excluding evidence, your portfolio should consist of 4,000 words ± 10% (about 650 words for
each assessment criteria). The bibliography, list of reference and essential background material
should be put in an appendix; they will not be included in the 4,000 words.
You must support the claims you make in your portfolio by providing evidence.
Helpful advice:
? Include hard evidence where you can. Feedback sheets and marks, handouts, or journal
articles that you have annotated, a link to a video of you doing something that
demonstrates your competence (e.g., leading a training session or conducting an appraisal
meeting), a certificate, a letter, a document from your work and even a written testimonial
from a fellow learner, work colleague or manager.
? Asking the question, How do I know that I am competent? might point you to some
evidence. Two examples:
o How do you know you are getting better at making decisions? Are you spending less
time? Or making better quality decisions? What hard evidence is there?
o If you understand something, you can probably explain it to someone else. Hence,
teaching someone else can be evidence of your learning. If they write a note to testify
that you have helped them, that would be hard evidence. If you have written a piece of
coursework or passed an exam, that is evidence. So are summarised notes of key
points from a lecture, book, or journal article they suggest you have got some
understanding.
? Handouts on their own are not sufficient as evidence because they do not show how and
what you may have learned. For example, you may own a book on Quantum Theory, but
that is not evidence that you understand the theory. But if the book contains pencil notes, it
is beginning to have some evidential worth. Only include handouts or journal articles if they
provide real evidence of your knowledge and understanding.
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? One piece of evidence might demonstrate several skills. For example, the use of statistics
for a management report might be evidence of your ability to use IT, your decision making
and your skills in presenting data.
? Number each piece of evidence and include that number in your text so that the reader can
match your evidence to your claims.
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Appendix A The units fifteen assessment
criteria and indicative content
Learning Outcome 1: Be able to model principles and values that promote
inclusivity aimed at maximising the contribution that people make to
organisations.
Assessment Criteria Indicative content
1 Critically assess different ethical
standpoints on people practice and the
maintenance of high standards of ethical
behaviour.
Different versions of ethics; taking the lead in
challenging all levels of the organisation to give
balanced responses to the different ethical
standpoints both internally and externally,
maintaining high standards of ethical behaviour.
2 Justify business improvements in relation
to:
the promotion of fairness and
transparency
wellbeing
employee voice
learning.
Promoting a unified purpose for individuals, the
organisation and the profession; championing
better work and working lives by creating fair and
compassionate organisations; valuing people by
giving them a voice, supporting wellbeing and
career-long development.
3 Self-evaluate personal and professional
integrity in relation to ethical practice,
professional courage and influence, and
valuing people.
Role-modelling consistent personal and
professional integrity; challenging decisions and
actions which are not ethical, explaining the
organisational risks; challenging constructively and
confidently in the face of opposition; demonstrating
compassion, humanity and fairness in your
approach; requiring others at all levels to do the
same; promoting transparency.
4 Assess the impact of collaboration across
cultural, geographic and professional
boundaries, including the value of
embracing difference.
Working inclusively and collaboratively within and
across organisational boundaries; embracing
difference and using diversity to improve
organisational performance; building trust, sharing
knowledge, experience and skills; promoting
positive attitudes and collaboration.
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Learning Outcome 2: Be able to achieve and maintain challenging business
outcomes for yourself and organisations.
Assessment Criteria Indicative content
5 Reflect on levels of self-awareness, selfmanagement
and continuous selfimprovement,
leading to improved
organisational success and career
progression.
Various measures such as personality, productivity,
quality and impact; the drive for continuous selfimprovement;
business and financial acumen that
delivers commercial benefits; leading and
supporting change; resilience in the face of
uncertainty and setbacks.
6 Discuss how business acumen can deliver
commercial benefits and manage
resilience.
External and internal contexts of the organisation,
including governance; business and financial
acumen that delivers commercial benefits;
awareness of how data relating to products,
services and customers can provide insight into
people solutions; leading and supporting change;
resilience in the face of uncertainty and setbacks.
7 Demonstrate impactful behaviour that is
aligned with wider organisational vision,
values, strategies and plans.
Aligning behaviour with wider organisational vision,
values, strategies and plans; a concern for
business outputs and impact rather than just
following processes; connecting with internal and
external peers regularly to benchmark, share good
practice and anticipate future trends to inform future
priorities and practice.
Learning Outcome 3: Be able to apply learning to enhance personal
effectiveness.
Assessment Criteria Indicative content
8 Demonstrate curiosity and passion for
deep learning.
Sharing good practice with others; using feedback
to improve; promoting an approach that includes a
willingness to take risks; an innovative learning
culture.
9 Plan continuing professional development
that involves both planned learning and
reflection.
The broad scope of CPD and the wide variety of
methods; planned and reflective learning that spans
the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual
domains.
10 Discuss the merits of evidence-based
critical thinking based upon a range of
data analytics, across a wide range of
current business topics.
Conducting good research; questioning and testing
of ideas without bias; thinking skills that produce
deep understanding, insight and skill, including into
financial data and technology; data analytics; the
representation of people data in different ways
(skills, profit, capability, cost, etc).
11 Assess the impact that sharing of learning
has on organisational success.
Promotes innovation and change, facilitates organic
learning, creates efficiencies, reduces duplication of
effort, promulgates an open and inclusive culture.
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Learning Outcome 4: Be able to influence others during decision-making while
showing courage and conviction.
Assessment Criteria Indicative content
12 Assess own approaches to decisionmaking
on complex issues, taking
ownership to remedy mistakes.
Handling complex issues; managing risk in
decisions; developing these behaviours in others;
taking ownership when things go wrong.
13 Demonstrate appropriate influencing style
to communicate and engage different
audiences.
Using a range of communication tools; making the
complex clear; questioning and listening; influencing
others at all levels; ethical influencing.
14 Discuss ways of promoting organisational
improvement through courage, political
acumen and the willingness to challenge.
Promoting organisational improvement through
fostering a willingness to be brave, challenge people
and practices, and use political acumen; leaders as
role models, doing the right thing, moral and legal
responsibilities, preparedness to view failure as an
opportunity to enhance learning, emphasis on use
of good judgement, evidence base for action,
mutual respect, choice of language and
communication channels, due regard for context
and wider organisational reputation.
15 Assess the benefits of networking to
enhance own career and contribution to
organisational effectiveness.
Benefits of networking: for example, wellbeing
clubs, LinkedIn learning, after work clubs; social
networking; benchmarking self and organisation;
career advancement and organisational success
