Candidate Handbook

2017

Supporting you to achieve your goals

Developing U, 19 Forestlake Avenue, Ringwood BH24 1QU

www.devu.co.uk mandy@devu.co.uk
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Candidate Handbook .............................................................................................................................. 3

Developing U.......................................................................................................................... 3
Chartered Management Institute.............................................................................................. 3
Learner Membership of the CMI ............................................................................................... 3
Candidate Support ................................................................................................................... 4
Management Direct ................................................................................................................. 4
CMI Management Library ......................................................................................................... 5
Your Programme of Study ....................................................................................................................... 6
Workshop Qualification Courses ............................................................................................... 6
E-Learning Qualification Courses ............................................................................................... 6
Blended Learning Qualifications ............................................................................................... 6
Qualifications .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Qualification Levels .................................................................................................................. 7
The Assessment Process ......................................................................................................................... 8
Registration ............................................................................................................................. 8
Induction ................................................................................................................................. 8
Formal workshops and E-Learning ............................................................................................ 8
Research .................................................................................................................................. 8
Experience ............................................................................................................................... 8
Assignments............................................................................................................................. 8
Deadlines ................................................................................................................................. 9
Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 9
Certification ............................................................................................................................. 9
Policies & Procedures ........................................................................................................................... 10
Writing Assignment Hints & Tips ....................................................................................................... 11
Support .................................................................................................................................. 11
Getting Started ...................................................................................................................... 11
Writing the Assignment .......................................................................................................... 12
Checking the Assignment ........................................................................................................ 12
Preparing to submit your work ............................................................................................... 13
Malpractice ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Quality ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Complaints & Appeals ............................................................................................................ 14

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Candidate Handbook

This handbook is designed to answer the questions you may have in relation to your accredited
Leadership Programme. Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact
Developing U on the following emails:

Mandy Underwood, Quality Manager: mandy@devu.co.uk

John Underwood, Candidate Support: john@devu.co.uk

We will be happy to contact you at an agreed time to discuss your needs this may be by email,
telephone or skype.

Developing U
Developing U has been established since 2002. We are recognised by both the Chartered
Management Institute (CMI) . Our programmes may take one of the following 3 options:

Programmes delivered and accredited by Developing U

E-Learning programmes working in partnership with CMI Management Direct
Partnership programmes where another training provider delivers the training and
Developing U provide the accreditation services

This will be made clear at Induction. Regardless of which of the options above relate to your
programme, Developing U is responsible for the quality of the programme and accreditation.

Chartered Management Institute

CMI is a specialist Awarding Body that offers a wide range of qualifications in Management and
Leadership and Coaching and Mentoring. CMI is regulated by three regulators: Ofqual in England,
the Welsh Government in Wales and the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) in Scotland

CMI is also regulated on how it designs and develops its portfolio of qualifications.

CMI develop and award over 100 qualifications: these qualifications are delivered and assessed via
approximately 600 CMI Centres. As all delivery and assessment is devolved to CMI Centres, CMI
have a quality assurance model which monitors and maintains CMI standards for the delivery and
assessment of CMI qualifications.

CMI is the only chartered awarding body dedicated to raising the standards of Leadership &
Management

Learner Membership of the CMI

On the date of registration you will automatically receive free Affiliate membership which last for
the duration of your studies. There are significant benefits to members which include access to:

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Management Direct membership provides you with exclusive access to a plethora of

online resources to help you develop your management knowledge continuously

Career Progression - on-the-job experience is valuable and results speak for themselves. But
in a busy marketplace, how to do you prove that your management methods are the highest
quality and are sustainable? CMI can help you with training, qualifications and job hunting.

Online Networking and Compelling Events your membership offers you the perfect
opportunity to grow your professional network to help share knowledge and experience or
to identify business and career opportunities. CMIs online community enables you to get
involved right now. You can get involved in person via our branch and regional events which
of course as a member you receive preferential rates

Professional Manager Magazine youll receive each edition of CMIs very own magazine to
keep you abreast of tomorrows management issues today

Simple and Convenient CPD - members have access to our simple easy-to-use CPD system
which intelligently gathers details of CPD you undertake through your membership. It
enables you to add additional activities, helping you to demonstrate your development,
whether it be for an appraisal or new job opportunity

Further information can be found at the CMI website

http://www.managers.org.uk/individuals/become-a-member/membership-benefits

Candidate Support
We take candidate support very seriously at Developing U and offer each candidate up to 30
minutes free support per Unit of study. Support may take the form of:

Website: guidance documents, frequently asked questions and recorded PowerPoint

presentations
Management Direct: a host of resources found on the CMI website
Tutor Support: given during the course of study when it is classroom based
One to one support: given by the candidate support team

Full details of the support we can offer is given in the Candidate Support Policy found on the
Developing U website.

Management Direct
Management Direct is CMIs online management resource portal containing a wealth of information
to support your programmes of learning. Management Direct provides:

Access to thousands of online resources, including videos, checklists, e-learning and

publications
The ability to create structured learning journeys to address specific challenges
Cost effective, web-based training and development solutions
24/7 resource accessible by PC, tablet or mobile device

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All candidates receive free access to Management Direct as part of their membership with CMI. To
access Management Direct go to the following website and login using your CMI membership login
details which are sent by the CMI upon registration.

http://www.managers.org.uk/employers/management-training-our-services/online-resource-
portal#sthash.6wR5GhR4.dpuf

CMI Management Library

Another free CMI service is the ability to borrow informative books for free from their library which
is the UKs largest Management Library. For more information see
http://www.managers.org.uk/individuals/existing-members/access-your-services/cmi-library

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Your Programme of Study

Developing U provides a range of ways to study:

Formal training courses and workshops

E-Learning
Blended Learning

Workshop Qualification Courses

Workshop Qualification Courses are generally run in association with partner training companies
where the partner company delivers the training and Developing U provide the accreditation.

For formal courses you will be given a timetable showing the programme of training you are
undertaking, this timetable will also show the Units (subjects) which form your qualification.

You will attend the workshops, carrying out research and apply your learning in the workplace, you
will then be able to undertake the assignment in order to demonstrate your competence.

E-Learning Qualification Courses

E-Learning qualification courses are run by Developing U and provide you with the opportunity to
gain a Management Qualification by undertaking a range of on-line learning activities. You will be
sent a CMI Pathways workbook for each subject and given a Learning Pathway shown on the CMI
Management Direct website. The Learning Pathway comprises of a range of activities for you to
follow and consists of:

Reading specific sections of your CMI Pathways workbook

E-Learning
Journals/Articles
Checklists
On-line videos

Once you have undertaken the learning pathway, carried out your own research and applied the
learning in your workplace you will be able to undertake the assignment in order to demonstrate
your competence.

Blended Learning Qualifications

Blended Learning Qualifications are a combination of workshops and on-line learning. You will be
given a timetable of workshops and online study which will outline the Units (subjects) which make
up your qualification.

Once you have attended the workshops, carried out the on-line activities and your own research,
and applied your learning in the workplace, you will be able to undertake the assignment in order to
demonstrate your competence.

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Qualifications
Developing U offers a range of Management & Leadership qualifications and Coaching & Mentoring
qualifications all of which are accredited by the CMI.

Qualification Levels
Qualifications can be taken with Developing U at three levels:

Level 3 for First Line Managers is taught at an equivalent to an A level

Level 5 for Middle Managers is taught at an equivalent to a Degree
Level 6 for Middle Managers is taught at an equivalent to a Post Graduate Degree
Level 7 for Strategic Managers is taught at an equivalent to a Post Graduate Degree

These are further broken down into short, medium and long term programmes. For example:

Award (short term programme) consists of one subject and can normally be achieved in 3
months
Certificate (medium term programme) consists of two-three subjects and can normally be
achieved in 6 months
Diploma (long term programme) consists of five-seven subjects and can normally be
achieved in 18 months

Short Term Medium Term Long Term Taught at a level

Award Certificate Diploma equivalent to
Level 7 Senior Post Graduate
Managers Degree/Masters
Level 6 Senior Post Graduate
Managers Degree
Level 5 Middle Undergraduate
Managers
Level 3 First A Level
Line Managers

The advantage is that you are able to take an award first and then build it up by adding further
subjects. Horizontal progression is possible at every level.

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The Assessment Process

Registration
When you start an accredited programme of development with Developing U you will be registered
within 6 weeks of the start of your course usually the registration takes place on the day the
course starts. Therefore Developing U will ask for some personal details from you to complete this
process.

All data held with Developing U is stored and shared in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and
is held in complete confidentiality. The Data Protection Policy can be found on the Developing U
website.

Registration will automatically trigger CMI membership. CMI will contact you with login details by
email shortly after registration.

Induction
At the start of your learning programme you will either undertake an Induction Training Session or
an on-line Induction E-Learning PowerPoint Presentation. It is compulsory to undertake this training
before you start you programme of learning in order to familiarise yourself with the requirements of
assessment.

Formal workshops and E-Learning

You will either attend a taught programme, access an E-Learning programme or be given a blended
route of learning combining both taught sessions and E-Learning. Whichever option you follow, you
will be able to access the CMI Management Direct website which has valuable resources for your
qualification.

Research
Your learning will be supplemented by personal research which may include reading books, articles
and journals, accessing the host of resources available on Management Direct and/or the internet.

Experience
Your learning and research will lead you to apply your learning in the workplace. Valuable learning
can be gained by the implementation of new ways of working and by reflecting on past experiences
to identify areas of improvement.

Typically we would anticipate your development will encompass all three learning methods listed
above in equal proportions to achieve the Awarding Bodies recommended guided learning hours.

Assignments
At the end of your workshop or at stages throughout your E-Learning pathway you will be asked to
complete an assignment. Assignments are set by the CMI and follow a range of written tasks based
on Assessment Criteria. Assignments are typically:

1500 2500 words at Level 3

2000 3000 words at Level 5

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2500 3500 words at Level 7

You will be introduced to the Assignment Brief at Induction and shown how to answer it effectively.
Support in many forms is available to you to achieve a successful outcome. See the Support Section
of this document for further information.

When you have completed your assignment it should be emailed together with an AUTHENTICITY
FORM to:

john@devu.co.uk clearly stating ASSIGNMENT in the title

The Authenticity Form can be downloaded from the Developing U website

PLEASE NOTE: Take care to read the section on Malpractice which includes reference to Plagiarism
and Collusion both of which are serious offences. Further information can be found in the
Malpractice & Maladministration Policy on the Developing U website

Deadlines
Developing U will set deadlines for your work which will be clearly communicated to you. In the
interests of candidate fairness it is essential that you hand in your assignments on time, an
administration fee of 50 plus VAT will be charged on overdue assignments. Extensions are only
granted in exceptional circumstances, see the Candidate Support Policy for more information.

Developing U will chase you once if the assignment is overdue, at which point your account is
marked unauthorised extension. If you do not contact Developing U after 3 months your account
will be closed and your qualification withdrawn.

Assessment
Upon receipt of your assignment Developing U will run a quality and authenticity check and then
forward it to the CMI External Marking Team for assessment. The marking team will award a pass or
refer and a moderator will oversee their decision. The assignment will be sent back to Developing
U.

Developing U will take the following action:

Pass the assignment will be returned to you identifying what you did well and any areas
you can improve on for future assignments.
Refer this will automatically trigger candidate support which may take the form of
feedback, guidance and/or telephone support. Please dont be disheartened, generally it is
just a small of work needed to bring your assignment up to the required standard.
Developing U is happy to give you the support you need to pass your assignment.

In cases of a refer you will have two further opportunities to submit your work so there is every
opportunity to gain a pass.

Certification
At the end of your programme you will receive a paper certificate branded by CMI to confirm your
achievement of the qualification. The certificate will be sent to you by post or to your employer if it
is an in-house training course.

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Policies & Procedures

Developing U has a range of policies and procedures approved by the CMI to guide us in the way
we work with our clients. All policies are updated annually to reflect changes in CMI policy and
legislation.

Policies are filed on the Developing U website for ease of access.

Policies include:

Data Protection Policy

Candidate Support Policy
Complaints and Appeals Policy & Procedures
Conflict of Interest Policy
Delegate Health & Safety Policy
Malpractice & Maladministration Policy
Quality Policy
Recognition of Prior Learning Policy
Equal Opportunities Policy

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Writing Assignment Hints & Tips

A good quality assignment has 4 aspects to it:

It contains sufficient detail to meet the assessment criteria

There is clear demonstration of research with appropriate referencing
There is evidence that you have applied your learning at work or reflected upon how you
carry out your day to day duties
The work is original and demonstrates you have thought about the topic and how it impacts
your work

Support
There is a wealth of guidance and support available to you as you undertake your assignment:

CMIs Management Direct for research

Developing U Website where you will find E-Learning tutorials on how to write assignments
Guidance documents and Frequently Asked Questions on the Developing U website
Candidate Support by email, telephone or skype which can be accessed by email to
john@devu.co.uk clearly marked with SUPPORT in the title.

Getting Started
Step 1: Understand what you are trying to achieve. The assignment brief (which is written by CMI)
gives you clear instruction on what you need to do. It is broken down into:

Tasks
Assessment Criteria
Wordcount

To gain a pass you need to carry out the task shown bearing in mind that assessors will mark you on
the Assessment Criteria. This is an example of a Level 5 Assignment.

Task 1:
Discuss the key differences between leadership and management. Taking two of these from each list,
provide practical examples of effective leadership in action and, effective management in action in the
running of a department. Discuss why it is important for those with management responsibilities to be
able to use both leadership and management skills effectively. Identify some of the behavioural and
skills challenges raised by this concept.

Evaluate the differing demands of leadership and management and discuss two working examples of
occasions when managers have to strike a balance between these demands in order to work
effectively. Where possible, use work based examples throughout.

Guideline word count: 900 - 1,100 words

A.C. 1.1 - Discuss the concept of managers as effective leaders

A.C. 1.2 - Discuss the concept of leaders as effective managers

A.C. 1.3 - Evaluate the balance needed between the demands of management and the demands
of leadership

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Step 2:

Consider the information learnt during your E-Learning or on your course

Carry out any further research you feel appropriate
Collate workplace examples which will support the task
Produce a mind map or brain shower with all the possible content
Condense the information into key issues you plan to include in your assignment

Writing the Assignment

Step 3: Produce a front page containing essential information:

Your name
The Unit you are taking e.g. 5005v1 Meeting Stakeholder & Quality Needs
Your candidate number
The wordcount for the assignment

Step 4: Set up headings in your assignment using the task and assessment criteria. This ensures you
stay focussed on what needs to be achieved as it is easy to wander off the point.

Step 5: Commence writing the assignment from the brain shower ensuring you have a good balance
of research, your own views and workplace examples. Write clearly and concisely using good
grammar and spelling.

High quality assignments use quotes, tables, graphs, diagrams and pictures to add clarity to your
work. If using bullet points, ensure each one is explained in detail as lists of bullet points alone are
likely to be given a refer due to lack of detail.

Remember to reference your work, a simple system of referencing is acceptable e.g. Armstrong, The
Challenging Manager 2011.

Pay particular attention to the words in the Assessment Criteria e.g. Evaluate, Analyse, Describe.
The assessor will be checking you meet the requirements. A full list of words and their meanings can
be found on the Developing U website. This is particularly important at Level 5 & 7.

Step 6: Compile a Bibliography at the end of your assignment, this is a list of the research your have
undertaken in order to write your assignment. Details of how to compile a bibliography can be found
on the Developing U website.

Checking the Assignment

Step 7: Carry out the following checks on your assignment:

Wordcount check you are within 10% of the required wordcount. What is not included in the
wordcount:

Headings
Tables containing referenced work
References
Bibliography

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Grammar & Spelling check your work keeps to the point

Assessment Criteria ensure all assessment criteria have been met in your work

Preparing to submit your work

Step 8: Before submitting your work make sure you have done the following:

Saved your work in a secure location and backed it up

Completed an Authentication Form found on the Developing U website to demonstrate the
work is your own

Malpractice
Malpractice is a serious offence and will result in both the candidate and Developing U being
investigated by the CMI.

Malpractice is defined by the CMI as deliberate actions, neglect, default or other practice that
compromises or could compromise:

The assessment process

The integrity of a regulated qualification
The validity of a result or certificate
The reputation and credibility of CMI or Developing U
The qualification or the wider qualifications community
The confidentiality of assessment materials

An example of learner malpractice might be:

Plagiarism - failure to acknowledge sources properly and/or the submission of another

persons work as if it were the Learners own
Collusion with others when an assessment must be completed by individual Learners
Copying from another Learner (including using ICT to do so)
Impersonation - assuming the identity of another Learner or having someone assume your
identity during an assessment
Inclusion of inappropriate, offensive, discriminatory or obscene material in assessment
evidence. This includes vulgarity and swearing that is outside of the context of the
assessment, or any material of a discriminatory nature (including racism, sexism and
homophobia)
Inappropriate behaviour during an internal assessment that causes disruption to others. This
includes shouting and/or aggressive behaviour or language and having an unauthorised
electronic device that causes a disturbance in the assessment room
Frivolous content - Producing content that is unrelated to the question in scripts or
coursework

A detailed Malpractice & Maladministration Policy can be found on the Developing U Website
www.devu.co.uk

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Quality
Developing U is committed to providing you with the best learning experience possible. We have a
quality policy which encourages continuous quality improvement and welcome your comments to
help us to continue to improve what we do. Our quality policy can be found on www.devu.co.uk.

If you would like to give us any feedback on our services please email mandy@devu.co.uk.

Complaints & Appeals

We do, however, recognise that from time to time a candidate may not be entirely happy with their
experience at Developing U and to this end we have developed a Complaints and Appeals
procedure which can be found on the Developing U website www.devu.co.uk.

Should you still remain dissatisfied following Developing Us response, you have redress to CMI.
Details of the CMI Complaints and Appeals procedure can be found on www.managers.org.uk.

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