5CO02 Evidence-based practice

This unit assignment addresses the significance of capturing robust quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform meaningful insight to influence critical thinking. It focuses on analysing evidence through an ethical lens to improve decision-making and how measuring the impact of people practice is essential in creating value.

CIPD’s Insight

Evidence-based practice is about making better decisions, informing action that has the desired impact. An evidence-based approach to decision-making is based on a combination of using critical thinking and the best available evidence. It makes decision makers less reliant on anecdotes, received wisdom and personal experience sources that are not trustworthy on their own.

It is important for People Practitioners to adopt this approach because of the huge impact management decisions have on the working lives of people in all sorts of organisations worldwide. Managers have an obligation to find the best evidence when making important decisions to strengthen the well-being of their workers as well as ensuring their organisation’s success.

Case study
Your company has been invited to submit a briefing paper for a regional People Practice event that will share insights and good practice on a range of people practice processes and practices. The topic area that your manager has chosen is ‘evidence-based practice’ and has selected you to represent the company by creating the briefing paper for the event.
In addition, your manager has asked you to analyse and review three sets of performance data in readiness for the forthcoming heads of department meeting.

Preparation for the Tasks:

At the start of your assignment, you are encouraged to plan your assessment work with your Assessor and where appropriate agree milestones so that they can help you monitor your progress.

Refer to the indicative content in the unit to guide and support your evidence.

Pay attention to how your evidence is presented, remember you are working in the People Practice Team for this task.

Ensure that the evidence generated for this assessment remains your own work.

You will also benefit from:

Acting on formative feedback from your Assessor.

Reflecting on your own experiences of learning opportunities and training and continuing professional development.

Reading the CIPD Insight, Fact Sheets and related online material on these topics.

Task One: Briefing Paper

You have been asked to prepare a briefing paper that is to be given to people practitioners at a regional event, to share insights and good practice. The paper needs to provide understanding of approaches that can be taken to support effective critical thinking and decision-making within the HR remit.

Your Briefing Paper needs to:

provide an evaluation of the concept of evidence-based practice and assess how evidence- based practice approaches can be used to support sound decision-making and judgments for people practitioners across a range of people practices and organisational issues. (1.1)

evaluate two micro and two macro analysis tools or methods that can be used in people practice to explore an organisation s micro and macro environment, and how those identified might be applied to diagnose future issues, challenges and opportunities. (1.2)

explain the principles of critical thinking and give examples of how you apply these yourself when relating to ideas, to assist objective and rationale debate. (1.3)

assess at least two different ethical theories and perspectives and explain how an understanding of these can be used to inform and influence effective decision-making. (1.4)

explain a range of decision-making approaches that could be used to identify possible solutions to a specific issue relating to people practice. (2.3)

as a worked example to illustrate the points made in 2.3, take this same people practice issue, explain the relevant evidence that you have reviewed, and use one or more decision- making tools to determine a recommended course of action, explaining the rationale for that decision and identifying the benefits, risks and financial implications of the suggested solution. (2.2 & 2.4)

compare and contrast a range of different ways and approaches that are used to measure financial and non-financial performance within organisations. (3.1)

It is essential that you refer to academic concepts, theories and professional practice for the tasks to ensure that your work is supported by analysis. Please ensure that any references and sources drawn upon are acknowledged correctly and supported by a bibliography.

Your evidence must consist of:

Briefing paper (approximately 2900 words) refer to CIPD wordcount policy.

Task two: Data analysis and review

In preparing for the forthcoming department heads meeting your manager has asked you to prepare a range of information and interpretations for use at the meeting

Below are two sets of data that have been collected by a 360-degree review for Department A . Table 1, is the feedback that has been elicited from employees on their line-managers and table 2 is from the customers that use the services and goods from Department A.

Use one analytical tool to review the two data sets to reveal any themes, patterns and trends (2.1).

Table 1

360 Feedback from employees on their line-manager (Department A total of 256responses were received, 32 did not respond).
Agreed that they were positively supported by their line manager in the role that they perform.	100	Disagreed that they were positively supported by their line manager in the role that they perform.	156
Agreed that performance targets set by their line manager were achievable.	45	Disagreed that performance targets set by their line manager were achievable.	211
Agreed that the amount of learning and development that they received helped them achieve current and future working practices.	95	Disagreed that the amount of learning and development that they received helped them achieve current and future working practices.	161
Agreed that their line manager was empathetic to my work/life balance.	112	Disagreed that their line manager was empathetic to my work/life balance.	144
Agreed that their line manager actively promotes their self- development and career progression.	68	Disagreed that their line manager actively promotes their self- development and career progression.	188
Agreed that the line manager is approachable.	37	Disagreed that the line manager is approachable.	219
Agreed that their line manager avoids bias in attitude and treatment of people	86	Disagreed that their line manager avoids bias in attitude and treatment of people	170
Agrees that their line manager resolves conflict amongst team members.	102	Disagreed that their line manager resolves conflict amongst team members.	154
Agrees that their line manager delegates authority and independence.	6	Disagreed that their line manager delegates authority and independence.	250
Agrees that their line manager communicates reasons for changes and decisions.	11	Disagreed that their line manager communicates reasons for changes and decisions.	245

Table 2

360 Feedback from customers (Department A total of 145 responses were received, 256 did not respond).
Agreed that the goods and services on offer were value for money	101	Disagreed that the goods and services on offer were value for money	44
Agreed that delivery of products and services were timely from point of sale to delivery.	45	Disagreed that delivery of products and services were timely from point of sale to delivery.	100
Agreed that the quality of goods and services were acceptable	114	Disagreed that the quality of goods and services were acceptable	31
Agreed that customer services were assessable and responsive to all calls.	34	Disagreed that customer services were assessable and responsive to all calls.	111
Agreed that all complaints were dealt with in. a timely and professional manner	54	Disagreed that all complaints were dealt with in. a timely and professional manner	91
Agreed that they the after sales services were good.	27	Disagreed that they the after sales services were good.	118
Agreed that their initial enquiry was handled in a timely and professional manner.	3	Disagreed that their initial enquiry was handled in a timely and professional manner.	142
Agreed that on receipt of goods that packaging was acceptable in protecting the goods.	143	Disagreed that on receipt of goods that packaging was acceptable in protecting the goods.	2
Agreed that they would recommend the company to a friend or business	98	Disagreed that they would recommend the company to a friend or business	47
Agreed that the range of products and services was sufficient to satisfy their requirements.	31	Disagreed that the range of products and services was sufficient to satisfy their requirements.	114

From this analysis, graphically present your findings using three or more different methods (3.3).
Identify the key systems and data used within effective people practices, to give insights by measuring work and people performance (3.2)
Explain how people practices add value in an organisation and identify methods that might be used to measure the impact of people practices (3.4)

from 6 = high performer to 1= low performer.
Any employee scoring 4 and above received a £400.00 bonus in their monthly pay. The budget allocation per department for bonuses last year was £75,000.

Figures from Depart A for last year were:

• 112 employees received a score of 6
• 98 employees received a score of 5
• 35 employees received a score of 4
• 43 employees received a score of 3 or below