Work-Based Project - Creating Impact

Module description

This module offers a synoptic integration of the learning of the whole programme into a practical project related to the business that the apprentice occupies within the financial services industry. Investment management (also known as asset or fund management) and Investment consulting are about either managing, or providing advice around the management of a client's/customer’s money, to meet investment goals, such as capital growth and/or income generation. Clients/customers may be individuals or institutions. Typically the roles focus on the analyst and fund/portfolio support roles, usually involving: financial statement analysis, asset selection, stock selection, implementation and monitoring of investments and providing investment recommendations to clients/customers.

Having consulted across the organisation and identified an improvement opportunity, process improvement or service enhancement need, you will scope, plan and develop a significant business improvement project. Demonstrating wider consideration of the financial services industry and its global, economic and environmental context, you will research the opportunities and limitations within your idea. Using analytic skills, you will involve your department in the evaluation and exploration of the idea, ensuring objective and inclusive consultation is undertaken. The project will only move forward with the backing of line management and therefore your skills of persuasion and influence will be paramount in securing stakeholder commitment. Higher level skills such as resource planning and business analysis underpin the project and offer apprentices the opportunity to implement and reflect upon own knowledge, skills and behaviour

Full module specification

Module aims

This module is a part of the formal process of portfolio building in which you are required to evidence the knowledge skills and behaviours set out in the level 6, degree apprenticeship standards for the Financial Services Professional. The personal development that you undertake and the activities, assignments and reflections that you produce all offer material for your final EPA project and professional portfolio.

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. assess a problem from multiple angles to ensure all relevant issues are considered, engage with critical thinking tools to evaluate and analyse complex situations. Respond appropriately to unexpected events. Apply critical thinking to discern between available options.
• 2. critically reflect upon professional practice to identify, evaluate and modify own behaviours. Compile, manage and edit a portfolio of evidence in support of own progression against the relevant Degree Apprentice learning objectives.
• 3. identify opportunities for application of new knowledge, using skills of analysis and persuasion to develop project proposal, reflecting a sound understanding of Financials Services’ product knowledge and customer needs.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 4. sound understanding of the client/customer segments that the organisation delivers to and the channels that they use. Understands the approach to delivering fair client/customer outcomes across the business in a financial services setting, including best practice. (Strong analytic skills, including excellent data analysis, research and reporting and able to deliver complex financial/asset modelling and valuation/pricing techniques using appropriate tools to form solutions and recommendations.
• 5. identify and provide flexible and innovative solutions, integrating products and excellent service as appropriate to own role, in order to support client/customers and meet own best interests. Use trading and risk management tools, under supervision. Deliver technical advice to clients/customer and implement product solutions.
• 6. lead and/or contribute to development of specific changes through to implementation – this may include projects wider than own role. Create innovative and enterprising solutions to business needs, whilst understanding relevant boundaries e.g. financial services regulations.

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 7. Professional impact: Take the initiative to meet challenging individual and team performance measures in line with organisation policy, Values, standards and sector relevant regulatory requirements. Identify and communicate risks to the relevant management or compliance personnel within the organisation, understanding and following the appropriate company process to address. Deliver projects as required.
• 8. Adaptability: Adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns and is flexible to the needs of the organisation. Respond well to change. Identifies opportunities to drive higher performance and improve service/processes delivered, including sharing, and looking outside of their team for best practice. Leads and/or contributes to development of specific changes through to implementation – this may include projects wider than their role.
• 9. Communication: Build/maintain strong positive working relationships with Clients/colleagues/suppliers as appropriate. Take a leadership role in the team when appropriate.
• 10. Motivation: Contribute to the development of strategic and operational plans for own area. Manage and reports on progress of specific elements of this in own area of responsibility. Visible role model, and coaches others where appropriate. Follow and promote appropriate organisational procedures and policies. Demonstrate a curious and questioning approach in own work.
• 11. Integrity: Be truthful, sincere and trustworthy in own actions. Handle tasks with thoroughness and accuracy. Maintain appropriate confidentiality. Follow and promote appropriate organisational procedures and policies.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Defer – as first time

Refer – capped at 40%

Syllabus plan

This module draws together the learning from across the programme as a whole and through a work-based project creates value back into the organisation. Having the opportunity to develop skills of analysis, evaluation, project scoping and compilation of a professional report enables the apprentice to engage with the Financial Services Professional standards in preparation for the final End Point Assessment (EPA) assessment of the degree apprenticeship as a whole. 

Details of the EPA process are listed below – taken from https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/financial-services-professional/ 

Work-Based Project

This will be a significant work-based project that contains real activity done in the role and demonstrates many of the aspects of the standard. It should describe what the apprentice did, how they did it and the benefits that resulted from the project.

It will be completed in the last few months of the apprenticeship, following the gateway, and will be 5,500 words (+/- 10%). excluding references. After Gateway, the Apprentice will submit the project to the End-Point Assessment Organisation.  The Project will be a substantive evidence base from a business related project to demonstrate the application of skills, knowledge and behaviours. It will be related to the specific option that the apprentice has chosen from the Standard.

For example, it might cover how the apprentice dealt with a significant issue facing the business or client, describing how they:

• Analysed the problem
• Conducted relevant background research e.g. business requirements/implications, industry developments, regulatory requirements
• Developed options
• Worked with colleagues and the business to develop an agreed solution
• Influenced both up and down the organisation to achieve resolution
• Implemented that solution and any resulting benefits

The project should include evidence of how the project was delivered and the outcomes achieved eg.. relevant emails or client feedback. The Project should relate to the Apprentice’s chosen specialist option and must include product evidence to validate the account provided in the Project Report.  This may include, but is not restricted to, the following:

• Research Analysis
• Objectives
• Gant Chart
• PIR
• Feedback
• Budget
• SWOT Analysis
• Costing
• Budgeting
• Milestones
• Contingency Plan
• Risk
• Resources

Words included in the product evidence will not count towards the final word count for the Project Report.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Recommended text:

Cottrell, S. (2010) Skills for success: personal development and employability. Palgrave Macmillan

Day, T. (2018) Success in Academic Writing. Palgrave Study Skills. Palgrave Macmillan.

Kahneman, D. (2012) Thinking Fast and Slow. Penguin: UK

Miller, D. (2014) Brilliant Personal Effectiveness: What to know and say to make an impact at work. Pearson: UK

Supplementary text:

Cottrell, S (2017) Critical Thinking Skills; Developing Effective Analysis, argument and reflection.

Palgrave Macmillan:

Paul, D., Cadle, J., & Thomas, P (2012) The Human Touch: Personal Skills for Professional Success. BCS: UK

Winstanley, D. (2009) Personal Effectiveness. Excel Books: UK

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE– https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Origin date

26/02/2019

Last revision date

12/03/2021