5CO03
Professional behaviours
and valuing people
Learner Assessment Brief
Assessment ID / CIPD_5CO03_22_01
Level 5 Associate Diploma in
▪ People Management
▪ Organisational Learning and Development
Level 5 Associate Diploma
5CO03
Professional behaviours and
valuing people
This unit focuses on how applying core professional behaviours such as ethical practice, courage
and inclusivity can build positive working relationships and support employee voice and well-being. It
considers how developing and mastering new professional behaviours and practice can impact
performance.
CIPD’s insight
Ethical practice and the role of people professionals (April 2022)
Scandals involving workplace harassment and poor treatment of workers have highlighted what can
happen when ethics aren’t integral to the way organisations operate. With unique access to staff
throughout their careers, as well as opportunities to influence an organisation’s strategy and the way
it manages its workforce, people professionals are uniquely placed to support embedding principled
decision making into daily practice. Ethics are at the heart of professionalism. To create cultures of
transparency and trust, practitioners should demonstrate strong standards of integrity when advising
business leaders.
This factsheet explores what ethical practice means and why it matters in an organisational context.
It outlines the trade-offs involved in upholding ethical values and the challenges faced by people
professionals. Finally, it looks at the profession’s role in creating ethical organisational cultures.
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/ethics/role-hr-factsheet
People Profession 2021 UK and Ireland Survey Report (CIPD in association
with Workday)
In the unparalleled and unforeseen context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings of this People
Profession survey are exceptional. This report reveals how practitioners responded to changes and
challenges while maintaining their level of professionalism.
Key findings (headlines)
• External factors and digital transformation have driven organisational change
• Working from home makes key aspects of people professionals’ work more challenging
• People professionals have upped their skills and understanding
• The people function plays a vital role in influencing organisational strategy
• Despite the pandemic, people professionals remain positive and proactive in their career
progression
• Purpose and principles are very important in people professionals’ work
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/hr/people-profession-survey
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Please note that the purpose of this insight is to link you to CIPD’s research and evidence
within the subject area, so that you can engage with the latest thinking. It is not provided to
replace the study required as part of the learning or as formative assessment material.
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Preparation for the Tasks:
▪ 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.
▪ Ensure that the evidence generated for this assessment remains your own work.
You will also benefit from:
▪ Reflecting on your own experiences of learning opportunities and continuous professional
development.
▪ Reading the CIPD Insight, Fact Sheets and related online material on these topics as well as
key research authors on the subject.
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Task One –Professional, ethical, and
inclusive behaviours.
In this this task, you are required to demonstrate a professional level of knowledge and
understanding in relation to ‘professional, ethical and inclusive behaviours’.
To complete the task, you should provide a written response to each of the points below, making
appropriate use of academic theory and practical examples to expand your response and illustrate
key points.
To help the reader, please make use of headings and assessment criteria references to signpost the
assessment criteria being addressed.
1) Define the term professional and explain what it means to be a ‘people professional’. (AC
1.1)
2) Explore how the role of a people professional (either a generalist or a particular specialist) is
evolving and the priorities this raises for continuing professional development (CPD) (AC 3.1)
3) Discuss the concept of ‘ethical values’, and how at least three ethical values that you hold
personally, impact (or could impact) on your work as a people professional. (AC 1.2)
4) Explain why it is essential for people professionals to contribute confidently to discussions,
and ways of doing this that are (AC 1.3):
▪ informed
▪ clear
▪ engaging.
5) Discuss when and how to raise concerns when issues such as organisational policies or
leadership approaches conflict with ethical values or legislation. (AC 1.4)
6) Provide a robust argument for ethical people practice that is supported by academic theory
and details both the business and human benefits of people at work feeling included, valued
and fairly treated. (AC 2.1)
7) Drawing on your own or a hypothetical example of providing a people practice solution to
meet a particular need or introducing a new policy or initiative, describe:
▪ strategies for designing the solution/initiative so that it will be inclusive
▪ strategies for checking that, when in practice, the solution/initiative engages and
meets the needs of all those it is aimed at. (AC 2.2)
TASK ONE
Your evidence must consist of:
▪ Written responses to each of the 7 instructions above.
2100 words (+/-10%) – refer to the word count guidance for details.
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Task Two – Professional Development
This task requires you to evidence your commitment and approach to continuing professional
development (CPD). It is divided into three activities, which must all be completed.
There are 2 different options for how you complete the 3 activities: these are
▪ The CIPD Profession Map Self-Assessment Tool,
▪ Offline documentation.
You should read the ‘General Instructions for the Activities’ first. Then read the ‘Guidance
for Completing the Activities’ following the specific option you have chosen.
General Instructions for the Activities
ACTIVITY 1 (AC 2.3, AC 3.2). Using a range of information, including feedback from others, assess
your practice against the FIVE CIPD Profession Map core behaviours listed below. The 5 core
behaviours (all to be selected at associate level) are:
▪ Ethical Practice
▪ Professional Courage and Influence
▪ Valuing People
▪ Working Inclusively
▪ Passion for Learning
Evidence to be presented:
▪ In the main body of your assignment, write a short summary (approx. 150 words), of the
information used to inform your assessment
▪ Add your assessment pages as an appendix.
ACTIVITY 2 (AC 3.3) Having identified your main development needs in relation to these 5 areas,
formulate appropriate development activities to meet these needs and add these to your
professional development/learning plan.
Evidence to be presented:
▪ In the main body of your assignment, write a short explanation (approx. 250 words) for your
choice of development activities
▪ Add the relevant pages from your development/learning plan as an appendix.
ACTIVITY 3 (AC 3.4) A key element of CPD is reflecting on the impact of our learning, so that we
can make further decisions about how to progress. Select 3 formal or informal development activities
you have undertaken over the last 12 months and reflect on how each of these activities has
impacted your behaviour and performance. (Consider how effective the activity has been and the
extent of its impact. You might also consider what new needs or action points the activity raised for
you.)
Note: this reflection is retrospective and not connected to the activities planned in activity 2 above.
Evidence to be presented:
- Written reflections on 3 development activities (approx. 750 words)
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Guidance for Completing the Activities (select ONE of the options below)
OPTION 1: The CIPD Learning Hub self-assessment tool and learning plan. This can be
accessed at https://learninghub.cipd.org/d2l/home/6720.
▪ For the self-assessment (Activity 1), access the tool (see link above). Select ‘Self-assessment’,
‘Associate level’, and add the 5 required behaviours - then complete your scoring. As you work
through, take copies/screen-prints of each assessment to add as an appendix to your
assignment. If you forget or make a mistake, simply opt to redo the process.
▪ For the formulation of development activities (Activity 2), follow up your self-assessment by
selecting ‘View recommendations’ where you will be able to select and add different activities to
the ‘My Learning Plan’. Whilst the system presents you with suggested activities, it should be
clear to your assessor that you have selected/added options that you determine to be most
appropriate for your needs. Take copies/screen prints of the activities you have formulated to
add as an appendix to your assignment.
▪ For the reflections activity (Activity 3), select ‘My CPD Reflections’ and complete the ‘reflections
‘forms’. Embed these into your assignment (or attach as an additional PDF report if preferred).
However, please ensure you still comply with the required word count for this activity.
(Important information regarding screen shots: We recommend editing out any personal data
before submitting screen shots. This can be done quite easily using, for example, the ‘snip and
sketch’ facility built into most office-based software and explained online as well as in our CIPD
tutorials.)
OPTION 2: Offline Documentation.
▪ For the self-assessment (Activity 1), complete the self-assessment for the core behaviours by
adding an ‘X’ in the relevant columns.
▪ For the formulation of development activities (Activity 2), determine appropriate development
activities to meet your needs in relation to these 5 areas and add these to your (own format)
professional development plan (PDP). The relevant pages (extract) of your PDP should be
added as an appendix to your assignment.
▪ For the reflections activity (Activity 3), provide your written reflections within the main body of
your assignment.
TASK TWO
Your evidence must consist of:
1. A short written summary of information used to inform the assessment (Approx. 150 words)
plus, CIPD Learning Hub ‘Self-assessment’ screen shots OR assessment templates for all 5
behaviours. (Attached as appendices and not included in word count.)
2. A short written explanation for choice of development activities (Approx. 250 words)
plus, CIPD Learning Hub ‘My Learning Plan’ screen shots OR relevant pages (extract) from PDP
(Attached as appendices and not included in the word count.)
3. Written reflections on 3 different development activities, presented either in CIPD Learning Hub ‘My
Reflections’ format or as a free text written section within the assignment. (Approx. 750 words).
1150 words (+/-10%) – refer to the word count guidance for details.
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Assessment Criteria Evidence Checklist
You may find the following checklist helpful to make sure that you have included the required
evidence to meet the task. This is not a mandatory requirement as long as it is clear in your
submission where the assessment criteria have been met.
Task 1 – Professional, ethical, and inclusive
behaviours. Evidenced
Evidence reference
Y/N
Assessment criteria
1.1 Appraise what it means to be a people
professional.
3.1 Explore how the role of a people
professional is evolving and the
implications this has for continuing
professional development.
1.2 Recognise how personal and ethical
values can be applied in the context of
people practice.
1.3 Consider the importance of people
professionals contributing to discussions
in an informed, clear and confident way
to influence others.
1.4 Recognise when and how you would
raise matters which conflict with ethical
values or legislation.
2.1 Argue the human and business benefits
of people feeling included, valued, and
fairly treated at work linking to related
theory.
2.2 Discuss strategies for designing and
ensuring inclusive people practices.
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Task 2 – Professional Development
Evidenced
Assessment criteria Evidence reference
Y/N
2.3 Reflect on your own approach to working
inclusively and building positive working
relationships with others.
3.2 Assess your strengths, weaknesses and
development areas based on self-
assessment and feedback from others.
3.3 Formulate a range of formal and/or
informal continuing professional
development (CPD) activities to support
your learning journey.
3.4 Reflect on the impact of your continuing
professional development activities on
own behaviour and performance.
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
5CO03
Professional behaviours and
valuing people
Assessment Criteria marking descriptors.
Assessors will mark in line with the following assessment criteria (AC) marking descriptors, and will
indicate where the learner sits within the marking band range for each AC.
Assessors must provide a mark from 1 to 4 for each assessment criteria within the unit. Assessors
should use the mark descriptor grid as guidance so they can provide comprehensive feedback that
is developmental for learners. Please be aware that not all the mark descriptors will be present in
every assessment criterion, so assessors must use their discretion in making grading decisions.
The grid below shows the range for each unit assessment result based on total number of marks
awarded across all assessment criteria.
To pass the unit assessment learners must achieve a 2 (Low Pass) or above for each of the
assessment criteria.
The overall result achieved will dictate the outcome the learner receives for the unit, provided NONE
of the assessment criteria have been failed or referred.
Please note that learners will receive a Pass or Fail result from the CIPD at unit level. Referral
grades can be used internally by the centre.
Overall mark Unit result
0 to 21 Fail
22 to 28 Low Pass
29 to 35 Pass
36 to 44 High Pass
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Level 5 Associate Diploma
Marking Descriptors
Mark Range Descriptor
1 Fail Insufficient demonstration of knowledge, understanding or skills (as
appropriate) required to meet the AC.
Insufficient examples included, where required, to support answers.
Presentation and structure of assignment is not appropriate and does
not meet the assessment brief.
Insufficient or no evidence of the use of references to wider reading to
help inform answer.
2 Low Pass Demonstrates an acceptable level of knowledge, understanding or
skills (as appropriate) required to meet the AC.
Sufficient and acceptable examples included, where required, to
support answers.
Required format adopted but some improvement required to the
structure and presentation of the assignment.
Answers are acceptable but could be clearer in responding to the task
and presented in a more coherent way.
Sufficient evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help
inform answer.
3 Pass Demonstrates good knowledge, understanding or skills (as
appropriate) required to meet the AC.
Includes confident use of examples, where required, to support each
answer.
Presentation and structure of assignment is appropriate for the
assessment brief.
Answers are clear and well expressed.
Good evidence of the use of references to wider reading to help
inform answer.
4 High Pass Demonstrates a wide range and confident level of knowledge,
understanding or skill (as appropriate).
Includes strong examples that illustrate the point being made, that link
and support the answer well.
Answers are applied to the case organisation or an alternative
organisation.
Answers are clear, concise and well argued, directly respond to what
has been asked.
The presentation of the assignment is well structured, coherent and
focusses on the need of the questions.
Considerable evidence of the use of references to wider reading to
inform answer.
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