Assessment 1: Research Case Study Report
Assessment One - Written Questions
Assessment Two - Case Study
Assessment Three – Practical Assessment
BSBCUS501 Mandatory reading chapters from the textbook
Management Strategies and Skills 2nd Edition by Judith Dwyer and Nicole Hopwood, McGraw Hill Education 2013
Chapter 6 – Ensure Team Effectiveness: Section 6.2 – Plan to achieve team outcomes
Chapter 12 – Manage and Implement Operational Plans: Section 12.3 – Acquire human resources
Chapter 12 – Manage and Implement Operational Plans: Section 12.4 – Acquire physical resources
Chapter 14 – Manage and Monitor Customer Service
Chapter 22 – Manage Quality and Continuous Improvement: Section 22.3 – Tools for continuous improvement
Chapter 23 – Strategic Management: Section 23.3 – Strategy and objectives
APPENDIX TEMPLATE LIST
You must download the Appendix Templates document from the online learning system.
Appendix 1 – Training Plan
Appendix 2 – Feedback Form
Appendix 3 – Third Party Report
Appendix 4 – Observation Checklist (Internal)
Appendix 5 – Glossary (definitions for the third party observer)
Q1. Identify three (3) aspects which a manager should consider when planning customer service processes. Your response must be approximately 150 words in length.
Set Priorities Determine the values and outcomes you want your company to achieve, and state them clearly. Construct a vision statement by articulating the central ideas and values that keep your business on track, such as stellar customer service or a commitment to protecting the environment. Work with your management team to clarify this vision, and make sure there is consensus around adopting it as a guiding principle for your company. |
Set Goals Use the vision you have designed to create measurable goals. For example, if you value customer service, you may work toward the goal of responding to every piece of customer feedback; if you are committed to environmental values, you may set the goal of having a carbon-neutral workplace in three years. Be as clear and specific as possible when creating your goals, using numbers to measure progress and success, and charting timelines for achieving your objectives |
Evaluate and Review Create formal protocols for assessing your progress. Bring as many voices as possible into this evaluation process, and encourage honesty and objectivity. Assess how well you are progressing toward your goals, but also be open to reassessing the goals themselves, as long as you do so in ways that are still consistent with your long-term vision. Technologies and circumstances may change, making your goals less achievable or relevant. |
Q2. As a team leader, identify five (5) strategies which could be used to effectively meet customer service requirements. Explain how you would implement and monitor each strategy in the workplace.
Strategy | How the strategy could be implemented | How would you monitor results | |
Creating a service vision | Employees need to understand what the vision and organizational goals are for customer service and understand their responsibility to help achieve that vision. | The first step in creating a customer service strategy is communicating the customer service vision to employees | |
Assessing customer needs | Organizations often fail, and waste valuable resources, creating products and services that they thought the customer wanted, only to find out it was not what the customer wanted at all | The trick is to find out what it is the customer wants and put together plans to meet those needs | |
Hire the Right Employees | Hiring with the customer in mind is another step in an overall strategy for strong customer service | Screening employees and ensuring that they possess the disposition and skill set to help support a strong customer service environment is important | |
Set Goals for Customer Service | Once customer needs and expectations are identified and customer satisfaction is measured, it is time to create goals for achieving customer satisfaction | Employees need to understand what the target is so they can help the organization reach their corporate objectives | |
Train on Service Skills | If you hire right, your employees will have a natural ability to serve your customers well. However, everyone can benefit from practical teaching on the organization’s approach to customer service | The training should explain how the organization would like the employee to behave in every situation and should help employees understand how to respond to their customers |
Q3. Describe an approach that could be used to deal with a complaining customer. You response must be approximately 150 words.
Listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and let them finish Do not get defensive. The customer is not attacking you personally; he or she has a problem and is upset. Repeat back what you are hearing to show that you have listened Ask questions in a caring and concerned manner The more information you can get from the customer, the better you will understand his or her perspective. I’ve learned it’s easier to ask questions than to jump to conclusions Put yourself in their shoes The goal of the business owner is to solve the problem, not argue. The customer needs to feel like you’re on his or her side and that you empathize with the situation. Apologize without blaming When a customer senses that you are sincerely sorry, it usually diffuses the situation. Don't blame another person or department. Just say, "I'm sorry about that.” |
Q4. Select three (3) recognised customer service strategies listed below:
Explain how you would use each selected strategy to monitor the progress in achieving product/service targets and standards. Your response must be 100 words per strategy.
Strategy | Monitoring progress | |
Training and development activities | The materials include exercises, session notes and agendas for conducting training sessions ranging from one and a half hours to two days. Reference materials that the facilitator will need are mentioned but not part of this package, as they are available elsewhere both in the printed form and online | |
Policies and Procedures | The monitoring progress will help to develop the following assessment for identifying the variable for monitoring procedures for training | |
Lifetime Customer Service Value | Connecting customers cross-device has always been a challenge but with a re-focus on CLV as a metric, the issue is amplified. A commerce marketing strategy acknowledges the changes across shopper behaviour and helps organisations adapt to the realities of the new physical-digital world. By focusing on the holistic shopper experience, teams can connect the online and offline experience in new ways, build lasting relationships with shoppers, and measure success every step of the way |
Q5. Suggest three (3) methods of gathering VOC feedback and explain how each method can be used to improve the provision of products and services. Your response must be 100 words per strategy.
Surveys Surveys are very good at quickly collecting information and can effectively sample a large population when they are executed well and used appropriately. They are also one of the most misused and abused tools. If surveys are not carefully planned they can provide poor and misleading information, be very difficult to analyse, and become a source of irritation for your customers. It can be used to quickly collect data from a large number of people. A variety of available software packages allow for the easy development and distribution of surveys, and make the tabulation of results very easy. |
Interviews
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Social media With easy access to the internet and an explosion of social media sites, customers are able to tell hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of people about their experiences. Granted a web search is not the most scientific way to collect information and they can be somewhat time consuming; but looking at posts on popular social media sites or searching review web sites will help you to gain a general understanding of what customers are saying about the service you provide. Findinga mix of comments about both good and poor service, which can guide you to opportunities to maximize some service experiences and make improvements to others. |
Q6. List two (2) physical resources and two (2) human resources which can be used to effectively provide quality products and services to customers and explain how you would utilise each resource.
Resource | How will you utilise the resource? | |
Physical Resource | Materials | Materials that are resources are raw goods that will be used in the production of other products. For a kitchen supply factory, an example of a material is metal; something to shape and mould into forks, knives, and spoons. The cutlery is then a product that is sold in retail stores |
Buildings and Facilities | The physical building at the work is a part of the physical resources of a company. Whether the space is owned or rented which is used for the purpose for operating the business. Hence, by having the space available in completing the work where the some occasions when the building and facilities are the revenue generators of the business. | |
Human Resource | Quality Training | Quality training refers to familiarizing employees with the means of preventing, detecting, and eliminating non quality items, usually in an organization that produces a product |
Soft Skills Training | Soft skills refer to personality traits, social graces, communication, and personal habits that are used to characterize relationships with other people |
Q7. Complete the table by listing three (3) common customer complaints and how to address each complaint from a management perspective.
Customer complaint | Strategy to address complaint | |
I had to wait 10 minutes for a latte | For example, if a customer is told “your latte will be out in 5 minutes”, make sure the latte is on the bar in 5 minutes, or less. If it takes less time, customers will be happy to get on with their day sooner than later. By communicating realistic expectations, customers will respect your honesty and be less disappointed by the wait | |
Our waiter had the worst attitude.” | Lead by example by showing everyone how important the success of your business is to you. Don’t let your employees hear you say bad things about your customers, or they will assume it’s okay to treat customers poorly | |
The manager didn’t even offer an apology | According to social scientists, the best apologies contain the “three R’s”: state your Regret, accept Responsibility, and attempt to Remedy. A sincere apology can turn a critic into an advocate: it shows them how much you care and appreciate their business |
Q8. Managers are often required to compare changes in customer satisfaction levels. What type of recording and reporting procedures can be used to assist a manager with this task? Your response must be approximately 100 words in length.
A cash book or financial accounting program - that records cash receipts and cash payments Bank accounts - cheque books, deposit books and bank statements employment recordshours of work, overtime, remuneration or other benefits, leave, superannuation benefits, termination of employment, type of employment, personal details of workers, employee personal contact and employment details occupational training records For both you and employees to comply with work, health and safety laws including evacuation and emergency training attendance sales recordsinvoice books, receipt books, cash register tapes, credit card documentation, credit notes for goods returned and a record of goods used by the business owner personally |
Q9. According to CoffeeVille’s Customer Service Policy, how is a customer complaint addressed at this company? Refer to the CoffeeVille Policies and Procedure document.
Nobody enjoys being the recipient of customer complaints, but complaints are to be expected as part of being in the hospitality business. Complaints can give us insights as to how to make our cafe better. Demanding customers force us to be our best and resolving complaints satisfactorily can even increase customer loyalty IF they are handled properly. When faced with a customer complaint When faced with a customer complaint: ● Listen to the full complaint without interrupting or getting defensive. ● If the complaint is product related, remove the offending item immediately. ● Apologies for the problem and tell the customer you will take care of the problem, and get a manager. ● Always inform a manager of the incident |
Q10. Research and list three (3) ways a manager could promote products and services to the public.
PRINT AND GRAPHIC ARTS MEDIA Depending on the type of message you want to communicate to your customers, print media offers different options, including: brochures, business cards, newspaper ads and magazines.
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ELECTRONIC MEDIA Networking and community involvement can also support the promotion of your business. You can make new contacts and reach out to potential customers by participating in trade shows, conferences, community activities and other networking events. Speaking to people about your business can be one of the most effective ways of promoting your product or service. | |
ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONAL IDEAS Promotional gifts, like pens, key rings and calendars, can be given to individuals and groups that you know personally to help create a positive opinion of your company and improve its reputation. Networking and community involvement can also support the promotion of your business. You can make new contacts and reach out to potential customers by participating in trade shows, conferences, community activities and other networking events. Speaking to people about your business can be one of the most effective ways of promoting your product or service. |
Q11. Research and identify how a manager could use public relations to promote company products. Your response must be approximately 80 words in length.
Public relations (PR) are the process of generating positive media coverage for a company. PR results in increased good will felt toward a company from its target audience of consumers. Using PR as a tactic to promote products or services requires creating a list of media contacts and pitching them story ideas. Not every journalist a PR person reaches out to will be able to cover the story even if it is a good one. Most journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day. Because of this, a PR person should have a large media list. |
Q12. Complete the table by listing five (5) customer service standards and a key performance indicator each standard.
Customer service standard | Key performance indicator | |
Customer Satisfaction Score | Measuring customer satisfaction is hard. You are asking your customers to express an emotion, and emotions are harder to grasp than objective facts, such as the sales department's financial KPIs. | |
Net Promoter Score | The NPS measures how likely your customers are to refer you to someone else. Its advantage over the CSAT is that it aims at an intention, not an emotion. As a result, the reply is less influenced by the mood of the moment | |
First Response time | A Sales force study found that a third of the respondents felt positive about companies that offered a quick first response | |
Customer Retention Rate | Customer retention refers to a business’ ability to keep a paying customer over a set period. Acquiring new customers is expensive, costing a business 5 to 25 times more than it takes to retain one | |
SERVQUAL | According to decision-making theory, it is easier to make judgements based on an anchor (here: your expectations). This allows us to better understand and respond to abstract information (your satisfaction with a service) |
Q13. Based on the customer service standards that you listed in Question 12, identify the skills required to meet each standard.
·Empathy ·Responsiveness |
Q14.Select three (3) items from the list and explain how a company can comply with each standard/code when considering customer service. Remember to provide the website link/s as evidence of your research.
Suggested website link - www.business.gov.au
For the purposes of the ACL, a person is a ‘consumer’ if they acquire goods or services that are priced at less than $40,000. A person is also a ‘consumer’ if they acquire good or services that are priced at more than $40,000 but they are ‘of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption’. For example, a person who acquires a vehicle for use in the transport of goods on public roads, irrespective of price, is also considered to be a consumer for the purposes of the ACL |
The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and several other laws like the Weights, Standards & Measures Act can be formulated to make sure that there is fair competition in the market and free flow of correct information from goods and services providers to the ones who consume them. In fact, the degree of consumer protection in any country is regarded as the right indicator of the progress of the country. There is high level of phistication gained by the goods and services providers in their marketing and selling practices and different types of promotional tasks viz. advertising resulted in an increasing requirement for more consumer arenas and protection. The government of India has realized the condition of Indian consumers therefore the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has incorporated the Department of Consumer Affairs as the nodal organization to protect the consumer rights, redress the consumer grievances and promote the standards governing goods and services provided in Coffeeville. |
If goods do not meet a statutory condition or statutory warranty, it is a breach of the contract between buyer and seller. When this happens, consumers are entitled to a remedy from the seller. Types of remedies include refunds, having goods replaced or having goods repaired. The form of remedy depends on a number of factors, including when the problem arose and whether the problem relates to a breach of a statutory condition or statutory warranty |
Assessment Two - Case Study
Case Scenario 1
You have been appointed as the Team Leader at the CoffeeVille store and have been asked to develop a customer service charter for the store. Take the time to read the CoffeeVille Policies and Procedures and Business Plan to gain insight into the company.
TASK 1
Use the table below to create the customer service charter for CoffeeVille.
CoffeeVille’s customer service charter | Coffeeville will, able to communicate with customers through the help of targeted direct mail and Social media campaigns |
CoffeeVille Services | Coffeeville tends to succeed while having the patronage of customersin the particular for repeating the customer. |
Customer Management | The Coffeeville marketing strategy is to communicate for meeting the commitment to the environment and the community |
Concerns and Complaints | ● Listen to the full complaint without interrupting or getting defensive. ● If the complaint is product related, remove the offending item immediately. ● Apologies for the problem and tell the customer you will take care of the problem, and get a manager. ● Always inform a manager of the incident. Do everything you can to let the customer know you |
TASK 2
You are required to develop a feedback form which focuses on gathering data about CoffeeVille’s level of customer service, product quality, wait times and prices. Use Appendix 2 to develop the feedback form.
Once you have developed the feedback form, issue this to four people to complete. Their responses can be hypothetical. You must submit the completed forms as part of your assessment submission.
Feedback Form | ||||||
Topic: | Customer service | |||||
Date: | 02/06/18 | |||||
Instructions Please take the time to address each feedback item below by ticking the relevant category (i.e. strongly agree, disagree, agree, strongly disagree). Provide comments where applicable to help the trainer understand their strengths and weaknesses for self-improvement. | ||||||
Feedback item | Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Comments | |
Take time to Listen the customers | yes | Positive | ||||
Help where needed | yes | Positive | ||||
Provide right solution | yes | Negative | ||||
Enhancing communication channels | Yes | Negative | ||||
Implementing the training programs | yes | Positive | ||||
Identifying the problems | no | Positive | ||||
Variability for identifying the problems | yes | Negative | ||||
Promoting the key values of the organization | Yes | Promotion is adapted successfully | ||||
Ensuring the level of equity in the organization | yes | Positive | ||||
Participation of in formal review | yes | Implementation has been done | ||||
TASK 3
Based on the information from the feedback forms, what changes will you make to the customer service charter?
It is important for maintaining the equity of the organization that will help to develop and maintain the better relationship with the customer |
Case Scenario 2
The Walden Ceramics Company just accepted a large export order for its main product line – glazed earthenware planters. This means a 40% increase in sales and output, the company will need to organise a second shift. It will also need to develop a way to ensure product quality and delivery, because penalties have been built into the export agreement for both substandard quality and late delivery.
The HR manager, Kathryn Jarvis, will develop a plan to recruit, induct and train the second shift. Malcolm Lewis, the production co-ordinator, has been asked to formulate a plan to ensure product quality and delivery. This should include the entire process, from raw material ordering through to production scheduling, manufacture, glazing, and final packing and despatch.
Malcolm is learning about total quality concepts at a management course he is attending. He is keen to involve employees in assuring quality throughout the entire process. His first step will be to convene a cross-functional team made up of people from purchasing and supply, production scheduling, production, quality assurance, engineering, administration and despatch.
TASK 1
Suggest an appropriate benchmarking approach and explain the step-by-step process. Your response must be approximately 300 words in length.
Step 1-Determine processes to be benchmarked This step involves defining as accurately as possible the process to be benchmarked. It is the cornerstone of the entire benchmarking process. An incorrect identification at this stage could result in a waste of precious resources at later stages Have departmental priorities been established? Determine whether the department has strongly defined its overall purpose. This includes setting long-term goals and short-term objectives. What is the level of change? Does an entire system require rethinking? Perhaps a particular process within that system needs to be improved. Can improvement be achieved by upgrading some particular task within the process? Step 2-Determine organizations to be benchmarked Which of the preliminary organizations selected are really "the best of the best"? Determine which prospective partners truly are the benchmarks for your organization. Are the systems of the selected organizations really comparable? Select the organizations with practices that are the most compatible with yours Step 3-Gather data Has an adequate data-collection plan been created? Determine what are the simplest data sources and the most difficult. Then figure out which data would have the most value. Other important factors are the time and cost limitations of collecting data. Which are the best sources of practice data? Decide which combination of the four types of sources-internal, published, external or original research-would yield optimal results. Have the best internal sources been consulted? Good sources to consult are your organization's library and other internal groups or teams. Have the best published sources been consulted? Internal publications (e.g., annual reports, quarterly reports) of the target organizations should be studied as well as any periodicals and directories containing information about the target organizations. Appropriate data bases can also lead to pertinent information Step 4-Analyze for gaps This step involves analysing the data collected, discovering to what degree present performance lags behind the best in each area and combining the best features from the best practices into an ideal process. The correct implementation of this step will result in a clear picture of your processes in comparison with others in your business or industry. Step 5-Determine future trends During this step, your team will examine your organization's past performance in relation to its competitors, forecast potential change in your industry and project future performance, both with and without the proposed benchmarking changes. The correct implementation of this step will give management a clear idea of its options and allot it a realistic conception of the potential benefits of adopting the benchmarking practices |
Develop five (5) measures of success for the company to use as benchmarks.
Measuring business processes Benchmarking should be the primary method used by companies to answer these questions and to measure/evaluate various aspects of production, marketing and customer service processes in relation to the best management practices in the industry. |
Measuring and motivating The bottom line is that you get what you inspect |
Financial measures The key is to figure out which metrics (things to be measured) are important and use this information to educate employees about the correlation between these metrics and profit. |
Operational measures When employees begin to see and understand this correlation, it is amazing how intrinsically motivating this becomes for them because they can now understand how their jobs affect their company’s profitability and ultimately how it affects their own pay check |
Simply the best Benchmarking also helps define the best-in-class companies that continually perform above industry averages despite an industry’s economic conditions. What makes a company best in class is that it operates much like a decathlete. Top ranking athletes who compete in decathlons excel across a broad set of events. The winners accumulate the most points among all events. They may win some events, but usually not all of them |
TASK 2
Part of achieving the quality, Kathryn and Malcolm are looking to develop a system to effectively manage complaints and to use the data received via the complaints process within the overall quality approach.Identify and explain three (3) complaints management strategies that will suit the situation atWalden Ceramics.
Improving Conventional Supply Chain In its simplest form, a conventional supply chain assumes that firms take raw materials at the beginning of the supply chain and transform them into a product at the end of the supply chain. Ultimately, the supply chain terminates at the point of the final buyer purchasing and using the product |
Improving Logistics A company can select various ways to improve the sustainability of its logistics systems. The company may communicate sustainability standards backward to suppliers and require them to adopt environmental management systems or certifications, such as ISO 14001; survey and monitor suppliers’ current practices or products for their sustainability and offer training, technology, and incentives to improve those practices or products |
Fading Extrinsic Challenges Finally, green supply chains had to overcome institutional inertia and confusion. First, large companies with financial and political resources tended to resist change, especially at the outset, because of the large capital and infrastructural investments in the status quo. |
TASK 3
Develop a customer complaints management flow chart for Walden Ceramics. Submit this as a separate document.
In your own words, explain how this flow chart identifies opportunities for improvement and utilises those opportunities in the continuous improvement process.
Case Scenario 3
Sally was pleased as she found a terrific pullover jumper on sale in an up-market national retail chain. The sales assistant had been very pleasant and helpful, hanging the pullover jumper in the changing room for Sally so she could look around the store with her hands free and walked her to the changing room when she was ready to try it on. She even waited nearby in case Sally needed some help.
When she brought her pullover jumper to the cash register, Sally noticed that the sales assistant became flustered as she searched first for tissue paper to wrap the pullover jumper in, then for a bag to place it in, then for the credit card machine.Clearly embarrassed at her seeming lack of efficiency, the sales assistant explained: “I normally work in another shop and everything is different here. In the other shop, the credit card machine is on the cash register’s left and here it’s on the right. The bags are usually under the register and here they’re on the back shelf."
“Ah,” thought Sally. "We need some consistent customer service systems here, so staff can change shops without looking like they don’t know what they are doing."
TASK 1
Develop a system that will investigate, identify, assess and include the needs of the customer within the planning and development of customer service procedures. Your system must explain the following:
Collect recorded data It is important to collect the data that will help to make a proper assessment for generating the feedback of the customers process to evaluate the data evaluation of the data will help to set the targets which is necessary to amend for maintaining and defining the set strategies in order t make a proper amendment o f evaluating the and implementing the research strategy making informed decision Findings relate to customers’ needs The first step of customer research is identifying your customers. Your market researchshould help you understand your potential customers. Further customer research can help you develop a more detailed picture of them and understand how to target them. It will also highlight key characteristics your customers share, such as:
In successful companies, Continuous Improvement is an ongoing organisational effort not just about quality of services provided, but improvement of processes (so that there’s no redundant work performed) and compliance with legislation which requires companies to be constantly making improvements in relation to things like work health, safety and welfare |
Assessment Three – Practical Assessment
Project 1
Please read the following information carefully before commencing this project. You must select either OPTION A or OPTION B by ticking the relevant box – see details below. Once you have made a decision please proceed to the Assessment Instruction section. |
Insert a cross next to your choice | ||
OPTION A | You are to video record your delivery session and send this in for marking by a First Choice Training trainer/assessor. You must have access to two (2) participants who will need to partake in the practical component of this project. The time duration for each video session is approximately 10 minutes. The video evidence is subject to the conditions outlined in Table 1. Your delivery session will be assessed according to the Observation Checklist (Internal). If you select OPTION A, you must not complete OPTION B. | |
OPTION B | If you are currently working, you may find it more beneficial to complete the Third Party Report which is the alternative option to video recording your delivery session as stated in PART 1 and 3 of the Assessment Instructions. This option is subject to the conditions outlined in Table 2. Your delivery session will be assessed according to the Third Party Report. Please note that you are still required to follow the assessment instructions and complete the other remaining parts of this project. If you select OPTION B, you must not complete OPTION A. |
Table 1: Conditions for Acceptable Evidence vs. Unacceptable Evidence (linked to OPTION A)
Acceptable Evidence | Unacceptable Evidence |
Video footage must clearly show you (the student) and all the participants for the entirety of the session. Use a video camera or laptop webcam to record the session/s. | Only shows you with possible students behind the scenes. Video that scans the participants at the start but then solely focusses on you (the student) for the remainder of the session. |
The audio levels must be clear throughout the video recording. | Very low or inaudible voices of you (the student) and the participants. |
Note: the video file needs to be in a common format to be viewed in Windows Media Player. You may use ‘Dropbox’ to send us your video file or the video file can be saved to a USB or CD and posted to First Choice Training. |
Table 2: Conditions for Acceptable Evidence vs. Unacceptable Evidence (linked to OPTION B)
Acceptable Evidence | Unacceptable Evidence |
A completed Third Party Report with detailed comments, signatures, dates and clarity on how checklist items were addressed throughout the session/s. | An incomplete Third Party Report without comments, only ticked, lacking signatures or dates and clarity. |
Statements by the observer that clearly identifies a ‘hands on’ approach with comments about the type of activities and interactions carried out during the presentation to encourage skill based learning as well as knowledge. | That shows ticks and does not clarify how items were addressed within the training session/s. That shows no evidence of skill based knowledge. |
Note: The observer cannot be a student in the session at the time they are acting as the observer. The observer must sit back and complete the Third Party Report as they are observing the presentation. The Third Party Report cannot be completed by an individual that was not attending the session on the day as the observer. | |
Note: The observer must be able to produce a JP certified copy of their management certificate which must be at a Diploma level or higher. You must submit this document with your assessment submission. |