RTO No: 91223

Assessment Task 1

BSBOPS502 Manage Business Operational

Plans
Assessment Task 1 Cover Sheet

Student Declaration
To be filled out and submitted with assessment responses

 I declare that this task is all my own work and I have not cheated or plagiarised the work or
colluded with any other student(s).
 I understand that if I am found to have plagiarised, cheated or colluded, action will be taken
against me according to the process explained to me.
 I have correctly referenced all resources and reference texts throughout these assessment tasks.
Student name Jacob Lloyd Jones

Student ID number SCS1787

Student signature J. Jones

Date

Assessor declaration
 I hereby certify that this student has been assessed by me and that the assessment has been
carried out according to the required assessment procedures.

Assessor name

Assessor signature

Date

Assessment outcome S NS DNS Resubmission Y N

Feedback

Student result response

 My performance in this assessment task has been discussed and explained to me.
 I would like to appeal this assessment decision.
Student signature

Date

A copy of this page must be supplied to the office and kept in the student’s file with the evidence.

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 Assessment Task 1: Knowledge questions

Information for students

Knowledge questions are designed to help you demonstrate the knowledge which you have acquired
during the learning phase of this unit. Ensure that you:

 review the advice to students regarding answering knowledge questions in the Business Works
Student User Guide

 comply with the due date for assessment which your assessor will provide

 adhere with your RTO’s submission guidelines

 answer all questions completely and correctly

 submit work which is original and, where necessary, properly referenced

 submit a completed cover sheet with your work

 avoid sharing your answers with other students.

i
Assessment information
Information about how you should complete this assessment can be found in Appendix
A of the Business Works Student User Guide. Refer to the appendix for information on:

 where this task should be completed

 the maximum time allowed for completing this assessment task

 whether or not this task is open-book.

Note: You must complete and submit an assessment cover sheet with your work. A
template is provided in Appendix C of the Student User Guide. However, if your RTO
has provided you with an assessment cover sheet, please ensure that you use that.

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Questions
Provide answers to all of the questions below:

1. Explain:

 the purpose and content of an operational plan

An operational plan (also known as a work plan) is a highly detailed outline of what your
department will focus on for the near future, usually the upcoming year. The plan will answer
questions - who, what, when, and how much - regarding daily or weekly tasks.
Operational plans should contain: clear objectives, activities to be delivered, quality standards,
desired outcomes, staffing and resource requirements, implementation timetables, and a process
for monitoring progress.

 the role of an operational plan in achieving the organisation’s objectives

An operational plan describes the activities of an organisation, team or department that are
needed to reach the organisation's goals. It is the link between strategy, resources and desired
end result.

 the purpose and content of a contingency plan.

A contingency plan is a plan devised for an outcome other than in the usual (expected) plan. It is
often used for risk management for an exceptional risk that, though unlikely, would have
catastrophic consequences. The purpose of a contingency plan is to help your business resume
normal business operations after a disruptive event.

2. Explain the difference between an operational plan modelled on the organisation as a whole and
one that has been modelled to suit a specific organisational goal or department.

An operational plan can be used at the macro level of the organisation to meet objectives but can also
be used at a more micro level to meet certain goals within departments or new projects.

The first difference is goal focus between organisation-focused and department-focused. How all
departments should work together to achieve the organisation’s objectives will be included in the
operational plan modelled on the organisation as a whole. Therefore, they have their own budgets
allocated to them.

The second difference is plan generation. At the organisational level, the high-level leadership team is
responsible for creating the operational plan. Once it is created, the operational plan will be pushed
forward by cross-functional departments who work together to ensure the plan is successful. And
every department should have a leader or team of leaders responsible for creating their operational
plan.

3. Describe typical methods for developing an Operational Plan.

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  Alignment planning method: This approach ensures strong alignment between the
organisation’s mission and its resources. This model is useful for fine-tuning strategies or for
investigating why strategies are not working.

 Scenario planning method: This approach ensures planners truly undertake strategic thinking
and is useful in identifying strategic issues and goals.

 Self-organisation planning method: This method of planning requires continual reference to

common values.

4. Complete the table below to describe information sources necessary to develop and present
operational plans. The first row has been completed as an example for you to follow.

Information source Description Examples (provide 1)

Colleagues/Employees Colleagues may be part of the Team member

same team, or from another
CFO
team.
Manager of a different team

External consultants For more complex organisations, Marketing consultants

external consultants may be
required to create consistency
across all operational plans and
resource allocations.

Strategic plan Actions in the operational plan Strategic objective of

stem from the objectives in the “Membership growth” is
strategic plan. (Operational plans addressed in the operational
can be developed without a plan by the action “Conduct
strategic plan). social events appealing to
members”

Budgets and forecasts These provide financial Forecasted sales may

information required to allocate impact how many sales
resources and establish KPIs. representatives are
employed.

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 Information source Description Examples (provide 1)

Legislation and Laws that have been made by Privacy Act

regulatory authorities the state and/or country and
must be followed.
Australian Financial Security
Authorities that regulate
Authority
legislative compliance.

Organisational policies These are created by the Recruitment policy and

and procedures organisation to explain and guide procedure
expectations. Policies show the
“why” behind an
action. Procedures, explain the
“how” with step-by-step
instructions for specific tasks.

5. List four ways to consult with stakeholders:

 Face-to-face meetings

 Online meetings

 Emails

 Informative material and newsletters

6. Complete the table below to describe the requirements for resources included in operational
plans:

Resource Description of the How to acquire the resource:

Type resources and 2 examples:

Physical Physical resources include How do you acquire physical resources

equipment, hardware, and/or services?
software, facilities and
 Purchsing
transport.
 Leasing
 Specific: machine to
produce a product or
software required to What does a procurement process include
manage a process (list at least four considerations)?

 General: office  Identify needed resources

furniture, computers  Consider suppliers
and phones
 Negotiate contract terms

 Confirm acceptable methods of

payment

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Resource Description of the How to acquire the resource:
Type resources and 2 examples:

 Finalise purchase orders

Relevant organisational policies and

procedures (at least one):

 New supplier policy

 Procurement Policy and

Procedures

Financial  Financial forecasts What workplace documents provides

set out the expected information about financial resources?
sales, predicted (describe at least one):
costs and anticipated
 capital expenses (e.g. equipment that
profit or loss.
needs to be purchased for operational
 A budget is activities to take place)
established for the
 cash flow management (e.g. when
financial year and
money is spent)
quantifies what a
business aims to How does the budgeted and actual
achieve. finances influence profitability and
productivity of the operational plan?
The purpose of budgeting is basically to
provide a model of how the business might
perform, financially speaking, if certain
strategies, events, plans are carried out.
Budgets are used to develop plans for
future growth and expansion. Operational
planning uses the budgeted finances to
strategically map particular goals and
objectives with the intent of increased profit.

Explain how to obtain additional finances:

 Sell assets

 Recover outstanding debts

 Increase price of products

Human Human resources may be How do you recruit staff?

internal (e.g. existing staff
 creating a job description
members or new employees)
or external (e.g. consultants).  advertising the position

 special resource  conducting interviews

managers (e.g. CFO,
 evaluating candidates and
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 Resource Description of the How to acquire the resource:
Type resources and 2 examples:

HR manager, ICT choosing the most suitable person

manager)
 communicating interview results to
 colleagues (e.g. all applicants
person actually
performing the List at least two induction strategies:
activity)
 face-to-face group training for all
new employees

 online interactive training course to

be completed by the employee over
a period of time

Relevant organisational policies and

procedures (at least one):

 Recruitment Policy and Procedures

 Privacy Policy and Procedures

7. Explain the purpose of key performance indicators.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) measure the performance of activities specified in the operational
plan. KPIs evaluate the success of an organisation or of a particular activity in which it engages. KPIs
specifically help determine an organisation's strategic, financial, and operational achievements,
especially compared to those of other businesses within the same sector.

8. List four different approaches to developing key performance indicators.

 Lifecycle approach: KPIs would focus on each stage of the project life cycle such as design,
planning, implementation, and finalisation to ensure that they are assigned at all stages of the
lifecycle from start to end.

 Risk-based approach: This approach identifies those specific services, functions or activities
that may have a negative or detrimental impact on an organisation. By identifying areas of
risk, KPIs can be used to measure progress towards mitigating the risk.

 Cause and effect: This approach is to examine specific areas of concern using the cause and
effect technique. This technique helps identify KPIs for addressing the fundamental or
underlying cause of ineffective or inefficient services, functions or activities.

 Statutory and regulatory requirements: It may be appropriate to focus the selection of KPIs on
statutory and regulatory requirements and obligations.

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9. Explain the procedure for documenting performance, including records that should be kept.

Record keeping and file management is key to maintain productivity in any organisation. The
organisation’s policy and procedures will specify when, where, how and what documents should be
maintained and stored. The policy and procedures may outline: document naming protocol, file
storage (e.g. cloud-based system), minutes of meetings, performance review documentation, style
guides and templates.

To document performance, organisations may use paper-based systems, and electric human
resources systems and electronic resource planning systems to assist all aspects of operations and
performance reporting.

10. Provide a definition of a PCBU and outline their key responsibilities under WHS laws.

The WHS Act places the primary duty of care and various other duties and obligations on a 'person
conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBU). This is a broad concept used to capture all types of
modern working arrangements.

 A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers
engaged, or caused to be engaged by the person; and workers whose activities in carrying
out work are influenced or directed by the person, while the workers are at work in the
business or undertaking.

 A PCB must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the health and safety of other
persons is not put at risk from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or
undertaking.

11. Outline the aim and scope of the Fair Work Act 2009.

(a) Aim:

 introduce a national workplace relations system that sets minimum standards and conditions
for employees and provides the legal framework for employer-employee relations for the
majority of workplaces in Australia.

 provide protections of certain rights, including: workplace rights. the right to engage in
industrial activities. the right to be free from unlawful discrimination.

(b) Scope: employers and employees who fall under the national workplace relations system

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Assessment Task 1: Checklist

Student’s name:

Did the student provide a Completed

sufficient and clear answer successfully? Comments
that addresses the
suggested answer for the Yes No
following?

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Task outcome:  Satisfactory  Not satisfactory

Assessor signature:

Assessor name:

Date:

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