Candidate Guide for City & Guilds Level 4 Qualifications
The purpose of the guide is to provide information about the qualifications available to you and to answer some of the questions you may have.
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Welcome
This guide, for the City & Guilds Award, Certificate or Diploma in Operational Delivery (Managment) at Level 4 aims to make your learning journey easy and rewarding, and to ensure that you both enjoy your study and value the skills you gain in the process.
You can start with the Award, and then build on this by adding more units to achieve the Certificate and Diploma, or move straight to taking a Certificate or Diploma.
All City and Guilds qualifications have been mapped to the existing CSL Learning Opportunities giving you a choice of on-line learning from the CSL and ODP pool of modules. As many of these courses have been mandatory at some point, you may find that you have already completed a large chunk of the learning required to obtain a City & Guilds qualification and all you need to do is to refresh your knowledge and sit the tests. There is no requirement to attend any face to face courses in order to complete the qualifications.
The time you need to dedicate to obtain an Award at any level may be as little as just a few days from your allocated annual study time in order to revise and sit the tests or complete the assignments.
Structure of the qualification
Dependent upon the qualification you are taking (Award, Certificate or Diploma), there are a required number of units you must take.
If units are additional, you must pick the required number of these units to complete the qualification from both groups.
Level 4 Certificate in Operational Delivery (Management) | ||
---|---|---|
Unit 303 | Principles of equality and diversity in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 451 | Leadership and management in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 452 | Management of risk in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 453 | Managing change in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 454 | Principles and practices of managing customer service in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Level 4 Diploma in Operational Delivery (Management) | ||
Unit 303 | Principles of equality and diversity in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 451 | Leadership and management in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 452 | Management of risk in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 453 | Managing change in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 454 | Principles and practices of managing customer service in operational delivery | Mandatory |
Plus two units from group A or one unit from group B. | ||
Unit 455 | Principles of managing continuous improvement in operational delivery | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 456 | Personal and professional development in operational delivery | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 457 | Principles and processes of quality audits in operational delivery | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 458 | Principles of building relationships with external organisations in operational delivery | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 459 | Principles of using sales techniques to market services and solutions in operational delivery | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 460 | Principles of working collaboratively in the operational delivery profession | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 461 | Principles of coaching individuals to achieve outcomes in operational delivery | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 462 | Line management in a debt environment | Group A (choose 2) |
Unit 501 | Project specification for operational delivery | Group B (choose 1) |
Level 4 Award in Relationship Management Operational Delivery | ||
Unit 458 | Priniciples of building relationships with external organisations in Operational Delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 459 | Principles of selling services and solutions in Operational Delivery | Mandatory |
Unit 460 | Principles or working collaboratively in Operational Delivery | Mandatory |
Level 4 Certificate in Managing the Delivery of Services to Customers (Operational Delivery) | ||
Unit 303 | Principles of equality and diversity in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 313 (DWP ONLY) | Principles of researching the labour market to respond to customer needs | Choose 5 |
Unit 451 | Leadership and management in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 452 | Management of risk in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 453 | Managing change in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 454 | Principles and practices of managing customer service in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 455 | Principles of managing continuous improvement in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 456 | Personal and professional development in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 457 | Principles and processes of quality audits in operational delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 458 | Priniciples of building relationships with external organisations in Operational Delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 459 | Principles of selling services and solutions in Operational Delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 460 | Principles or working collaboratively in Operational Delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit 461 | Principles of coaching individuals to achieve outcomes in Operational Delivery | Choose 5 |
Unit descriptions
Unit 301 Working in operational delivery
This unit develops understanding in the scope of working in operational delivery, its structure and professional standards. You will cover the role of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) withing operational delivery and have the opportunity to produce and review a development plan and set your own objectives.
Unit 302 - Safety and security in operational delivery
This unit focuses on being able to retrieve, use, store and dispose of data and understand the legal and organisational requirements for data protection in operational delivery. You will also develop an understanding of how to maintain your own and other's personal safety and security.
Unit 303 - Principles of equality and diversity in operational delivery
This unit develops your understanding of the concept and benefits of equality and diversity within operational delivery. You will understand the obligation to fulfil organisational and legal expectations for equality and diversity and know how to respond proactively to address customer needs.
Unit 304 – Resolving customer service problems in operational delivery
The unit focuses on your understanding of how your job role involves delivering and organising excellent customer service. This unit is about the part of your job that involves resolving customer service problems. It is also about changing systems to avoid repeated customer service problems.
Unit 305 – Verify the calculation/entitlement
This unit focuses on checking and authorising others’ calculations of entitlements to ensure their accuracy. You need to demonstrate your knowledge of how to approve those calculations or entitlements that are correct and to refer those that are not for resolution or correction.
Unit 306 – Technical advice in operational delivery cases
This unit focuses on the provision of factual technical advice or guidance relating to your area of work, both within established guidance and where no specific guidance is available but where established principles exist. These may be issues which have been escalated. You need to identify the recipient’s information needs and communicate in a way that the recipient can understand, following the appropriate conventions and using the appropriate communication methods. Recipient will include internal and external customers and other stakeholders.
Unit 307 – Investigate suspected non-compliance in operational delivery
This unit focuses on confirming the nature of non-compliance and the levels of culpability before making effective use of organisational powers to carry out investigations. You should know how to identify and report suspected areas of non-compliance revealed by investigation and explain why it is important to monitor the progress of interventions, refer to others as necessary and report and quantify the outcome of the investigations. You need to understand the need to take customer-related factors into account when carrying out investigations.
Unit 308 – Manage team and individual performance against set objectives
This unit focuses on understanding objective setting with individuals and teams to achieve objectives as well as identifying and managing under performance and recognising team and individual success.
Unit 309 – Customer service in partnership
This unit focuses on understanding that excellent customer service relies on teamwork. This unit is all about understanding how to work effectively within a service chain and how to develop the links that cement key relationships. Effective communication and understanding of the roles of different organisations, departments and individuals are central to this area of your work.
Unit 310 – Operational delivery interviews
This unit focuses on ensuring that you are able to interview customers to meet their objectives, record their findings and inform colleagues of these findings. It is also designed to ensure that you know and understand the procedures and techniques to carry out interviews and are aware of the organisation’s policies, standards and customer charter with which you should comply.
Unit 311 – Operational delivery visits
Operational delivery visits - This unit ensures that you know and understand the procedures and techniques to carry out visits and are aware of the organisation’s policies and standards with which you should comply. You will also learn how to plan and conduct follow up visits and resolve issues within your own authority and know how to process issues outside of your authority.
Unit 312 – PManaging debt in operational delivery
This unit focuses on developing your understanding about credit control procedures in operational delivery. You will understand how to identify instances of late payment and non-payment and how to take appropriate action to collect outstanding payments in accordance with all codes, laws and regulatory requirements.
Assessment
You will need to successfully complete written tasks which are given in each unit. Please read the task instructions carefully.
When you register for the qualification you have chosen you will be given log in details that will give you access to the assessment criteria for each unit.
This will also provide you with information on Learning Opportunities available through CSL Learning which will provide you with the knowledge to achieve the qualification.
To prepare yourselves for the assessment, it is recommended that you carefully read the step by step guide that accompanies each unit that will be made available to you following log in. Your line manager should be able to advise you on the choice of learning options.
Step By Step Learner Guide for each unit
You will need to successfully complete written tasks which are given in each unit. Please read the task instructions carefully. The tasks are based on the unit assessment criteria which are given in each unit.
When you register for the qualification you have chosen you will be given log in details that will give you access to the assessment criteria for each unit.
This will also provide you with information on Learning Opportunities available through CSL Learning which will provide you with the knowledge to achieve the qualification.
To prepare yourselves for the assessment it is recommended that you carefully read the step by step guide that accompanies each unit that will be made available to you following log in. You may have already completed some of the learning options recommended; in which case, all you need to do is to refresh your memory before attempting each assignment.
As your Level 4 qualification is part of the City & Guilds ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) you will be given access to the Institute of Leadership and Management study Membership for the first 12 months of your qualification, this will provide you with additional on-line learning resources covering a variety of management topics.
As a studying member, you have access to the members only area of the ILM website including the following:
- Learning Zone – ILM’s learning and development portal with over 400 digital learning resources, developed by leading experts and covering essential leadership and management topics. The zone includes video seminars, expert e-learning modules giving an in-depth guided session to build skills and knowledge. Downloadable factsheets and subject overviews.
- Resource centre - online access to the latest leadership and management articles, magazines and journals. Business book summary service –the latest management books clearly and concisely summarised.
- Regular e-communication – monthly E-Edge, plus our weekly email newsletter straight to students email address.
- Career centre – job boards with opportunities from thousands of newspapers, job sites, associations and company career sites; CV advice; practical careers advice.
- CPD – a downloadable planner that helps to identify goals in skills and learning and identify where there are gaps in your skills and learning, set goals and plan CPD activity.
Step 1: Read through the requirements of the unit selected
Begin by reading the unit specification. This sets the scene and outlines what you will be expected to understand, know or be able to do once the unit has been successfully completed. The unit specification is highly detailed and forms the basis of each assignment.
Step 2: Review the assignment specification
Read the requirements for the assignment through fully. You must review:- Instructions for completing the assignment
- Assignment task
Step 3: Take time to reflect on the unit content and assignment specification
Once you have read through the unit and assignment specification, identify the skills and knowledge you already have which relate to the unit aims.Secondly, identify any skills, knowledge gaps or aspects of the programme requiring additional study or research. Use this information to decide on which learning and development opportunities you would like to pursue and identify research you wish to undertake.
Step 4: Participate in formal learning opportunities in the Civil Service
A range of learning opportunities has been selected for each unit. These learning opportunities range from short E-Learning courses which last an hour to full day training courses. The training is offered by:- Learning for Operational Delivery
- Civil Service Learning (CSL)
- ILM Source material
Step 5: Make use of ILM Membership
If you wish to research specific aspects of the programme or prepare for the assignment you may access a wide variety of resources provided by the Institute of Leadership and Management.Once registered with the ILM, membership is automatic once you have logged in, visit https://www.i-l-m.com/ILM-member-zone this directs you to the home page. In the section entitled 'Resource Centre' click on the heading 'Go to resource centre now'. Once on the resource centre page, select the first box - press continue and then you will have access to the ILM search engine.
Step 6: Undertake informal independent learning in your own work area
Opportunities for independent learning have been identified for each unit. You must read through the list. It simply asks you to reflect on how you undertake certain tasks or look up policies and procedures specific to the subject area. The purpose is to make you think about how you undertake specific activities in your own work area and the organisational and legal requirements which underpin what you do.Don't forget to ask your colleagues or managers for support to understand aspects of topics, roles or responsibilities on which you are unsure.
Step 7: Undertake the assignment
Once you have reviewed the unit requirements, addressed skills and knowledge gaps and undertaken independent learning and research you should have the confidence to complete the assignment.Top tips
- Read the unit contents thoroughly before beginning the assignment, do not skip the introductory pages and go straight to the tasks as you could miss vital information which will help you complete the assignment
- You need to answer all the tasks correctly to pass the unit
- Develop a plan to write the assignments and tick off each task as they are completed to ensure the assignment submitted does not have any gaps.
- You are only required to answer the tasks, do not spend time providing additional information which has not been requested (additional information unless directly linked to the assessment criteria will not be counted towards the achievement of tasks set)
- Read each task thoroughly and pay attention to the verbs used to introduce each task. For example, if you are asked to analyse information you need to study the information in detail rather than describe the information presented.
What support will I have?
Premier Partnership
As well as handling the technical aspects of the accreditation process, Premier Partnership is committed to providing additional learner support, for example if you have any queries about your registration with C&G or if you have any special requirements.
You can contact Premier Partnership directly at quals@premier-partnership.co.uk or by telephoning the help desk on 01302 361226.
Telephone enquiries will be responded to in normal working hours (09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday) or for messages left outside of normal working hours within one working day.
Emails will normally be responded to within 48 hours.
Your Line Manager
Your Line Manager already plays an important role in your professional development. As you progress towards your qualification, your Line Manager will support you in a number of ways. These include:
- Approving your request to start the pathway
- Agreeing with you what are the most appropriate development opportunities
- Having regular discussions with you, including reviews of any workshops you have attended or learning activities that you have undertaken
The Line Manager Guide clarifies their role in supporting you through the qualification.
Civil Service Learning
You will already be aware of the wide range of learning opportunities available to you on the Civil Service Learning portal. These include:
- Workshops and events
- Workplace learning activities
- Workbooks and crib guides
- E-learning
Policies and Codes of Practice
Both C&G and Premier Partnership work in accordance with a number of policies and codes of practice to ensure that they carry out their responsibilities in a fair, equitable and legal manner.
Policies and procedures that are particularly relevant to you as a learner are:
C&G
- Complaints and Appeals Policy
- Complaints and Appeals Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments Policy
- Diversity and Equality Policy
Premier Partnership
- Complaints and Appeals Policy
- Diversity and Equality Policy
Policies and procedures are based on ACAS guidelines and codes of practice. You may request copies of these by contacting Premier Partnership directly at quals@premier-partnership.co.uk