7CO02 People Management and Development Strategies for Performance Assignment Brief 2026

CIPD Level 7 Unit 7CO02 Assignment Brief 2026

About this Unit

This unit focuses on the ways in which people management professionals and the people management function in organisations create value and make a strategic contribution to the achievement of organisational objectives in different sectors and scenarios. It stresses the importance of evidence- based, outcomes- driven and principles- led practice in support of the core purposes of the people management profession.

What you will Learn

You will understand and be able to explain the advantages and benefits of aligning people practice strategies with organisational objectives and learn about the ways in which organisations integrate people practice with culture, brand and values, including the evaluation of data sources aimed at shaping people practice. You will develop an understanding of contemporary strategic people practice in the core fields of resourcing, performance management, learning and development, reward management, employment relations, employee engagement and organisational design, as well as equality, diversity and inclusion. Understanding the role and influence of people professionals is a key part of your learning for this unit and you will debate the merits of the different and varied ways in which people practice is organised and structured in organisations. You will critically evaluate the practical and ethical challenges presented by data analytics and technological developments in people management work and be able to develop your thinking about how best to evaluate the work of people professionals. Finally, you will explore the different agendas and challenges faced by people management professionals in different sectors as well as internationally.

Learning Outcome, Assessment Criteria and Indicative Content

1 Understand and debate the ways in which people management practices and strategies are connected to organisational outcomes and add value.

1.1 Explain the major objectives of people management practice in contemporary organisations.

Creating value for different stakeholders. Attracting and retaining staff; improving employee performance, motivation and engagement; managing change effectively; maintaining high- trust employment relationships; enhancing wellbeing; promoting equality, diversity and inclusion; enhancing organisational reputation; efficient administration.

1.2 Evaluate ways in which organisations align people management practices with organisational strategy and integrate people management practice within their culture, brand and values.

Vertical and horizontal integration; developing people practice strategies and people plans which relate to pressures up and down the supply chain. Managing and mitigating associated risks including the risks associated with the misalignment of people practice strategies and policies; the long- term impact of people management which improves the organisation's culture and performance.

1.3 Examine the merits of different models of people practice management, including models of systemic thinking, and the ways these link to effective business performance.

High commitment models; low cost/low road approaches; hard and soft models, systems models. Best fit and best practice models; resource- based thinking. High performance models; debates about the relative merits of these models and when they are best used.

1.4 Critically evaluate research that links people management practice in organisations with improved employer outcomes.

Research linking people management practice to improved organisational effectiveness, including financial performance, customer satisfaction and people management outcomes. High performance work practices and bundles of good people management practice.

2 Understand current strategic practice in major areas of people management and development work.

2.1 Assess different approaches to the development of people management strategies.

Setting medium and long- term strategic objectives; emergent approaches to strategy- making; workforce planning; succession planning; organisational, team and individual development planning; environmental scanning; competitive positioning in labour markets. Communicating and implementing strategic plans.

2.2 Evaluate current developments in the fields of resourcing and performance management.

Core activities and current developments in the fields of recruitment, selection, employee retention, talent management, performance management and reward management.

2.3 Evaluate current developments in the fields of learning and development and organisational design and development.

Major theories and developments in practice in L&D, management development and organisational design and development; learning technologies; management development.

2.4 Evaluate current developments in the fields of employment relations, employee engagement and diversity and inclusion.

Union and non- union settings; informal working, the rise of the gig economy, the quality of work debate, employee involvement; discipline and grievance procedures. Developments in the field of employee engagement; wellbeing, stress management, employee voice, workplace flexibility. Developments in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion.

3 Understand the role and influence of people management professionals.

3.1 Examine the merits of the various ways in which people practice activities are organised and structured.

The variety of people practice roles (generalist and specialist); the structure of people management careers; major alternative ways of structuring the people practice function in organisations; the role of people consultants and providers of outsourced people services; working effectively with line managers and managers in other specialist functions; developing people management specialists and leaders; coaching, mentoring and consulting in different people practice contexts.

3.2 Critically assess the nature of ethics and professionalism in people practice and the role of the CIPD.

The role and objectives of the CIPD; interacting and networking with the people professional community; principles of professionalism and debates about professional management. Major ethical tensions and dilemmas faced by people managers and the ways these can be resolved; professional approaches to the management of the people management function.

3.3 Examine the major ways in which technology is changing the people management function in organisations.

Predictive data analytics, generative artificial intelligence, human resource information systems. Practical challenges associated with these and technological developments for people professionals: the pace of development, attracting and retaining expertise, training and development, managing change, associated costs and risks. Ethical challenges presented by data analytics and technological developments: reliability of data sources, data extraction and manipulation, reporting, data handling and compliance, GDPR, data sensitivity, potential for data security breach, managing risk and reputation.

3.4 Critically assess methods used to evaluate people management practices and interventions.

Employee surveys, focus groups and formal feedback exercises; evaluating return on investments; key people metrics and ratios; benchmarking; goal setting and auditing; effective human capital reporting. Contemporary and likely future developments in the evaluation of people management activity.

4 Understand ways in which people management practice varies in different contexts.

4.1 Analyse the advantages of partnering with external customers and suppliers to understand their current and future needs from a people practice perspective.

Gaining insight from external customers to inform people management and organisational strategy; methods of gathering data and feedback from external customers about people management performance; communicating and building relationships with larger external customers to inform people management practices; working with suppliers and external customers to ensure their people policies are in line with management expectations.

4.2 Examine the different issues and challenges facing people management professionals in different sectors.

People management practice in larger private corporations, public sector organisations, voluntary sector organisations, small and medium- sized enterprises, professional services organisations and different industrial sectors. Variation in the types of people management challenges, cultures and expectations in different organisational settings.

4.3 Assess how people management practice varies internationally.

Global cultural and institutional variation across the world of work and employment; effective structuring of international organisations; managing culturally diverse teams; global staffing strategies; international knowledge management; managing teams of expatriate staff at home and abroad; adopting a global mind- set to understand and improve relationships within and beyond the organisation.

4.4 Demonstrate an ability to build and maintain knowledge and understanding of developments relating to effective people management in different contexts.

Major contemporary research studies in the field of people management; major contemporary debates about current and future workplaces and people management practices; research undertaken, sponsored and published by the CIPD.