Administrative systems project
Assessment
Performance objective
The candidate must demonstrate ability, knowledge and skills in planning or reviewing new or revised administrative systems, and procedures for implementing, monitoring and reviewing the system.
Assessment description
Administrative systems, like any workplace systems, require managers to conduct reviews, plan changes, implement changes, and continually monitor and make modifications to meet customer and staff needs.
For this assessment, you must nominate a workplace and identify a change required to its' administrative systems. This can be either a:
• New administrative system (it could be for a new or expanding business. It could be your own business).
• Modification to an existing administrative system.
• You must write a report to both your teacher and the management documenting the chosen system, the process involved and the outcome. Following a process of planning/reviewing, implementing and monitoring this change to the administrative system.
Range of variables
The system you design may be either electronic or paper-based. Depending on the size of the enterprise, it might be one or more of the following:
• invoicing
• car fleet usage
• stock control
• office supplies
• reprographics
• mail distribution
• tendering out
• personnel system (or some aspect of that system)
• accounting system (or some aspect of that system)
• computer file management system.
Essentially, your role will be similar to that of a project manager.
Note: Overall the project doesn't need to have been successful or even complete, however, you must provide evidence that you performed your role as project manager competently and that you carried out the tasks as specified below.
Procedure
1. Identify a workplace - and identify an administrative system that requires review or planning.
2. Plan or review the system:
a. identify requirements
b. obtain quotations
c. select suppliers or developers.
3. Implement the system:
a. develop implementation strategies
b. obtain staff participation
c. define and communicate procedures
d. provide training and support
4. Ongoing maintenance of the system outline:
a. monitor system
a. continually improve
b. address training needs.
Specifications
The workplace project that you select must be:
• For a new administrative system or a modification to an existing administrative system.
• Approved by your assessor (meet the requirements for an administrative system and be sufficiently complex).
• Completed in the timeframe set by your assessor.
Your assessor will be looking for a range of documentation prepared by you in your role as project manager (documents are underlined below).
• A specification that identifies requirements, including (but not limited to):
o Problem definition.
o Proposed solution (for new or modified administrative system).
o Goals and objectives (of the new or modified administrative system).
o User requirements/expectations (including features & benefits).
o Performance standards (what performance are you expecting?).
o Internal and external standards (what other standards are relevant?).
o Processes/procedures (which ones will require revision?).
o Budget (what is your price range?).
• Correspondence with prospective suppliers to gather quotes
o Selection of supplier
• Implementation strategies and plans that identify:
o tasks, responsibility, timelines.
• New or revised procedures (at least two) that are:
o clear and concise
o suitable for training.
• A risk plan that shows:
o possible contingencies
o risk minimisation strategies.
• Charts and graphs that show:
o monitoring of administrative system performance standards.
• A skills matrix that shows:
o monitoring of staff training requirements.
• Minutes of meetings showing:
o training
o consultation regarding implementation strategies and plans
o review of system.
• A report that:
o provides a summary of the project
o no more than five typewritten pages
o uses correct grammar and spelling.
Your assessor will also be looking for:
• Consistent monitoring throughout the project.
• Photos or other documentation demonstrating your involvement with the workplace.
• Evidence of your involvement in all stages.
• Documentation completed accurately and completely (dated and signed where required) and submitted in a timely manner.
• Clear and uncluttered graphs and charts.
• Compliance with organisational policy and procedures followed during the project. These may include, but are not limited to:
contracting and tendering policies and procedures.
Financial policies and procedures (i.e. budgeting, purchasing).
Adjustment for distance-based learners:
• No variation of task is required
• A follow up interview may be required (at the discretion of the assessor).