7CO03: What characterises the best professionals with whom you have worked? A range of behaviours come to mind such as reliable: Personal Effectiveness, Ethics and Business Acumen Assignment, CIPD, UK

What characterises the best professionals with whom you have worked? A range of behaviours come to mind such as reliable, brave, rational, supportive, open, inclusive, influential and well-connected, appreciative and ethical. These types of behaviour are often mentioned before knowledge, such as well-informed or up-to-date.

Our profession map, therefore, places behaviour alongside knowledge as key characteristics of an impactful people professional. However, behaviour can be much harder to teach and is certainly more difficult to assess in people professionals.

The CIPD recognises that this is a demanding unit and assessment for advanced diploma learners. It deals with broad senior-level behaviours because this is a strategic qualification at the postgraduate level. It extends across a longer period than most units, and the reason for this is that we want learners to have sufficient time to develop and then demonstrate their professional skills.

This unit, therefore, contains elements of formative and summative assessment, where behavioural development can be shown over time. We have taken this approach because the behaviours demanded in the profession map are largely self-developed or coached, rather than taught in the classroom. Learners and centres are afforded wide discretion over the first two elements of this assignment because we want learners to do things in ways that work for them; that requires autonomy.

Experience with this assessment has shown that it is discriminating in that it is clear who has taken the development of their skills seriously and can therefore evidence the results. It is inclusive by providing opportunities for learners to be assessed on behaviours from the widest possible range of environments, not just in their workplace. Our hope is that it will act as a springboard into lifelong habits of reflection, alongside the planning and execution of self-directed learning.