Programme Specification
A statement of the knowledge, understanding and skills that underpin a
taught programme of study leading to an award from
The University of Sheffield
1
Programme Title
Strategic Organisational Change
2
Programme Code
MGTT171
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JACS Code (if applicable)
Not applicable
4
Level of Study
Postgraduate
5a
Final Qualification
Postgraduate Certificate
5b
QAA FHEQ Level
F7
6a
Intermediate Qualification(s)
-
6b
QAA FHEQ Level
-
7
Teaching Institution (if not Sheffield)
Not applicable
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Faculty
Social Sciences
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Department
Management School
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Other Departments involved in
teaching the programme
None
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Mode(s) of Attendance
Part time
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Duration of the Programme
12 months
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Accrediting Professional or Statutory
Body
Not applicable
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Date of production/revision
June 2010
15. Background to the subject area and programme
This unique learning programme aims to help participants position their business to maximise growth and
development. Facilitated by experienced business academics and consultants, the programme is designed to
help participants and their business to make significant step-changes in performance. Participants will learn the
latest methods for undertaking innovation and business/organisation growth, including the application of suitable
diagnostics, analysis of resources, capability analysis, identifying required structural changes and re-alignment,
developing intervention and leadership skills, applying new reporting structures for financial and risk analyses,
and creating financial plans that are appropriate for the contemporary financial context.
16. Programme aims
The programme aims to integrate management and organisational development with the following learning
aims:
1.
To apply and critically appraise the Team Action Management methodology for achieving Strategic
Organisational Change
2.
To critically analyse organisational impact from the application of Strategic Organisational Change;
3.
To critically construct key practitioner planning documentation for realising innovation;
4.
To distil the implications at a personal level from the application of innovation methodology.
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17. Programme learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:
Upon successful completion of the programme, candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of:
K1
Team Action Management Methodology for strategic organisation change
K2
The nature of an inquiry for undertaking critical areas of change in organisations, e.g. diagnosis, audit,
capability analysis, structural & process analysis;
K3
How to undertake an impact evaluation of a change involving innovation;
K4
The construction of a business and project plan for innovation and change in an organisation.
Skills and other attributes:
Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be able to demonstrate skills and other attributes
in:
S1
Intervention and change in an organisation;
S2
Implementation methodologies for organisational change
S3
Reflexive practice in applying methodologies for organisational change.
18. Teaching, learning and assessment
Development of the learning outcomes is promoted through the following teaching and learning
methods:
There is a highly process oriented approach to the learning in this programme. Participants will work in groups
to relate the conceptual and abstract to the pragmatics of designing intervention and change into their own
organisations. There will be opportunities for: (i) learning from critically analyzing situations in organizations, and
(ii) learning from the fellow participants’ own reflexive thinking about their capability to operationalise the
ideas/concepts/methods.
The substantive methodological components will be introduced with a mixture of lectures and ‘learning set’
activities designed around the 24 stage process of the TAM Action Management framework.
In order to develop this type of ‘process’ approach, the module will be taught in day blocks, supported with
workbook activities. The workbook will structure the activities involved in learning and applying the innovation
methodologies which form the core of the learning in the programme. The Workbook will be applied in the class
based earning sets and in the candidates’ own workplaces, and will therefore help to facilitate group and
individual learning.
Additional support will be given using on-line facilities to assist in maximising engagement, e.g. providing
access to related materials, to both fellow learners and facilitators.
Further, the candidates will have mentoring support throughout this process from a team of facilitators who are
made up of academics and experienced consultants.
The design and implementation of specific learning programmes will be coordinated and led by academic staff
of the University of Sheffield’s Management School, in order to ensure appropriate achievement of the learning
outcomes as well as the overall academic rigour and quality of the programme.
In consequence of the process-oriented approach to the learning, the majority of the assessed work in the
Certificate involves the planning, implementation and reflection on specific projects that are of ‘core’ interest to
the participants’ organisation, Consequently where a relatively strong weighting attached to the underlying
projects, seen as an ongoing research process. There is therefore a strong group component to the
assessment, though in all cases significant individual reporting is also required.
Opportunities to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes are provided through the following
assessment methods:
Participants will use a workbook, which will be divided into two sections.
(i) The workbook will be structured around the application of the key methodological skills, applied to
participants own innovations in practice. This workbook will be used to assess each candidates’ progress, via
the precision of application of the methods, the detail of the associated inquiry, and the validity of that inquiry
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in each element of the methodology.
(ii) The second part of the assessment, will involve the development of a set of documents detailing and
justifying

A Business Plan for organisational change;

A Project Plan for organisational change;

A critical self reflection.
Each of these will be judged in academic terms, e.g. precision of the application of the methodologies,
supporting inquiry, supporting evidence, conclusions drawn. These methods of assessment are used because
they within the academic judgement of practical outputs. Both group assessment and individual assessment will
be used for the contributory units.
19. Reference points
The learning outcomes have been developed to reflect the following points of reference:
Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16)
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/strategy/lts11_16 i.e.
1. to demonstrate a sound knowledge base and to demonstrate the skills and competencies to apply that
knowledge appropriately;
2. to carry out extended independent inquiry, formulating relevant questions and engaging critically with
evidence;
3. to demonstrate the core capabilities and skills of information handling in a professional and ethical manner;
4. to be a constructive team member working collaboratively towards a shared goal and demonstrate
transferable skills, where appropriate working across academic disciplines, professional and organisational
boundaries;
5. to communicate effectively, orally, in writing or by other means as appropriate, and in accordance with agreed
conventions;
6. to critically reflect on their strengths and weaknesses;
7. to demonstrate fitness for practice working responsibly, safely and ethically, recognising their limitations, and
meeting the requirements of relevant statutory bodies.
20. Programme structure and regulations
The postgraduate certificate in Strategic Organisational Change will be based around two units.

Strategic Organisational Change Design (15credits), and

Strategic Organisational Change Planning (15 credits), and

Strategic Organisational Change Implementation (30 credits)
The components must be undertaken in the specified sequence.
Detailed information about the structure of programmes, regulations concerning assessment and progression
and descriptions of individual modules are published in the University Calendar available on-line at
http://www.shef.ac.uk/govern/calendar/regs.html.
21. Student development over the course of study
The programme combines a strong stress upon ‘learning by doing’ (aimed at the intrinsically motivating target of
participants’ own organisations), but is based on a systematic, generic approach to the processes involved.
Furthermore, additional pointers to the wider literature are provided, and a reflexive approach is required to
evaluate the strengths ,weaknesses and impacts of the work undertaken,
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22. Criteria for admission to the programme
Detailed information regarding admission to programmes is available from the University’s On-Line
Prospectus at http://www.shef.ac.uk/courses/.
The normal entry requirements are as follows:

for graduates, an Honours degree from an approved HE institution;

for non-graduates, a professional qualification in management that is deemed to be equivalent to the
holding of an Honours degree from an approved HE institution;

for candidates who do not hold relevant academic qualifications, relevant evidence of learning from
experience (in this case, normally a minimum of 3 years relevant managerial experience); and
additionally,

for candidates for whom English is not their first language, evidence of achievement of an overall score
of 7 in an IELTS test or equivalent.
Additionally, prospective candidates must be working in a context which will enable them to apply the growth
methodologies to their own organisation context.
23. Additional information
This specification represents a concise statement about the main features of the programme and should be
considered alongside other sources of information provided by the teaching department(s) and the University. In
addition to programme specific information, further information about studying at The University of Sheffield can
be accessed via our Student Services web site at http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid.
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