Standards: Course Guide for: Business Administrator October 2018

Supporting development of your career

Introduction Business administrators have a highly transferable set of knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be applied in all sectors. This includes small and large businesses alike; from the public sector, private sector and charitable sector. The role may involve working independently or as part of a team and will involve developing, implementing, maintaining and improving administrative services. Business administrators develop key skills and behaviours to support their own progression towards management responsibilities. The responsibilities of the role are to support and engage with different parts of the organisation and interact with internal or external customers. With a focus on adding value, the role of business administrator contributes to the efficiency of an organisation, through support of functional areas, working across teams and resolving issues as requested. The flexibility and responsiveness required allows the apprentice to develop a wide range of skills. The business administrator is expected to deliver their responsibilities efficiently and with integrity – showing a positive attitude. The role involves demonstrating strong communication skills (both written and verbal) and adopting a proactive approach to developing skills. The business administrator is also expected to show initiative, managing priorities and own time, problem-solving skills, decision-making and the potential for people management responsibilities through mentoring or coaching others.

The new 2017, National Standards have changed the concept of learning and placed the emphasis for this directly with the employer, yes, your employer. During the course of this qualification, the route you will take will link directly to your current job role and assist you to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding and the behaviours required to carry out your job role in an efficient and effective manner. During the duration of this course, you will also undertake study of higher level management duties and develop a wider understanding of leadership and management. The ‘skills’ that you will require to develop will allow you to advance and support your progression to management. The identified areas of professional development to support development of your skills have been identified as follows: IT Skills: Where you will undertake study and develop skills in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data. You will become competent and be able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required. Record and Document Production: Linked to IT Skills, you will be able to produce accurate records and documents including: emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals. During development of records and documents, you will be in a position to make recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. You will be able to draft correspondence, write reports and be able to review others' work. As a skilled Business Administrator, you will have the correct skills to be able to maintain records and files, handle confidential information in compliance with the organisation's procedures and coach others in the processes required to complete these tasks. Decision making A skilled and effective Business Administrator exercises proactivity and good judgement. They are able to make effective decisions based on sound reasoning and are able to deal with challenges in a mature way. A proficient administrator seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate, as this contributes to their learning and development Interpersonal skills During your professional development, you will understand the need to build and maintain positive relationships within your own team and across the organisation. New skills will see you able to demonstrate the ability to influence and challenge appropriately and become a role model to peers and team members, developing coaching skills as you gain area knowledge.

Communications

An essential part of your professional development will centre on communication skills. Skilled administrators demonstrate good communication skills, whether face-to-face, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. To be effective in today’s business markets, you must use the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively, demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. A skilled administrator understands and applies social media solutions appropriately, answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department. Quality Linked into all the skills you will develop will be quality. It is one of the most important factors, as quality helps you stand out from the crowd. This skill will allow you to complete tasks to a high standard, demonstrate the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and apply yourself to continuously improve your work. An outstanding Business Administrator is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. They are able to share administrative best-practice across the organisation and coach others to perform tasks correctly. Outstanding Business Administrators applies problem-solving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues.

Planning and Organisation Development of a wide range of administration skills will see you taking responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. An efficient and competent administrator positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace. They make suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment

Project management Development of you confidence during study of this qualification will allow you to use relevant project management principles and tools to scope, plan, monitor and report. You will develop the skills required to plan required resources to successfully deliver projects, and you will develop the ability to undertake and leads projects as and when required.

Knowledge and Understanding Linked into all of the above skill sets is the knowledge and understanding required to carry out your duties to the best of your abilities. During study of this qualification, you will also develop a wider understanding and in depth knowledge of your own organisation and the wider business environment. You will begin to understand and comprehend your own organisations purpose, the activities it undertakes, the aims, values and vision for the future and the way that the political/economic environment affects the organisation.

Stakeholders A highly skilled Business Administrator has a practical knowledge of managing stakeholders and their differing relationships to an organisation. This includes internal and external customers, clients and/or suppliers. Development of the appropriate skill and knowledge will allow you to liaise with internal/external customers, suppliers or stakeholders from inside or outside the UK. A proficient and highly skilled administrator engages and fosters relationships with suppliers and partner organisations to allow on-going development of the company and to demonstrate to employers the value of your skill. A skilled administrator knows the organisational structure and demonstrates understanding of how their work benefits the organisation. They know how they fit within their team and recognises how their skills can help them to progress their career. Relevant Regulations and Policies Development of your knowledge and understanding will allow you to understand the laws and regulations that apply to your role including data protection, health & safety, compliance etc. A skilled and knowledgeable administrator supports their company in applying the regulations. They understand the organisation's internal policies and key business policies relating to sector and actively promote these across the organisation.

Business Fundamentals and Processes A well trained and disciplined administrator understands the applicability of business principles such as managing change, business finances and project management. They understand the organisation's processes, e.g. making payments or processing customer data. An effective administrator is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. They understand the need to apply a solutions-based approach to improve business processes and helping define procedures. They also develop the ability to clearly understand how to administer billing, process invoices and purchase orders. External Factors Understand all the relevant external factors that may affect businesses, such as, market forces, policy & regulatory changes, supply chain etc. and the wider business impact. Where necessary you will develop the appropriate knowledge and understanding to be able to understand the international/global market in which the employing organisation is placed.

Behaviours

Development of new skills and the knowledge and understanding behind these go hand in hand. Study and practice of the wide ranging areas with the role of a Business Administrator allow you to develop as an individual and also as a professional. As you grow into the role, you will also develop certain ‘behaviours’. These are described as Role Model behaviours and development of these allow you to make a positive contribution to the culture of your organisation.

Professionalism A competent and confident Business Administrator always behaves in a professional way. This includes: personal presentation, respect of others and respecting and encouraging diversity to cater for wider audiences. Professional administrators respect punctuality and attitude to colleagues, customers and key stakeholders. They adhere to, and actively promote, the organisation's code of conduct for professional use of social media. A professional administrator acts as a role model, contributing to team cohesion and productivity – representing the positive aspects of team culture and respectfully challenging inappropriate prevailing cultures.

Personal Qualities Trained to the highest level, a professional administrator always shows exemplary qualities that are valued including integrity, reliability, self-motivation, being pro-active and a positive attitude. They are clearly able to motivate others where responsibility is shared. Adaptability Adaptability is being able to accept and deal with changing priorities related to both your own work and to the work of the organisation. A professional trait is being able to demonstrate adaptability at all times. Responsibility During your training programme and whilst undertaking you work duties, you will develop the ability to demonstrate taking responsibility for team performance and quality of projects delivered. You will also understand the need to, and develop the ability to, take a clear interest in seeing that projects are successfully completed and customer requests handled appropriately. As a professional administrator, you will also be able to demonstrate how you take initiative to develop own and others' skills and behaviours. Managing Performance Although fully supported by your employer and FW Solutions as your training provider, you will begin to take responsibility for your own work, accept feedback in a positive way, and use initiative and shows resilience. A professional Business Administrator also takes responsibility for their own development, knows when to ask questions to complete a task and informs their line manager when a task is complete. A highly skilled and trained administrator performs thorough self-assessments of their work and complies with the organisation's procedures to maintain and develop the highest possible standards at all times.

List of abbreviations used within this presentation: EPAO End point assessment organisation EPA End point assessor Gateway Time span of 12 months after commencement which allows the apprentice the

opportunity to undertake formal End Point assessment KSB Knowledge, skills and behaviours TLC Teaching and learning coordinator Study Modules - Cross Referencing Guide:

Communication in a Business Environment

All Units and into presentation project

Manage Personal Performance and Development

All units

Principles of Business Communication and Information

Communication in a Business Environment Contribute to the Improvement of Business Performance

Principles of Administration

Contribute to the Improvement of Business Performance

Principles of Business

Contribute to the Improvement of Business Performance Manage Personal Performance and Development

Contribute to the Improvement of Business Performance

Principles of Business Principles of Administration

Produce business documents

Principles of Business Communication and Information

Store and retrieve Information

Manage Personal Performance and Development Produce business documents Presentation Software

Employee Rights and Responsibilities

Manage Personal Performance and Development

Using Email

Produce business documents presentation project

Word Processing Software

presentation project

Presentation Software

presentation project Principles of Business

Principles of Leadership and Management

Principles of Business Principles of Administration

Assessment methodology

Learner Induction Period 0 – 3 months

Context planning meeting held between employer and FW Solutions, establishing expectations in supporting the learner to meet the Standard Expectations and responsibilities are set out with the apprentice

On Programme 3 – 12 months onwards

• Apprentices to compile E-portfolio in this time

• Teaching and Learning Coordinator and Line manager responsible for regular reviews

• TLC to support learning in meeting KSB’s through teaching, training and resources

Apprentice to reflect and identify learning level and areas of focus with employer and Training provider Training provider to set out expectations and responsibilities for meeting the Standard Line manager recommended to identify appropriate tasks, duties and responsibilities for learning outcomes

Knowledge Test

20% 60 Minutes

Portfolio based interview

40% 30-45 minutes

The End Point Assessment Organisation

(EPAO) Is responsible for the

EPA and will feedback to the employer

Project Presentation

40% 20-30 minutes

Learner completes assessment

• Assessment is expected to be completed with three months of triggering the gateway

• Each assessment method needs to be passed and the learner receives a grade of Fail, Pass or Distinction to be determined by the above weighting

• Appropriate records are kept for reviews and quality assurance, internal and external.

• The learner has the right of appeal

Gateway: The gateway can be triggered from 12 months onwards. The portfolio must be completed to trigger the gateway

Assessment Structure (a) Pre-gateway

Learning to be supported by regular reviews between the apprentice, the employer and the allocated Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator These planned sessions will: Review and track progress Set learning goals Create a forum for teaching and guidance Co-ordinate 20% of apprentice’s time spent in off the job training FW Solutions TLC will meet on a monthly basis with the apprentice and the employer typically for a period of 15-30 minutes to carry out each review. Any gaps should be identified that may prevent the apprentices meeting the learning outcomes of the apprenticeship. FW Solutions TLC and the employer will discuss types of work and responsibilities for the apprentice that is suitable in meeting the Standard

(b) Gateway for the End Point Assessment

The End Point Assessment (EPA) can only be triggered after 12 months of starting the apprenticeship and is dependent on when the employer and training provider decide the apprentice is ready. EPA is typically expected to conclude within 3 months. The employer has the final decision to progress the apprentice to EPA. The apprentice and training provider should feel confident the learning outcomes have been achieved. FW Solutions: Ahead of EPA, FW Solutions will support the apprentice in meeting the Standard and then judge whether the apprentice has successfully met those learning outcomes to trigger EPA. Level 2 English and maths will need to be completed before triggering EPA. In considering these factors, FW Solutions will advise the employer when the apprentice is ready for EPA for the employer to decide. Employer: The employer makes the final decision to progress the apprentice to EPA, by reviewing the Portfolio of Learning and performance of the apprentice in meeting the Standard. The employer confirms whether digital skills have been shown and the apprentice is recognised for on-the-job IT skills. If the employer feels that the apprentice has met the learning outcomes, and is competent in the apprenticeship role, they should progress the apprentice to EPA. Apprentice: The apprentice makes every effort to have gained the knowledge, skills and behaviour across the Standard, as demonstrated in their Portfolio of Learning and reviews. The project is to be completed before the gateway can be triggered. The apprentice must complete Level 2 English and maths before progressing to EPA.

(c) Assessment methods The EPA consists of three elements, all of which may be completed online. All assessment methods need to be passed. Each assessment method should directly assess the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the Standard. The assessor has the final decision. Knowledge Test: The apprentice undertakes a multi-choice test to last a maximum of 60 minutes and include 50 equally weighted multi-choice questions with four possible answers each. The assessment should typically be passed before the apprentice progresses to the interview and presentation. The test is to be completed online and requires invigilating. Core KSBs: The test predominantly focuses on non-organisation specific knowledge outlined in the Standard. This includes relevant regulation and laws, business fundamentals and project management principles. Please view annexed table for the minimum KSBs to be assessed. Portfolio-based Interview: The interview is for 30-45 minutes and scored out of 100 by the Independent End-point Assessment Organisation (EPAO). The Portfolio of Learning provides a structure for this conversation. The Portfolio should provide at least one piece of evidence for each of the minimum KSBs outlined in the Assessment Methods and Grading annexed table. This should be submitted to the EPAO a month prior to interview. Evidence is gathered on-programme and the employer should facilitate this through relevant tasks and support, as outlined in the annexed table. FW Solutions will provide full support. The employer and FW Solutions will review the Portfolio with the apprentice and make a judgement on whether they should be progressed to EPA. The interview assesses understanding and learning shown in the Portfolio; the Portfolio is not directly assessed. Project Presentation: The apprentice delivers a presentation to the EPAO on a project they have completed or a process they have improved. The presentation lasts 10-15 minutes, with a further 10-15 minutes for a Q&A session. The presentation is out of 100. The project is completed from month 9 of the apprenticeship and should be completed prior to EPA being triggered. The project is submitted to the EPAO and they provide a question to answer in the presentation, for example:

• How have you improved a process or operating practice?

• What were the steps you took to implement the project?

• What worked well and how would you improve the results in future? The presentation should summarise the aim, outcome and responsibilities of the KSBs shown in the project. The presentation should demonstrate how they approached a task and the skills shown in doing so, building towards how they would improve the results going forward. The presentation is expected to be produced using Microsoft Office PowerPoint or Prezi, demonstrating a minimum level of IT skills.

Grading scale: Fail = less than 60% The apprentice has not sufficiently evidenced the knowledge, skills and behaviours to meet the Standard. There has been a shortfall in demonstrating the KSBs on at least one of the assessment methods. Pass = 60-79% The apprentice has shown an adequate level of performance across the Standard. They can evidence a basic level of knowledge, understanding and application in demonstrating the learning outcomes. In particular, use of basic IT packages, communicating with different stakeholders, producing accurate records and documentation, and demonstrating learning of the working environment. Distinction = 80% and over The apprentice has shown a high degree of expertise across the Standard. They can evidence knowledge, understanding and application of learning. They can reflect on their own learning, evaluate their own performance and improve their performance in demonstrating specific learning, especially in how their role supports the wider team. Sharing learning with others, and seeking to promote best practice, is likely to warrant a distinction in addition to the other requirements of the Standard.