Suggested questions for assignments

These questions are intended as prompts to help participants reflect on their experiences in light
of course concepts to produce the reflective essay papers. The word count for each section is
intended as a guideline only. It is not mandatory to write your papers according to this structure
but it is there to help you in case you get stuck and are unsure how to approach your essay.

1. Delegate in Work role: Taking Stock of my context. (approximately 250 -500 words)
• Select a disorienting professional event/ dilemma/ critical event or other recent
experience in your current context pertaining to the theme of the module.
• Briefly describe the situation (a retelling of the events).
• What was the significance to your department/ organisation?
• How common or how different was this situation from anything you had dealt with
before? Why have you chosen this as a significant event to reflect on?
• What new or unusual demands did managing through this situation make on you?

2. Unit Concepts: What do I need to know? (approximately 750 - 1000 words)

• Which concepts presented on the course would have helped you deal with the situation
described in Part 1/ would be helpful in a similar situation in the future/ are relevant to
your needs in your current context? Why?
• What are the strengths of these concepts and principles?
• Why did you choose these particular concepts and principles over others?
• Do a literature review if possible

3. Analysis: How much and how well do I now understand? (approximately 1000 words)
In light of the concepts presented on the course:
• Why do you think things happened in this way?
• What were the strengths and weaknesses of the actions you took to manage
through the situation described in Step 1?
• What other conditions or factors facilitated or impeded the managing of this
situation?
• What would you change about the way this situation was dealt with to improve
the outcome (i.e. intended and unintended consequences of what happened)?

4. Key Learning points and actions : What are the implications for the way things are
done? (250 - 500 words)
• What propositions/ conclusions can be drawn about the way in which things ought to be
done when faced with a similar situation in the future?
• Why is it important to operate processes and procedures in this way? What might be the
impact of not doing this?
• What changes need to be made to enable things to be done differently in the future? In
other words, what conditions should be present?
• What actions are necessary to introduce these required changes? What do you need to
do?
• How will you judge that your actions have been successful?

5. Critical Reflections (What are the implications for me in my current role?) (250 words)
• How has your perspective on your job changed as a result of the learning gained during
this module and in the process of producing this assignment? (Can you give examples
that illustrate these changes?)
• What questions remain?