Assessment 1: Case study (20%, 900 words), due Monday 11 August (week 5), at 11pm 

In this assessment, you will analyse the employee engagement strategies used within the Australian company, Canva, examining how organisational structure and culture influence internal communication effectiveness. You will also identify key engagement gaps and opportunities to strengthen employee engagement.

Your written response should address the following 3 elements: 

Step 1 - Organisational context (250 words): Describe the organisation's structure (open, flat, functional, matrix), culture and values and explain how these organisational attributes influence communication flows. You will need to conduct organisational research to address this step and draw on relevant academic literature. 

Step 2 - Employee Engagement Strategy Evaluation (300 words): Evaluate the overall effectiveness of 3 employee engagement strategies that are used by the company to build employee satisfaction. You should consider whether the communication channels and tools used in the strategies are the most appropriate and whether two-way communication mechanisms (feedback loops) are provided. 

Step 3 - Gap Analysis (200 words): Identify where communication gaps and opportunities exist for engaging employees based on your evaluation in step 2. Conduct online research (e.g. announcements, news articles, corporate website) to search for unresolved communication issues, such as misalignment in the messages or channels used and reflect on any successes resulting from the employee engagement strategies.  

Step 4 - Conclusion (150 words): Provide a brief conclusion summarising the strengths and weaknesses of Canva's employee engagement strategies, identifying actions that should be continued or adapted for improved communication. 

Format

This assessment should be written in a report format with a title and headings that address the task requirements.

Use of Gen AI

In this assessment, the AI Assessment scale tool, Level 2 applies - You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

The following marking criteria will be used for this assessment:   

Organisational Analysis (25%): Identifies and describes Canva's organisational structure, culture, and values, and explains how these attributes influence communication flows 

Strategy Evaluation (35%): Evaluates three employee engagement strategies, including communication channel appropriateness and two-way feedback mechanisms, to determine communication effectiveness 

Gap Analysis and Research (25%): Identifies specific communication gaps and opportunities through relevant online research, reflecting on issues and strategy success.

Communication and Presentation (15%): Presents analysis in clear report format with appropriate headings, professional writing, and logical structure; conclusion summarises strengths, weaknesses, and actionable recommendations for continued or adapted strategies.

Assessment 2: Internal communication audit (35%, equivalent 1250 words), due Monday 15th September (week 9), at 11pm 

Conducting an audit of an organisation's internal communication practices is essential for evaluating how effective and appropriate messages and channels are for engaging employees. Due to the inside nature required to undertake an internal audit, you will be provided a case study about a fictional organisation along with a dossier of internal communication materials that you will assess and make recommendations for improving communication processes (see Assessment 2 tab on the Moodle site).

Alternatively, you may want to audit the communication of your own organisation. Please discuss this with the unit coordinator so that adequate adjustments can be made to the assessment description. You will need to obtain and show approval from your manager. 

The assessment builds on knowledge gained from assessment 1 and incorporates topics from weeks 5-8.

The audit will be presented in Powerpoint format, as if it were to be presented to the CEO of the company. Based on the scenario provided, the presentation structure should address the following elements:

1. SWOT analysis: Include a SWOT matrix and briefly summarise the key findings of your audit, demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of current internal communication strategies and the opportunities and threats associated with introducing new strategies. This slide should set the context for your audit and provide a signpost to the audience about the key communication gaps in the organisation   
2. Communication Channel Effectiveness: This focuses on the distribution channels currently being used. Assess which channels are being used appropriately/inappropriately, giving examples from the materials provided, and indicate what gaps exist in the current communication mix
3. Information Flow Analysis: Consider how effectively information flows between regional and central locations? Where are the bottlenecks or breakdowns?
4. Leadership Communication: Evaluate the CEO's communication style and effectiveness. How well does leadership communicate with different employee segments?
5. Crisis/Issue Management: Analyse the client escalation incident - what went wrong? What communication protocols are missing?
6. Employee Engagement: Based on employee survey results, what are the key communication pain points? Think about how different employee groups experience communication differently and what strategies might be more effective at building psychological commitment  
7. Recommendations: Propose 3 specific improvements that can be made to the communication system used in the company and identify what research and/or communication tools are required to further understand and address the communication gaps (next steps).
8. Reference slide

Presentation format

• Your presentation slide-deck should be no more than 10 slides (maximum 30 words per slide) and should include in-text references and a reference list slide
• You are not required to present verbally or to record a narration over the presentation
• You do need to include scripted content in the notes section on each slide, showing what you would say if you were presenting to the company's CEO.
• The word count for the scripted content should not exceed 1000 words.

Use of AI in this assessment

This assessment uses the AI Assessment scale tool Level 2 - You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Student work will be assessed according to the following criteria:

Analysis (25%): Identification of internal communication gaps and how to address them, demonstrated through a SWOT analysis    

Evaluation (35%): Ability to audit all required elements (channel effectiveness, information flow, leadership communication, crisis management, employee engagement) and to identify their implications for internal communication practice; includes specific examples from the provided case study materials to illustrate understanding   

Presentation format (15%): Appropriate and professional use of Powerpoint presented in a logical sequence, using titles, themes, design, fonts, visuals and bullet points to produce clear and uncluttered slides without typographical errors; adheres to 10-slides maximum and includes all required elements; notes section includes script elaborating on the auditing process and findings     

Recommendations (20%): Proposes 3 well-justified, specific, and actionable recommendations that directly address identified communication gaps and pain points; identifies required research tools and communication resources needed to enhance internal communication 

Research and referencing (5%): Integrates academic literature relevant to internal communication best practices; applies in-text citations on slides using APA 7 format and acknowledges use of AI   

Assessment 3: Internal communication strategy (45%, 2000 words), due Monday 13 October (week 13), at 11pm

In this assessment, you will bring together what you have learned about employee engagement and internal communication practices to produce a strategy for Canva.

Using your research findings from Assessment 2, you will develop an internal communication strategy that supports the company to reach its goals through a stronger and more engaged workforce.

You will choose one of two topics currently affecting Canva and design a strategy that outlines. The two topics are:

1. AI integration in employee working practices or,
2. Fostering inclusion in the workplace   

The strategy should include the following elements:

• State the internal communication situation and the research that has informed understanding of it 
• Establish clear objectives for the strategy that will enable you to later measure its success 
• Identify the internal communication strategies that will be used to engage employees on the issue, including defining key messages and identifying which employees will be targeted  
• Provide a tactical plan for implementing the strategy, which includes creating original content (tactics)* and producing a distribution plan that outlines the communication channels to be used, when messages will be distributed, how often and by whom 
• Identify methods for evaluating the strategy's success among employees   

The two topics above will be introduced in weeks 7 and 8 but you will be required to undertake additional research, looking at scholarly publications, industry publications and other case study examples related to your chosen topic to understand the tensions, challenges and opportunities of addressing these issues through a strategic communication approach.      

*Create two (2) tactics that will be used to communicate your strategy to employees. More guidance will be provided in weeks 9-11 of the course.

Format

Your project should be presented in a report format, using headings, page breaks and other formatting options to increase the flow and professionalism of the document. The sample content created for the tactics should be included as an appendix. References should be cited in-text and a full, properly formatted reference list included.

Additional support

1-1 student consultations will be available in week 12 for you to discuss your assessment progress with the unit coordinator.     

Use of Gen AI

In this assessment, the AI Assessment scale tool, Level 2 applies - You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

A full marking rubric will be provided on Moodel but assessments will be marked using the following criteria:

Situation Analysis (20%): Ability to analyse the organisational situation and its implications for internal communication
Objectives (5%): Identifies measurable objectives and appropriate employee groups
Strategy and messaging (15%): Applies internal communication principles in the identification and design of message strategies 
Implementation and evaluation plan (30%): Provides practical distribution plan covering channels, timing, and responsibilities; includes two tactics; identifies appropriate evaluation approaches 

Presentation and writing (15%): Presents work in professional report format, using headings, section breaks and formatting tools (e.g. tables, labels) to enhance readability    

Research and referencing (15%): Identifies and incorporates relevant scholarly and industry research; uses in-text referencing accurately and includes a correctly formatted reference list conforming to APA 7 conventions