CQUniversity Unit Profile.

Due: Monday 10 August (week 5), at 10pm 

Weighting: 20%

Word count: 900 words

For Assessments 1, 2 and 3, you will base your work on one organisation selected from the approved case list below. You must use the same organisation across all three assessments, allowing your analysis, audit and strategy to build coherently over the term.

Approved case list

• Unilever
• CSIRO

These organisations have been selected because they provide sufficient publicly available evidence about:

• employee engagement initiatives
• organisational values and culture
• leadership communication approaches
• internal communication tensions or gaps

You are not expected to have access to internal systems (e.g. intranets or internal emails). Instead, you will analyse internal communication practices using credible public sources, as outlined below.

You may also choose the organisation you work for, but this must be discussed with the unit coordinator in advance as you will need to obtain and show approval from your manager. 

Internal communication evidence

Across all assessments, you may draw on any of the following:

• annual reports and people / culture sections
• CEO or senior leadership messages (forewords, speeches, media interviews)
• workforce or engagement strategies
• public consultation summaries or engagement reports
• credible case studies published by third parties
• media coverage that highlights internal tensions, change, or reform

You will be assessed on your analytical judgement, not on access to proprietary (organisationally owned) information.

Assessment structure

Your written response should address the following 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 2 employee engagement strategies that are used by the organisation 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 the 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, you may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas by including an AI disclosure statement. 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 the organisational structure, culture, and values, and explains how these attributes influence communication flows 
• Strategy Evaluation (35%): Evaluates two 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.

Due: Monday 14th September (week 9), at 10pm 

Weighting: 35%

Word count: 1250 words equivalent

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. You will assess and make recommendations for improving the communication processes of the same organisation you chose for Assessment 1. 

This assessment builds directly on the organisational analysis and engagement gaps identified in Assessment 1 and provides the diagnostic foundation for the internal communication strategy that will be developed for Assessment 3. 

Task description

You will prepare a professional audit presentation, as if briefing the organisation’s senior leadership team, addressing the following elements:

1. Organisational context and audit focus

• Briefly restate the organisation’s structure, workforce composition, and communication environment
• Identify the key internal communication issue(s) that warrant closer investigation

2. SWOT analysis of internal communication

• Evaluate strengths and weaknesses in current internal communication practices
• Identify opportunities and threats arising from organisational change, workforce diversity, or external pressures
• Use evidence from organisational documents and public commentary

3. Communication channel effectiveness This focuses on the distribution channels currently being used

• Analyse the effectiveness of the organisation’s primary internal communication channels (e.g. leadership messaging, use of digital platforms, team‑based communication).
• Identify gaps in reach, clarity, timeliness, or employee feedback mechanisms.

4. Information flow and coordination

• Evaluate how information appears to flow across levels, functions, or geographical locations 
• Identify likely bottlenecks or breakdowns in communication due to the organisation's scale or structure

5. Leadership communication

• Analyse leadership communication approaches using publicly available messages (e.g. CEO statements, open letters, media releases, news stories).
• Consider tone, transparency, consistency, and alignment with organisational values
• Reflect on employee perceptions of leadership communication 

6. Crisis/Issue Management:

• Consider potential or actual internal communication crises or issues affecting the organisation
• Reflect on how the management of these issues may be perceived by employees  

7. Employee Engagement:

• Assess how internal communication practices may affect employee engagement, wellbeing, or inclusion
• Use employee engagement survey results or public workforce documents (i.e. annual reports) to assess which strategies might be more effective at building psychological commitment  

8. Preliminary recommendations

• Propose three evidence‑based recommendations to address identified gaps.
• Clearly signal which recommendation will become the focus of the internal communication strategy in Assessment 3.

9. Reference slide

Presentation format

• Your presentation slide-deck should be no more than 12 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 organisation's senior management team.
• 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 by including an AI disclosure statement. 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 12-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 plan

Weighting: 45%

Word count: 2000 words

Due: Monday 12 October (week 13), at 10pm

This assessment comprises the culmination of knowledge obtained throughout the Unit. Bringing together what you have learned about employee engagement and internal communication practices, you will produce a portfolio of work that demonstrates the analysis, audit, and strategic development of internal communication practices for a real organisation. 

Building on the organisational analysis completed in Assessment 1 and the communication audit conducted in Assessment 2, you will design an internal communication plan (Plan) that supports an organisation in achieving its goals through more effective internal communication and a stronger, more engaged workforce.

The internal communication plan needs to address ONE of the priority communication issues that were identified in your Assessment 2 audit (as stated in the recommendations section), and must:

• be clearly linked to and supported by evidence from your audit 
• relate to employee engagement and internal communication effectiveness

Examples of appropriate issues might include (but are not limited to):

• breakdowns in leadership communication
• ineffective communication channels or information flow
• low employee engagement or limited feedback mechanisms
• challenges related to organisational change, inclusion, or wellbeing
• changes in working practices (e.g. work from home, AI use) 

You will be required to undertake additional independent research, drawing on scholarly literature, industry publications and relevant case studies to demonstrate an understanding of the tensions, challenges and opportunities of addressing these issues through strategic internal communication. You should approach this task as a communication advisor preparing a Plan for the senior executive team.     

Task requirements

Your Internal Communication Plan must include the following elements:

1. Situation analysis
Clearly outline the internal communication situation facing your chosen organisation. You may draw on and elaborate evidence and insights generated from Assessment 2 in your Situation Analysis, rather than conducting another analysis. Identify the key communication gap or challenge your Plan is designed to address. You must clearly justify why the chosen issue has been prioritised.

2. Objectives
Establish clear and measurable internal communication objectives that will enable the effectiveness of the Plan to be evaluated.

3. Strategy and messaging
Identify the internal communication strategies that will be used to engage employees on the chosen issue. This should include:

• defining key messages
• identifying relevant employee groups or segments

4. Tactical implementation plan

Provide a practical implementation guide that:

• outlines the communication channels to be used, message timing and frequency, and roles or responsibilities for delivery
• includes the creation of two (2) original communication tactics*. These tactics should be included as appendices and referenced in your main report.

6. Evaluation
Identify appropriate methods for evaluating the success of the Plan among employees, including how feedback or engagement data would be gathered and used.

*You are required to design and develop two (2) original communication tactics as part of your Plan. These must be fully developed examples (e.g. script for a policy launch/announcement, an intranet post, an internal newsletter article, event poster/flyer, draft CEO email, media release), not brief descriptions. Each tactic should clearly demonstrate its purpose in enhancing communication with target audiences, and how it aligns with your overall strategy and key messages. Further guidance will be provided in Weeks 9–11.

Format

 As such, this assessment should be presented in professional report format, using headings, page breaks and formatting features (e.g. tables, labelled sections, contents page) to enhance clarity and readability. In addition, references must be cited in‑text and a complete reference list provided, using APA 7th edition

Additional support

Optional one-to-one student consultations will be available in week 12 for you to discuss your assessment progress with the Unit Coordinator.     

Use of Gen AI

You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. A statement of declaration must be included where AI is used for these purposes and your final submission must demonstrate your own reasoning and synthesis of ideas. Any misuse or lack of disclosure regarding the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Assessments will be marked using the following criteria:

• Situation Analysis (20%): Ability to analyse the organisational situation and its implications for internal communication; justifies the selection of the identified internal communication issue
• Objectives (5%): Development of clear and measurable internal communication objectives aligned to the identified issue
• Strategy and messaging (20%): Design of appropriate internal communication strategies, including relevant key messages and identification of target employee groups
• Implementation plan and tactics (30%): Development of a practical implementation plan, including development of channels, timing, and responsibilities; includes two well-developed tactics that demonstrate how the plan would be implemented in practice
• Evaluation (10%): Identification of suitable methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the internal communication plan.
• Presentation and writing (10%): Presents work in professional report format, using headings, section breaks and formatting tools (e.g. tables, labels) to enhance readability    
• Research and referencing (5%): Use of relevant sources to support analysis and application, with accurate APA referencing.