OL751FinalProjectGuidelinesandRubric.pdf

OL 751 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview
As the final step in your journey toward your Master of Science in Human Resource Management, you will complete a capstone that integrates the knowledge
and skills you have developed in previous coursework and over the duration of the term. Overall, as you have seen in your course of studies, human resources
(HR) is often viewed as a service department for the other departments and is not often enough seen as a partner in decision-making practices. To this end, you
will create a strategy proposal that seeks to reposition HR from a simple administrative function to a key strategic role within an organization. Your capstone
should showcase your skills and abilities relative to how you plan to be active during the decision-making process and situate yourself as a strategic asset on par
with a middle or senior management position. You will also reflect on your journey through the Human Resource Management program and how your goals and
plans fit within the profession.

Evaluation of Capstone
This capstone will be assessed somewhat differently from other courses you have taken online at SNHU. There are two separate components, but they both
operate together to make up the whole capstone experience and are not assessed separately. You will be evaluated on both of them as a unit in determining
whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each outcome. Your instructor will guide you through this process, keeping a running narrative of your strengths
and weaknesses in relation to the outcomes as you progress through the class. Your work is expected to meet the highest professional standards.

This assessment will address the following outcomes:

 Leverage effective customer service and negotiation strategies that build engaging relationships with stakeholders through trust, teamwork, and direct
communication

 Integrate appropriate talent development and workforce planning strategies to effectively align employee competencies with business goals and provide
a measurable return on investment for an organization

 Operate as an effective business partner and leader in human resources through clear, concise, and accurate communication skills

 Protect the integrity of the business, its employees, and its management practices through appropriate risk management and legal and ethical practices

 Recommend appropriate evidence-based strategies that integrate sound, data-driven analysis and critical decision making to support the goals, vision,
and mission of the organization

 Articulate the importance of a global outlook and cross-cultural approach for human resource professionals in the interest of improving cultural
competence and valuing the commonalities, values, and individual uniqueness of organizational members

 Advance an organization’s vision and mission through effective leadership strategies that foster collaboration, promote consensus, and guide the
organization through adversity and change with resilience and agility

 Design, implement, and evaluate strategic human resource programs that deliver customized human resource solutions for organizational challenges
and contribute to the success of the business

Prompt
Develop a human resource strategy proposal that outlines your recommendations for a complete strategic HR overhaul that will advance the global
competitiveness of your chosen organization. Be sure to support your proposal with evidence and research you have gathered during your time in this course.

Component One: Human Resources Strategy Proposal
For the first of two capstone components, you will develop a well-organized HR strategy proposal that should lay the foundation for a solid plan to move the HR
function from its present state (administrative or technical) to a strong, strategic player within the organization.

You must first choose a company and then describe how you plan to position yourself and your department professionally as a strategic member of the
organization. You may choose a real-world company with instructor approval. Keep in mind that the company you choose must be one that already competes at
the global level or has the potential to compete in the global arena.

The following sections should be included, but you are not limited to them:

I. Cover Letter: This should be a professionally appropriate business letter addressing the senior management of your company. The letter should briefly
introduce the intent of your proposal and detail the various parts that are to come (the proposal itself and how you would implement the proposal,
should it be approved). The letter should also use information and evidence supporting your plan that would excite your target audience into reading
your proposal.

II. The HR Strategy Proposal: This should include a detailed plan of how you will advance the organization’s vision and mission through effective leadership
strategies that foster collaboration, promote consensus, and guide the organization through adversity and change with resilience and agility. Data
analysis should be provided to further support your proposal and should also include opposing viewpoints on this issue and explain how your strategy is
preferable. Overall, your analysis should highlight how the HR department will operate as an effective business partner and leader.

Your strategy proposal should include, on the whole, a synthesis of the themes and ideas that you have learned during your time in the program.
Specifically, your HR proposal should include the following:

o A global outlook and cross-cultural approach for human resource professionals in the interest of improving cultural responsiveness and
capitalizing on the commonalities, values, and individual uniqueness of organizational members

o Appropriate evidence-based strategies that integrate sound, data-driven analysis and critical decision making to support the goals, vision, and
mission of the organization

o An evaluation of how the department will continue protecting the integrity of the business, its employees, and its management practices
through appropriate risk management and legal and ethical practices

o A plan of how to effectively leverage effective customer service and negotiation strategies that build engaging relationships with stakeholders
through trust, teamwork, and direct communication

III. Implementation: In this section, you should explain how you would approach employee management at the chosen organization should this proposal be

accepted. If the changes you have proposed are accepted, include strategies on how to manage talent development and workforce planning, followed
by an analysis of a measureable return on investment. You should also include how the role of the human resources department would change with
regard to employee negotiations and interactions.

IV. Conclusion: In this final section of the text, you will summarize your proposal and explain how and why your HR strategy proposal is worthy of
implementation, while highlighting the practical implications of your proposal for your target audience(s). You should also discuss how you will ensure
that your proposal conforms to common business ethical standards.

Guidelines for Submission: Your Component One submission should be 15 to 20 pages in length (in addition to elements such as the title page and reference
pages). The document should use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. It should follow professional industry standards and
include all necessary elements that one would find in a research proposal. It should include a title page, table of contents, professional bibliography, and
appendices, if applicable. The information should be cited according to the rules in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth
edition. You may include illustrations, photographs, graphs and charts, and other nontextual materials as needed to support the underpinning proposal (though
all of the latter should be placed in an appendix or appendices if used).

Component Two: Professional Reflection
For the second and final component of your final project, you will write an essay in which you discuss the process and outcomes of this project, as well as how
your coursework culminated in the project. This may include discussions of unforeseen problems or obstacles, and any surprises. The essay should also discuss
your identified strengths and problems that you encountered while completing the project. Finally, the essay will examine how the final project will be useful in
the job market or in furthering your education.

You should envision this component as a personal reflection on the capstone and your experience in the Human Resource Management program as a whole. For
instance, relative to the capstone, you could discuss what you did (or intended to do) and then consider what worked well, what challenges you faced, and what
you would change or do differently to make your experience better. In reflecting on your time here at SNHU, you might discuss where you started, where you
have ended up, where you see yourself going, and so on. Note that this component is not about evaluating the capstone itself but rather your experience within
the capstone project.

Some of the topics that you could address in this final component of this capstone may include the following:

 Overall, what was your capstone experience like?

 Reflect on the significance of the capstone in relation to your own experience at SNHU.

 What connections do you see between your capstone and your academic program?

 How will you apply what you have learned to your future academic and/or professional life?

Milestones
Milestone One: Strategy Proposal Outline
In Module Two, you will choose your organization by reviewing companies of interest to you. You will also submit an outline that concisely provides a high level
overview of the structure your final project will take. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Cover Letter
In Module Three, you will submit a draft of the first part of your final submission, the cover letter. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Proposal Content
In Module Five, you will submit a draft of your HR proposal, which should highlight how the HR department, under your leadership, will operate as an effective
business partner. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Milestone Four: Implementation and Conclusion
In Module Seven, you will submit a draft of the final two sections (implementation and conclusion) of your proposal. This milestone completes your detailed HR
proposal, which should include, on the whole, a combination of the concepts that you have learned during your time in the Human Resource Management
program. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Four Rubric.

Final Project Submission: Human Resources Strategy Proposal and Professional Reflection
In Module Nine, you will submit your completed strategy proposal based on your work throughout this course. Additionally, you will write a short personal
reflection on your experiences and what you learned throughout this capstone course, your process in developing your HR strategy proposal, and your
experience in the Human Resource Management program.

Final Project Rubric
This rubric will be applied to both components as a whole, and neither component will be assessed on its own. The “Possible Indicators of Success” are examples
for you and the instructor of the types of concepts to look for to demonstrate proficiency. They are neither exhaustive nor proscriptive and should be used as
guides for illustrating how your capstone embodies the outcome. All outcomes are weighted equally.

OL-751-01: Leverage effective customer service and negotiation strategies that build engaging relationships with
stakeholders through trust, teamwork, and direct communication

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to leverage effective communication among key stakeholders?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to articulate sound negotiation strategies in an effort to build effective relationships with internal stakeholders?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to build engaging relationships with target audiences?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to potentially gain trust and encourage teamwork through direct communication activities?

OL-751-02: Integrate appropriate talent development and workforce planning strategies to effectively align employee
competencies with business goals and provide a measurable return on investment for an organization

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to forecast a talent development strategy that aligns with current and future organizational strategic goals?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to plan a future workforce strategy that aligns with current and future organizational strategic goals?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to provide a measurable return on investment for an organization?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to potentially identify and capitalize on employee competencies as they relate to business goals and sustainability?

OL-751-03: Operate as an effective business partner and leader in human resources through clear, concise, and accurate
communication skills

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to become an effective business partner by demonstrating high-value, business-enhancing strategic contributions
focused on organizational strategic goals and sustainability?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to lead the human resource function from a low-value transactional and/or administrative function to one that
significantly contributes to building and sustaining the organization’s competitive advantage?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to potentially collaborate with key stakeholders in the dissemination of information and crafting of professional
communications that align with the needs and dispositions of targeted audiences?

OL-751-04: Protect the integrity of the business, its employees, and its management practices through appropriate risk
management and legal and ethical practices

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to devise a plan for the analysis of data and critique opposing viewpoints in ways that meet business ethical
standards and protect the integrity of the business?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to identify ethical practices and standards within an organization that could adversely affect management and
employees resulting from the implementation of the HR proposal?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to mitigate risk by incorporating human capital management theories, models, and tools into the proposal?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to evaluate how HR will continue protecting the integrity of the business, its employees, and its management
practices through appropriate risk management and legal and ethical practices?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to create a framework for practice that promotes legal and ethical approaches to human resource management?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to assess the capstone experience for its application to future academic and/or professional life?

OL-751-05: Recommend appropriate evidence-based strategies that integrate sound, data-driven analysis and critical
decision making to support the goals, vision, and mission of the organization

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to understand and integrate evidence-based HR and business strategies in supporting the organizational goals,
vision, and mission?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to interpret and recommend HRM-based metrics or appropriate HR strategies that integrate sound, data-driven
analysis in supporting the organizational goals, vision, and mission?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to make critical decisions enhancing strategic contributions focused on supporting the organizational goals, vision,
and mission?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to integrate and synthesize an analysis of the scholarly debate among subject matter experts and HR professionals
for recommending appropriate evidence-based strategies?

OL-751-06: Articulate the importance of a global outlook and cross-cultural approach for human resource professionals
in the interest of improving cultural competence and valuing the commonalities, values, and individual uniqueness of
organizational members

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to evaluate and articulate the importance of a global outlook as it relates to an organization’s HR strategies?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to interpret the importance of diversity and its relevance in breaking down cultural barriers within an organization?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to appropriately address and capitalize on the commonalities, values, and individual uniqueness of organizational
members?

OL-751-07: Advance an organization’s vision and mission through effective leadership strategies that foster
collaboration, promote consensus, and guide the organization through adversity and change with resilience and agility

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to articulate effective leadership strategies focused on supporting the organizational goals, vision, and mission?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to address the need to foster collaboration, promote consensus, and guide an organization through adversity
throughout the HR proposal?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to potentially maintain resilience and agility when implementing a HR strategy?

OL-751-08: Design, implement, and evaluate strategic human resource programs that deliver customized human
resource solutions for organizational challenges and contribute to the success of the business

Proficient
100%

Not Proficient
0%

Possible Indicators of Success

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to design a comprehensive and implementation-worthy HR proposal that articulates the vision of where the
company’s HR function should be and how it plans to get there in relation to where it is positioned currently?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to evaluate multiple strategic HR programs and incorporate them into a strategic HR proposal aimed at contributing
to the success and sustainability of the business?

Does student demonstrate his or her ability to create and present a professional final product that delivers a customized HR solution to overcome organizational
challenges designed to contribute to the success and sustainability of the business?