The Participant assumes the role of a newly appointed manager for Forthton Borough Council and is responsible for Transport Implementation. Central Government have recently cascaded a new directive. The Participant is provided with a range of qualitative and quantitative information. Their role is to analyse the information provided and make recommendations as to how they will implement the Central Government’s Directive at a local level.
Please note that the following competencies are only assessed within an optional briefing included in this exercise:
Flexibility
Impact
Listening
Openness to Change
Persuasive Oral Communication
Stress Tolerance
Written Communication
An Express version of this exercise is now available
The Participant assumes the role of Head of the Location Review Team for Zendopharma, a global pharmaceutical business. The Board has expressed the desire to move the head office location, currently in Chicago, USA. Three possible options have been identified, and the Participant is provided with qualitative and quantitative information relating to the options including employee and customer surveys, recruitment and relocation costs. The Participant is expected to analyse this material and make a recommendation balancing the needs of employees, customers and investors.
Please note that the following competencies are only assessed within an optional briefing included in this exercise:
Flexibility
Impact
Listening
Persuasive Oral Communication
Stress Tolerance
Written Communication
Participants assume the role of Senior Brand Manager in a FMCG company, Unicorn (UK) Ltd, which specialise in personal care and household products. The company has recently sold a subsidiary as it was not regarded as a core business. The Board now has £25 million for reinvestment which has been given to the Marketing Director for promotion and development of existing UK brands. The Marketing Director has asked the Senior Brand Managers to meet and decide how best to use this money. Each Senior Brand Manager has different product briefs containing sales performance data, figures on advertising spend and information on market share in comparison with competitors and is expected to negotiate and agree the best use of the available funds.
As a Senior Consultant to the Board of Wakeham Financial Services, the Participant is asked to advise on the re-organisation of the Company in an effort to reduce costs and improve its speed of service. Detailed information is supplied on the Company’s formation, its technical services and the organisation of its cost structure. The analysis is to be presented in the form of a written report on whether and how to re-organise.
Please note that the following competencies are only assessed within an optional briefing included in this exercise:
Flexibility
Openness to Change
Listening
Persuasive Oral Communication
Impact
The Participant assumes the role of a Trainee Manager working for a new public sector agency, ‘The Wellbeing Agency’. Participants are presented with a range of qualitative and quantitative information relating to a possible promotion the agency may launch called ‘Swim a s-Mile’. Participants must make recommendations relating to the content and medium of the promotion, the nature of any risks and the costs associated with such an event, and make recommendations regarding how best to proceed.
Please note that the following competencies are only assessed within an optional briefing included in this exercise:
Flexibility
Openness to Change
Listening
Persuasive Oral Communication
Impact
This exercise is a parallel version of The Fundraising Manager.
Participants are representatives of six different Government departments, who are part of an inter-departmental taskforce formed to consider various solutions aimed at minimising the impact of global warming. The International Climate Change Research Council (ICCRC) has agreed in principle to award a research grant of £70 million, subject to the submission of a sufficiently effective and convincing proposal. Each departmental representative has a project proposal that they need to advocate, so that collectively they can decide which project will be nominated to receive the research grant.
Participants are members of a Career Development Committee, which has been asked to review details on a group of potential candidates applying for a one year sabbatical and funding for an MBA. Department Heads have approved each of the candidates for the sabbatical, and each of the six Participants has been asked to recommend a different candidate. Collectively the Participants need to review the relative merit of each candidate and to decide how to allocate available funds.
Each Participant assumes the role of a Senior Manager within the Acquisitions team for WLP International (WLP), a company operating within the logistics and transportation industry. WLP have recently acquired a similar organisation. The Participants must decide as a group which countries WLP should retain a presence in, and which businesses should be sold off to raise capital for reinvestment. Each Participant has information about one of the six different countries and is provided with quantitative and qualitative information including; company background, financial data, staffing and customer issues, competitor information and future business opportunities.
Participants assume the role of Project Managers in a large European based manufacturing organisation, Grigston Lacey. Due to cut backs the Project Managers must meet to decide how best to allocate the available resources. Each Participant has parameters within which they can negotiate to achieve the most favourable allocation of resources, whilst trying to ensure that each of the projects is able to run successfully. Projects range from quality testing new products and relocating sites to IT upgrades and process re-engineering.
Participants take the role of Regional Sales & Marketing Directors in The European Division of Electron plc, an international IT products, services and business solutions provider. Electron plc is facing financial difficulty so a meeting is being held to evaluate possible Division cut backs in order to secure the future of the Organisation. Participants must each compete to safeguard the welfare of their region. An agreement must be reached so that a recommendation can be presented to the European Sales & Marketing Director.
