AF4D116 - Advanced Performance Management 01 Sep 2020 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 2
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | AF4D116 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Advanced Performance Management | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Business and Creative Industries | ||
| Faculty Group: | Accounting and Finance | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Accounting and Finance | ||
| Module Leader: | Shane Johnson | ||
| Module Team: | Tamira Rolls, Tim Bennett, Rhian Gosling, Jared Davies | ||
| First Intended Intake: | APR 2018 | Final Year of Intake: | |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 40 | Credit Level: | 7 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 100105 - accounting | ||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 100 | ||
Document Version Information
| Version | 2 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2020 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2026 |
Module Aims
This module aims to develop students’ knowledge, understanding, application and critical evaluation of contemporary performance management principles in a range of business contexts. Further, it aims to develop students’ abilities to critically evaluate existing practice and current developments. It will require advanced evaluation and synthesis skills and will foster critical questioning.
Complex practical application of this module’s syllabus areas will be developed; there will be a focus on the practical scenarios that a professional accountant will face and the technical competencies they will require to tackle these. As a result, students will be prepared for the ACCA external Advanced Performance Management examination as well as internal MSc assessments.
The external ACCA examination focuses on preparing candidates to advise management and/or clients on complex strategic performance management issues facing an organisation. They will be required to apply relevant knowledge and skills, and exercise professional judgement in selecting and applying strategic performance management techniques in different business contexts and to contribute to the evaluation of the performance of an organisation and its strategic and operational development.
Content Summary
The syllabus of this module is based on the ACCA Advanced Performance Management paper.
The syllabus for Advanced Performance Management assumes knowledge acquired at Undergraduate (or ACCA Fundamentals) level and develops key aspects introduced in undergraduate Performance Management and/or ACCA F5 level. It also draws on aspects of the material covered in Strategic Business Leader.
The syllabus introduces candidates to the strategic role of management accounting as a discipline for planning and controlling performance so that strategic objectives can be set, monitored and controlled. It recognises the impact of external factors on strategic management issues, such as macro-economic, fiscal, market and environmental impacts on performance and covers the risks these factors present and how they can be measured and managed. From appreciating the strategic context of performance management and the impact of wider factors, the syllabus examines, at an operational level, the issues relating to performance measurement systems and their design.
The syllabus then moves from performance management systems and their design to the scope and application of high-level performance measurement techniques in a variety of contexts, including not-for-profit organisations and multi-national businesses. Having covered the strategic aspects of performance management and operational systems for the measurement and control of performance in a variety of contexts, candidates are then expected to synthesise this knowledge in the role of an advisor to senior management or independent clients on how to assess and control the performance of an entity, including the recognition of whether a business is facing difficulties or possibly failure.
Summary of ACCA syllabus areas:
• Strategic planning and control
• Impact of risk and uncertainty on organisational performance
• Performance measurement systems and design
• Strategic performance measurement
• Performance evaluation and corporate failure
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 30 |
| Seminar | 50 |
| Independent Study | 230 |
| Directed Study | 80 |
| Formative Assessment - Independent | 10 |
| Total Hours Selected | 400 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Critically evaluate and utilise strategic planning and control models to plan and monitor organisational performance, and assess and identify key external influences on organisational performance. |
| LO2 | Identify and critically evaluate the design features of effective performance management information and monitoring systems, including performance measurement techniques to improve organisational performance and recognise vulnerability to corporate failure. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synchronous Onsite Assessment | Time-constrained assessment (Onsite) 1 | Time Constrained Assessment | 195 | 3000 | 50 | No | 40 |
| Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment | Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) 2 | Scenario based group exercise | 20 | N/A | 50 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Time-constrained assessment (Onsite) 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) 2 | ✔ | ✔ | |