Planning Work Placement

Overview

This module is studied by students undertaking a 12-month placement in a planning-related organisation. The placement year provides students with an opportunity to put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired during the first two years of study. It is also a way of gaining practical knowledge and skills of planning in either the public, private or voluntary sectors.

Placement opportunities are provided by a wide variety of employers and the work undertaken by students is often diverse. This module allows students to demonstrate how they have developed their planning knowledge over the 12-month period and how they meet the membership requirements of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The Work Placement is an optional component of the BSc/ MPlan programme, which is completed between Level 2 and Level 3. There are three key stages of the Work Placement Programme:

1. Pre-Placement Training and Assessment
Pre-Placement training is incorporated into existing Level 2 modules (EVP2011- Theory and Practice of Development Management and EVP2012- Theory and Practice of Planning Policy). This training will be delivered in the form of weekly seminars throughout Level 2 (Semesters 1 and 2) by planning staff, employers in planning practice and by the QUB Learning Development Service and Careers, Employability and Skills. The sessions will focus on key skills such as interviews, communication, conduct in the workplace, digital working skills, presentation skills, as well as gaining an insight into various professional workplaces. Guidance will also be given during these seminars as to securing placements and opportunities for discussion. Attendance will be taken every week and completion of the pre-placement training is a pre-requisite for employers granting placements to students, as they ensure that adequate training has been provided in preparation for the professional working environment.

Assessment of the pre-placement training forms part of the overall assessment for modules EVP2011 and EVP2012, involving preparation of a CV submission 10% & Reflective Essay 15% (EVP2011) and an individual critical reflection 25% (EVP2012).

2. Work Placement
The Work Placement (EVP2020) runs between Levels 2 and 3 for a period of 40 weeks from September to April. The placement may be paid or unpaid and the onus will be on students to secure their own placement, following the completion of pre-placement training and assessment. Students will be supported in their search for placements via the University’s dedicated Careers, Employability and Skills team. Placements will be advertised via QUB online facility, MyFuture, via email and also through strategic Employer sessions and Work Placement Recruitment Events coordinated by the University.

Placement forms must be completed and submitted by the end of semester 2 in Level 2 for approval by the Head of Discipline and Placement Coordinator. Upon acceptance onto a Placement by the employer, and approval by the Work Placement Coordinator and Programme Director, Students will be entered into a formal agreement with employers on the terms of their placement, and with the university. This ensures that the placement is both meaningful and rewarding for the student and the employer. These forms must be completed and approved before a placement can commence.

Every student on placement will have three academic meetings (September, December and February) and regular contact with planning staff throughout the course of the placement to ensure the smooth running of the placement and that students are receiving adequate experience. This will be aligned with established Personal Tutor links.


3. Post-Placement Assessment
The post-placement assessment will be completed for EVP2020 at the end of the 40-week placement period in April (Semester 2). The assessment approach entails the recording of a detailed placement logbook (50% of overall mark) and reflective essay on professional planning practice (50% of overall mark). The placement module is assessed on a Pass/ Fail basis and the module CATs do not contribute to the final degree classification.

Log Books (50% of overall grade)
Students are required to record three logbook entries over the course of the 40-week placement and will cover the following areas:

1. Description of the nature of professional work/task undertaken;
2. Competency/skill development;
3. Knowledge/understanding gained;
4. Future development of skills/knowledge.
5. Employer Verification

The logbook entries will include the name and type of employer; the nature of the business (e.g. local planning authority, multi-disciplinary practice, specialist semi-state body etc); the student’s role within the organisation; their job description: a summary of the main role and responsibilities, including any line management responsibility; the nature of the work undertaken in the role; and dates and time periods covered.

The three logbook entries will be required at regular intervals (September, December, February) across the placement and will be dated and verified by the employer. The logbook submission will coincide with a meeting between the student, employer and a member of the planning academic staff. Each logbook entry will be circa. 500 words and will be evaluated by planning staff (based on existing Personal Tutor allocations).

Reflective Essay (50% of overall grade)
The second element of the post-placement assessment entails a reflective essay, at the end of the 40-week placement period in April (Semester 2). This article reflects on the experiences gained during the work placement and how it has prepared the student for a career as a professional planner. This reflection is aligned to the learning outcomes of the placement (see below). Students will be asked to reflect on:

• The elements of the placement that they found most interesting/ challenging/ rewarding from the work placement and how this experience has shaped their understanding of planning;
• The ethical dimensions of professional planning practice and the values that practitioners must display while working within democratic decision-making processes;
• How the experience of professional practice has shaped their own self-understanding of the planning profession; and
• The nature of the skills and competencies required by the planning practitioner and how the students has developed these skills in the course of the placement

The logbook and reflective journal assessments are aligned with the criteria established under the RTPI’s Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) Guidance.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the Work Placement and associated assessment, students will be able to:

• Explain and demonstrate how spatial planning operates within the context of institutional and legal frameworks, thereby linking planning theory with practice;
• Explain the political and ethical nature of spatial planning and reflect on how planners work effectively within democratic decision-making structures, balance their decision making between competing interests and facilitate development for the public good;
• Demonstrate effective research, analytical, evaluative and appraisal skills and the ability to reach appropriate evidence-based decisions;
• Recognise the role of communication skills in the planning process and the importance of working in an interdisciplinary context;
• Demonstrate negotiation, mediation, advocacy and leadership skills;
• Distinguish the characteristics of a professional, including the importance of upholding the highest standards of ethical behaviour and a commitment to lifelong learning and critical reflection so as to maintain and develop professional competence;
• Develop ideas or case study projects to utilise in their Level 3 Independent Research Projects.

The learning outcomes of the module have been devised to accommodate the variety of organisations in which students are employed and the diversity of work undertaken. They are informed by RTPI guidance on the qualities associated with a professional planner and RICS guidance on the planning and development pathway.

Skills

Through the work placement, students will develop a range of cognitive, practical and transferrable skills and will gain valuable experience of professional planning practice that will involve participation in ‘real life’ planning projects and the further enhancement of their employability. The skills developed through the placement will be carried forward into their final year of study at Level 3. The skills gained through placement are fully informed by RTPI guidance on the qualities associated with a professional planner and RICS guidance on the planning and development pathway.

On completing the programme students should be able to demonstrate the ability to:

Cognitive Skills
• Undertake a critical evaluation of key planning issues and evidence;
• Describe and critically assess the value and limitations of information on a given planning subject;
• Extract, synthesise and communicate information and data

Practical Skills
• Apply quantitative and qualitative skills required for research and practice in a professional planning workplace;
• Demonstrate the ability to apply specialist skills and training associated with planning practice;
• Apply spatial analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Demonstrate the application of problem-solving skills in a workplace environment

Transferrable Skills
• Communicate planning information and evidence by means of well-prepared reports and verbal presentation;
• Use library and other secondary data sources of planning information;
• Plan, organise and prioritise work activities in order to meet deadlines;
• Work independently showing initiative;
• Solve problems and work in interdisciplinary teams ;
• Reflect on and manage own learning and development within the workplace;
• Use existing and new knowledge to enhance personal performance in a workplace environment, evaluate the impact and communicate this process

Assessment

The one-year placement is an optional module that students can choose to take between levels 2 and 3, thereby extending their 3-year BSc programme by a year. There is no obligation on students to undertake the placement and they do not have to commit to the placement until the end of their second year.

If they opt for the placement, the onus of responsibility for securing a placement rests with the student, albeit with institutional support from planning staff and the University’s Careers, Employability and Skills team. Placements may be paid or unpaid and there is no guarantee that a student will secure a placement. If a student is unable to secure a placement, they will advance directly into their Level 3 year of study.

A student opting for placement, will be required to complete all pre-placement training and secure their placement with an employer either in the public, private or voluntary sectors. Completion of all placement application forms will be a requirement and must be approved by the Head of Discipline and Placement Coordinator. The pre- and post-placement assessment is compulsory, and students will be required to meet with a member of the planning staff at three contact points during the placement year. Staff will be assigned students based on existing personal tutor relationships, and these meetings will coincide with the submission of placement logbook submissions.