How to Write the BSNS5201 Change Management Action Plan (Assessment 3, Part C)
The BSNS5201 change management action plan is Part C of your three-part report: a table showing how your Part B solution will be implemented, followed by a 900-word analysis of five elements. Score well by choosing three resources, three PESTEL factors and linking engagement to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, all tied to the same organisation.
By Assessment 3 you have already written two parts of this report. You know the organisation. You have a recommendation. What trips people up now is turning that recommendation into a plan that someone could actually follow, and then analysing it in five tight sections without drifting.
Want the full brief explained first? Submit your BSNS5201 brief for model answers and draft feedback, handled confidentially.
What Part C of the BSNS5201 report requires
BSNS5201 Administration Systems and Processes is a course in the Open Polytechnic’s New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 5) (Administration and Technology). Assessment 3 is worth 35% and has two files: the report Part C (80 marks) and a separate reflection (20 marks).
| Element | Focus | Marks | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Three most relevant resources, allocated fairly and efficiently | 15 | 200 |
| b | Stakeholder engagement aligned with Te Tiriti o Waitangi | 15 | 200 |
| c | Three most relevant PESTEL factors and their mitigation | 15 | 200 |
| d | Capturing feedback and continuous improvement | 15 | 150 |
| e | Alignment with mission and objectives | 10 | 150 |
| Presentation and referencing | Report structure, language, minimum five APA 7 sources | 10 | – |
| Reflection (separate file) | Data sources, strength and gap, missing topic | 20 | About 250 |
Step 1: build the change management action plan table
A change management action plan is a table that lists what will happen, who is responsible, what resources are needed, when it will happen and how success will be measured. Write it first. Every analysis section then refers back to it.
- Restate your Part B solution in one sentence at the top.
- Break the change into four or five phases, such as prepare, engage, pilot, roll out and review.
- Give each phase an owner, resources, a timeframe and a measurable target.
- Check that your three resources from element a appear in the table.
A plan without measures is a common weakness. “Staff trained” is vague. “All eight staff complete two training sessions by week 10” is a measure.
Elements a to c: resources, Te Tiriti and PESTEL
a. Resources
Pick three and only three. Staff time, budget, software or equipment, and external expertise are the usual candidates. Explain the allocation: why this person, why this amount, why now. Fairness can mean spreading workload; efficiency can mean phasing spend.
b. Stakeholders and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Identify your stakeholders, then explain how and when you will communicate with each. For Te Tiriti, many courses use the principles of partnership, participation and protection. Show what each looks like in your plan, for example designing procedures with staff (partnership) or protecting personal information (protection). Te Arawhiti’s Guidelines for engagement with Māori are a solid, citable source.
c. PESTEL
Choose the three external factors that would genuinely affect your plan. For an admin system change, legal (privacy), economic (cost pressures) and technological (connectivity or cyber risk) are common, but follow your organisation’s situation.
| Weak PESTEL answer | Strong PESTEL answer |
|---|---|
| Lists all six factors in one line each | Analyses three factors in depth |
| Describes the economy in general | Explains the specific impact on this plan |
| No mitigation | A practical mitigation for each factor |
Our BSNS5201 change management action plan sample shows a full plan table and analysis (for reference only).
Need a second opinion on your draft table? Ask a business expert for model answers and draft feedback, handled confidentially.
Elements d and e: continuous improvement and mission
For element d, name concrete feedback tools: short staff surveys, a shared issues log, review meetings, usage data. Then describe how feedback leads to change, for instance a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. Only 150 words are allowed, so be direct.
Element e is worth 10 marks and is often rushed. State the organisation’s mission or objectives and show, in two or three sentences each, how the plan advances them.
Writing the BSNS5201 reflection
The reflection is a separate file worth 20 marks, which is more than any single analysis element. Answer the three questions in order:
- Two ways you could obtain data from the organisation after delivering the report (follow-up survey, interviews, system reports).
- Two insights: one strength and one gap, with a specific self-development action.
- One topic not covered in your report that would add value.
Write in the first person. Be specific. “I will complete a short course on stakeholder engagement by March” beats “I will improve my skills”.
Mark-maximising checklist
- Action plan table with owners, resources, timeframes and measures.
- Exactly three resources and three PESTEL factors.
- Te Tiriti principles explained and applied.
- Real-world examples from research in each element.
- At least five credible APA 7 sources.
- Reflection saved and submitted as a separate file.
Common questions learners ask
The practical questions are usually these: can my action plan be a table, do I have to use the same organisation, and how do I write about Te Tiriti in a business report? The answers are yes, yes, and with specific behaviours rather than general statements.
Frequently asked questions
Does the action plan count towards the 900-word limit?
No. The 900-word guideline applies to the analysis. The action plan table sits outside it, so you can make it detailed without losing words from elements a to e.
Can I change my recommended solution from Part B?
Part C should implement one solution recommended in Part B. Switching solution breaks the link across your three-part report and is likely to cost marks.
Which Te Tiriti principles should I use?
Partnership, participation and protection are commonly used in New Zealand organisations. Explain each briefly and show how it shapes your engagement with stakeholders.
How many PESTEL factors should I include?
Three. The brief asks for the three most relevant factors, so analyse them in depth with a mitigation each rather than listing all six.
What counts as a credible source?
Government guidance, professional bodies such as CIPD, academic books and journal articles, and reputable industry reports all count. Aim for at least five, cited in APA 7.
Is it okay to get help with this assessment?
Yes, if you use it to learn. Expert guidance, model answers and feedback can help you understand the task, but the report you submit must be your own work.
Before you hit submit
Open iQualify and check you are uploading two files, not one. Then reread element e: if your mission link is a single sentence, expand it. If you want a second pair of eyes, our report writing experts can review your draft structure, and our diploma assignment help page explains how we work. You can also read the original brief on our BSNS5201 Assessment 3 question page.
Ready to get BSNS5201 guidance from a business expert? Submit your brief now for model answers and draft feedback, handled confidentially.
About the expert
Reviewed by Dr. Hannah Whitmore, Leadership, Change & Organisational Behaviour Specialist, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Her profile covers leadership, organisational culture, employee performance and change management.
References
Deming, W. E. (1986). Out of the crisis. MIT Press.
Te Arawhiti. (2018). Guidelines for engagement with Māori. https://whakatau.govt.nz/assets/Tools-and-Resources/Guidelines-for-engagement-with-Maori.pdf
