CIPD Level 7 Assignment Structure

A poorly structured submission is one of the quickest routes to a CIPD Level 7 referral. Assessors expect coursework presented in a formal, publication-ready Executive Business Report layout that mirrors strategic boardroom documentation.

The Complete CIPD Level 7 Report Architecture

1. Title Page & Executive Metadata

Include the qualification title, unit code and title (e.g., 7CO01: Work and Working Lives), student ID, date of submission, and final verified word count.

2. Executive Summary (Approx. 250–350 Words)

A high-level synthesis capturing: organizational context, strategic problem statement, key analytical findings, and prioritized strategic recommendations with expected ROI.

3. Table of Contents & Table of Figures

Automated hierarchical numbering (e.g. 1.0 Introduction, 2.0 Assessment Criterion 1.1...) with accurate page references.

4. Main Body: Assessment Criteria Sub-Sections

Structure your core discussion strictly using Assessment Criteria headers. This ensures the assessor can immediately verify where each marking standard has been fulfilled:

5. Strategic Conclusions & SMART Recommendations

Summarize key findings and provide 3 to 4 actionable, time-phased recommendations complete with resource allocation, stakeholder risk registers, and KPI metrics.

6. Harvard Reference List

Alphabetical bibliographic list of 25–40 authoritative sources formatted to strict Harvard referencing conventions.

7. Appendices

Supplementary tables, P&L calculations, risk matrices, and interview templates (note: appendices do not count toward your formal word count).

Section-by-Section Word Count Allocation Table