Example ICAS projects? Is there any in any text books?

SarahJS

I've just started the ICAS project using the case study, and in principle it isn't too bad - I've picked out areas that I have found things to say about, but when sitting down to write the project I've hit a brick wall trying to hit all the marking criteria and setting it out in a logical order.

Looking back through past threads I've seen mentions than the Osborne textbook has a couple of examples of reports in. Can anyone confirm if these are full reports (right word length and covering marking topics) and whether they would be useful when writing the case study?

Any other suggestions of where to find examples of the full reports would be hugely appreciated

Thanks!

Joe Barraclough

I structured my project as follows:

Title page (30 words)
Cotents Page (40 words)
1. Terms of reference (60 words)
2. Methodology (80 words)
3. Executive summary (140 words)
4. Introduction (750 words)
5. Review of the system (1,580 words)
6. Recommendations (1,630 words), and
7. Appendices (do not include in world count)

This amounts to 4,310 words.

1. Prepare an organisational chart (Appendix 1)


2. On the same page write about to whom each head of every department is responsible to and how they affect the organisational structure (K&U 11)


3. On the same page write about how some of the departments are connected to the external agencies. (K&U 12) ( SLCA to debtors, PLCA to creditors, Payroll to Inland Revenue, Accountant to Bank, Company House, HM Customs and Excise, Local Council, Environmental agencies etc)


4. Also write how each departments are connected to each other (K&U 13) (PLCA to SLCA – contra for same supplier/customer; SLCA, PLCA, Gen Ledger, Warehouse, Stores all need to submit wages info to PAYROLL and to Accountant for management reports; Petty Cash to General Ledger


5. Prepare each employee’s Flow chart of documents and activities (job description) (Appendix 4, Appendix 5, Appendix 6, appendix 7)


6. Prepare Employee’s Skill’s analysis table (Appendix 2).


7. Prepare a SWOT analysis for each of employees and put it into the Appendix


8. Research on Team Building on the internet (for K&U 9 and K&U 10) You will need to quote some theory work in your project.



Dont worry about it, just start writing, i wrote my on the weekend and sent it in and it was accepted the first time so dont let people scare you just start writing pick three things and go.

nicd1981

Hi Sarah

The osbourne book does have two projects in the back.
I used this and i used the mapping document to structure the report.
I did my swot analysis first, then wrote up my review of the currrent system and reccomendations sections.
Everything else flowed quite quickly from this, I struggled to keep to the word count but have got mine to just over 4000 words now x

Once you start writing youll find it flows pretty quickly

good luck

nic xx

SarahJS

Thanks Joe, just seeing an example of the numbers of words you have in each section is a great help and is something to relate to. Seeing it has made me realise how over the top my intro is... it would make the review and reccomendation tiny!

Which provider did you do the project through? I'm doing i with Kaplan and not getting along with the book at all!

Nicd: Did you do a case study or work based? If it was a case study, how similar were the reports in the book (assuming all the case studies are relatively similar)?

Thanks

jenny3549

Thanks Joe from me as well, that helps a lot!

Sarah, I'm in exactly the same boat as you! I've also just started mine and am tearing my hair out already. I'm using kKaplan as well and don't think much of the book. I was hoping for something that would give me some idea what to put where etc. I keep looking at the mapping document with despair. I understand that we have to get everything in there somewhere but just don't know how.

I really understand why everyone hates this unit! I have my weaknesses in mind, recommendations etc but just have no idea where to start with this thing. I've spent this morning trying to write the introduction but already think I'm way off beam.

A sample report just so we could understand the required layout would be so useful.

I've decided to try and do an organisation chart now which should be fun since my company is rather unstructured!

SarahJS

I'm also sat trying to work out an organisational chart for my case study, but it's not going great!

Getting something down on paper, even just rough, feels good though.

I might do some more BTX work while pondering this a bit more, but only if I decide that I'm definately buying another (hopefully more useful) book!

I only got the case study on Thursday so plenty of time until a draft is due in for me

uknitty

I used the BPP text book as the case study and sample project in this text is *very* closely alligned to the case study.

I'm looking to sell my copy on if anyone is interested ? £9 posted second class and in perfect "as new" condition. Inbox if you are interested.

Ta

janwal

Would like to say thanks to all, finding this thread really useful, I am nearing the end of level 3 and we have been advised to try and do our projects over the summer so reasy for when we return to college in September. It is really making me vewry nervous as haven't a clue where to start and did wonder whether to carry on, but having read Joe's post it may not be as daunting.

I am hoping to do it on a project I am working on at work at the moment as I have been roped into helping set up a new interpreting system as our old one was not suitable, have already done some financial fiqures to show if a viable solution has been found and also know quite a bit about the fraud element. So fingers crossed I can make this work.

Any suggestions would be most helpful.

Thanks

Jan

jenny3549

uknitty wrote: »

I used the BPP text book as the case study and sample project in this text is *very* closely alligned to the case study.

I'm looking to sell my copy on if anyone is interested ? £9 posted second class and in perfect "as new" condition. Inbox if you are interested.

Ta

Have sent you a pm.

pirate

Defintely start with the SWOT.

From this you will find your biggest areas of weakness so that you can focus on that.
Opportunities section will provide you with your recommendations.

I then used the recommended sections headings in the guide to writting the ICAS which is on the AAT web site. And is similar to the contents posted above.

Exec summary should be written towards the end.

Also Cost/Benefit could go into the appendices to reduce word count.

I also looked at the mappings as I was going along to make sure I was covering all the requirements. Any requirements that were not in the body of the report I ensured were in the appendices.

Once you have the SWOT it does really flow from there.

I don't want to put a dampener on but uknitty I would say it's unethical to sell your ICAS project, this is your work and I think the AAT would take a dim view on this.

HTH

janwal

pirate wrote: »

I don't want to put a dampener on but uknitty I would say it's unethical to sell your ICAS project, this is your work and I think the AAT would take a dim view on this.

HTH

I think you'll find she meant the book not the project.

Jan

jenny3549

janwal wrote: »

I think you'll find she meant the book not the project.

Jan

+1 to that! I definitely took it as the book, I don't think she would ever contemplate selling her project.

pirate

Yes duh now I read it back thats what I read too

sorry about that, it was just that I think last year or so there were people trying to sell their projects on ebay..

Apologies

uknitty

pirate wrote: »

I don't want to put a dampener on but uknitty I would say it's unethical to sell your ICAS project, this is your work and I think the AAT would take a dim view on this.

Quite agree which is why I don't even *show* people my ICAS project in case it gets plagarised.

(I have been asked before - but not by anyone on here thanfully!)

Joe Barraclough

i did kaplan as well, the only thing from them that was helpful was them was the definitions of fraud that i used, they also gave me this pad of paper which detalied things to do , if you ordered a distance learning package you probably got it in there.

oh and i did case study

Joe Barraclough

Here is the best advice i can give you

http://en-gage.kaplan.co.uk/lms/content/live_content_v2/aat/new_syllabus_structure_2010/generic/l4_comp/icas/learning/icas_guidance/content/aat_icasguidance.pdf

follow this from page 27 onward and you will be able to pass

emuratty

Your college may have previous completed reports that you can look at to get ideas. Our tutor let us look at some, but we weren't allowed to make copies or take them out of the classroom.

Our tutor also gave us a very useful structure document with how to lay out the report, and exactly what to put in each section etc. Attached here (hopefully if I've done it right)

Your tutor should be able to give you some feedback after you produce your first draft so that you can make sure you've covered everything.

Tracyevans14

I agree, start with swot analysis. I did mine on departments and also completed key competencies of employees and organisational chart. Once your swot is complete you have a good idea which areas you want to concentrate on.

nicd1981

SarahJS wrote: »

Thanks Joe, just seeing an example of the numbers of words you have in each section is a great help and is something to relate to. Seeing it has made me realise how over the top my intro is... it would make the review and reccomendation tiny!

Which provider did you do the project through? I'm doing i with Kaplan and not getting along with the book at all!

Nicd: Did you do a case study or work based? If it was a case study, how similar were the reports in the book (assuming all the case studies are relatively similar)?

Thanks

Hi Again Sarah,

I did my project based on my work, I always think its better to write what you know.
But alot of my class mates wrote it on the case study .

Just use your mapping documnet to make sure you have covered every point.
Afterall this is what you whole project is based on

Nic x

alvarez140

Interested in buying your project

Hi,
My name is Diana and I'm starting my AAT Level 4 in 2 weeks time, however I am so worry about the project as english is not my first language. Therefore I would like to buy you a copy of your project in order for me to have an idea.
Please let me know. My email is: alvarez140@hotmail.com

Many thanks,
Diana

uknitty wrote: »

I used the BPP text book as the case study and sample project in this text is *very* closely alligned to the case study.

I'm looking to sell my copy on if anyone is interested ? £9 posted second class and in perfect "as new" condition. Inbox if you are interested.

Ta

TrishD

Thankyou so much - this looks exactly what I need to make a start. :thumbup1: