Example assessment & marking criteria

Assessment type: / Reflective essay
Subject: / HSM401 Reflecting on Health Care Systems
Students examine the components of a health care system, building on their own experiences, to establish a personal development framework. They investigate definitions and models of health; how health, illness and disability are measured, particularly the determinants of health; how value can be measured and applied to different interventions and the impacts they have on health status; and how choices are made in resource allocation. Emerging trends linked to some complex and real issues confronting managers are considered in detail.
Subject learning outcomes: /
  • be able to describe several models of health and illness;
  • be able to identify, describe and analyse a variety of determinants of health;
  • be able to identify, describe and analyse a model or framework of health most applicable to the health care service they are involved with;
  • be able to discuss different measures of health and illness, including morbidity and mortality;
  • be able to identify and evaluate the principal statistics, including demographic statistics, required to measure these concepts;
  • be able to identify, describe and evaluate categories and examples of the typical measures currently used to assess performance at service and system levels of delivery;
  • be able to discuss the contribution of economic theory to the process of resource allocation in a health or aged care context;
  • be able to identify the role and contribution of different stakeholders to shaping the policy and delivery of health and aged care services;
  • be able to describe the relative significance of the principal components of health care system - by volume, cost, mode of delivery, provider, funder, sector;
  • be able to analyse the performance of the health and aged care systems from perspectives of equity, accessibility, efficiency and accountability;
  • be able to describe the components and characteristics of the health workforce;
  • be able to evaluate the impact of gender, demographic, education, technology, economic, and industrial conditions and issues on the health workforce;
  • be able to analyse the effectiveness, efficiency and acceptability of current funding arrangements from a variety of stakeholder perspectives;
  • be able to discuss predictions of changes to funding models and the degree of acceptance from a variety of stakeholder perspectives;
  • be able to describe health systems developments in a number of health systems other than their own;
  • be able to develop an ability to reflect deeply and critically to analyse experience and new information to enhance an understanding of managerial thinking;
  • be able to use the approach of reflection to integrate new insights with their current understanding of health system related issues;
  • be able reflect on the differences in thinking between clinicians, clinician-managers and managers on conceptions of clinical work and accountability for the use of resources in a health or aged care context.

Assessment task: / 2. reflective essay
Value & length: / 20%, 2500 words
Task description: / Write an academic response on what you believe to be the four most important performance indicators in regard to the core activities undertaken in your present work context. You are required to use the assessment criteria to structure your response, guided by the weightings and implied word allocations. It may assist your thinking to rank the activities you undertake in your work role/place in order of frequency and/or importance as you prepare for this exercise. Please carefully read the assessment criteria as that specifies what your response will be assessed against. This is an exercise in thinking about what is important to you, and the manner in which you construct and justify your response given the information provided to you. You are not encouraged to "cut-and-paste" performance indicators that might currently be used or reported on without considering all of the assessment criteria.
Note: It is important to consider this task as a whole, and how each requirement should be met, before you proceed. Important considerations are the context of performance measurement, and this is closely linked to your definition/criteria for a performance indicator AND how a performance indicator can be used to allocate resources (Hint = timeline e.g. pay-cycle). I have asked that you consider "performance indicators" and I regard them as quite distinct from "Key PerformanceIndicators". Do not refer to KPIs.
1. Identify four specific performance indicators from a pool of potential PIs that you believe are the most important in assessing the performance of the aspect of a health or aged care service you are most closely involved with. Justify your selection and identify the specific criteria to warrant the most important designation. (Note: It is useful, as well as important, to describe your present work context and role to enable the marker to assess your selection and argument).
2. Justify how you would use your individual indicators to make decisions on the allocation of resources within your work context?
3. Explain what data is required to support the construction of each of the indicators? (Hint: identify the numerator and denominator plus the sources of your data)
4. Discuss whether you believe that the performance indicators you have identified are appropriate to all levels of the health or aged care system.
5. Explain how the indicators demonstrate progress towards the attainment of health, or other objectives, consistent with the prevailing formal model or construct of health or ageing that applies to the delivery of services.

Marking criteria & standards of performance

Developed by David Ritchie

Criteria / HD / DI / CR / PS / FL
Introduction describes work context, discusses several definitions of a performance indicator and then justifies one as most appropriate to work context. / A clear and distinct description of work context and role, critically analysing several definitions of a performance indicator and identifies the criteria to justify the selection of one definition as the most appropriate. 2 marks / A clear and distinct description of work context and role, analysing several definitions of a performance indicator and justifies the selection of one definition as the most appropriate. 1.75 marks / A clear description of work context and role, discussing several definitions of a performance indicator and selects one definition as appropriate. 1.5 marks / A clear description of work context and role, discussing two definitions of a performance indicator and selects one definition as appropriate 1.25 marks / A clear description of work context and role but no discussion or selection of any definition of a performance indicator. 0.75 marks
Identifies several specific performance indicators that you believe are suitable in assessing the performance of the aspect of a health or aged care service you are most closely involved with / Uses the preferred definition of a performance indicator to justify the identification of a selection of potential performance indicators, and explains in detail why they are suitable. 2 marks / Uses the preferred definition of a performance indicator to justify the identification of a selection of potential performance indicators, and explains why they are suitable. 1.75 marks / Identifies a selection of potential performance indicators and explains why they are suitable. 1.5 marks / Identifies a selection of potential performance indicators. 1.25 marks / Identifies four performance indicators. 0.75 marks
Explicitly identifies the criteria used and then justifies the selection of the four most important performance indicators / Clearly and succinctly describes the process of establishing the criteria to justify the most important performance indicator designation, and then justifies the selection of the four most important performance indicators. 4 marks / Describes the criteria to justify the most important performance indicator designation, and then justifies the selection of the four most important Performance indicators. 3.5 marks / Describes the criteria to justify the most important performance indicator designation, and selects the four most important performance indicators. 3.0 marks / Briefly describes the criteria to select the most important performance indicator designation, and selects four performance indicators. 2.5 marks / Briefly describes why the four performance indicators are the most important. 1.5 marks
Explains the manner in which the specific performance indicators are able to be used to allocate resources / Explains in detail how feedback from each specific performance indicator is able to be used to allocate resources. 4 marks / Explains how feedback from each specific performance indicator is able to be used to allocate resources. 3.5 marks / Explains in general terms how each specific performance indicator can be used to allocate resources. 3.0 marks / Explains in general terms and collectively how performance indicators are able to be used to allocate resources. 2.5marks / States that the performance indicators are able to be used to allocate resources without explaining how. 1.5 marks
Identifies the manner in which the performance indicators can be constructed and the data required to support them. / Explains in detail how each performance indicator is constructed, identifying the numerator and denominator, and specifically where data is sourced from. 2 marks / Explains in simple terms how each performance indicator is constructed, identifying the numerator and denominator, and where data is sourced from. 1.75 marks / Identifies the numerator and denominator for each performance indicator and in general terms where data is sourced from. 1.5 marks / Identifies the numerator and denominator for each performance indicator and collectively where data is sourced from. 1.25 marks / Identifies the numerator and denominator of some performance indicators but not where data is sourced from. 0.75 marks
Discusses whether the performance indicators apply to all levels of the health system / Presents a succinct and critical analysis of the relationship between the specific most important performance indicators selected and their relevance at different levels of the health care system. 2 marks / Discusses the relationship between the specific most important performance indicators selected and their relevance at different levels of the health care system. 1.75 marks / Discusses the relevance of the selected most important performance indicators to one other level of the health care system. 1.5 marks / Discusses in a summary fashion the relevance of the selected most important performance indicators to one other level of the health care system. 1.25 marks / Discusses in general terms how performance indicators are used in the health care system. 0.75 marks
Explains how the selected most important performance indicators relate to an identified model or construct of health / Presents a succinct and critical explanation of how the most important performance indicators demonstrate progress towards expected health or performance outcomes. 2 marks / Explains how the most important performance indicators demonstrate progress towards expected health or performance outcomes. 1.75 marks / Describes a model or framework of health that the performance indicators relate to without a brief explanation of how they demonstrate progress towards goals or outcomes. 1.5 marks / Describes a model or framework of health that the performance indicators relate to without explaining in detail how they demonstrate progress towards goals or outcomes. 1.25 marks / States that the selected performance indicators relate to an identified model or construct of health 0.75 marks
Assignment presentation includes appropriate use of learning resources provided, as well as any additional research, citation and referencing / Located, evaluated and synthesised highly relevant information from subject and local sources that substantially supported your profile. Accurately and consistently adhered to APA referencing conventions in both in text referencing and the reference list 2 marks / Located, evaluated and synthesised relevant information from subject and local sources that supported your profile. Almost always accurately and consistently adhered to APA referencing conventions in both in text referencing and the reference list 1.75 marks / Located, evaluated and incorporated a range of relevant information from subject and local sources that supported your profile. Accurately adhered to APA referencing conventions in both in text referencing and the reference list 1.5 marks / Located and collated partly relevant information from subject and local sources that provided some support for your profile. Attempt made to adhere to APA referencing conventions in both in text referencing and the reference list, but with errors. 1.25 marks / Used information from sources that are tenuously related to your topic. Did not adhere to APA referencing conventions in both in text referencing and the reference list 0.75 marks