Title: Risk Management - part of the Universal Manager Series
Authors: Scitech Educational in partnership with NEBS Management
Publisher: Scitech Educational Ltd
Date: 2000
Price: £24.99
Format: A4 paperback
Title: Financial Performance - part of the Universal Manager Series
Authors: Scitech Educational in partnership with NEBS Management
Publisher: Scitech Educational Ltd
Date: 2000
Price: £24.99
Format: A4 paperback
Risk Management and Financial Performance are part of a series of 15 volumes covering the NEBS Management Diploma or similar S/NVQ Level 4 qualifications. According to the website, the books "integrate traditional learning material with the latest on-line sources of professional development. the Universal Manager dossiers include many features which will aid study . . .learning profile, glossaries, fully indexed, clear navigation, full referencing to published material and free content on the Internet, carefully structured content including activities, full commentary on activities and reflective questions"
Well, just about - maybe. From the evidence of the two modules available for review, this is a little bit over the top. Risk Management and Financial Performance are both fairly standard A4 workbooks, with a few web sites mentioned in passing and in a short list at the end. At the moment, there doesn't appear to be a great deal more on The Universal Manager website, although some areas show promise - there are open and private forums for students following NEBS courses, and some useful files and other resources to download. But overall, the site is a clunky and would benefit from a design overhaul.
Having said that however, the content of both volumes is sound, and written at just about the right level for its intended readership. The language is clear and straightforward, the examples chosen are relevant and up to date - for example, an exercise on the convergence between personal computers and mobile telephony. There are a series of interesting quotations from diverse but relevant sources throughout both volumes. The Learning Profile exercises at the start of each volume, which map to particular sections are useful starting points.
It is disappointing however that the structure doesn't live up to the content. The books are printed in a uniform blue ink (presumably to deter photocopying), with very little variation in font, layout or background to guide the learner. The frequent cartoons don't really amuse or aid
understanding. The page margins are too narrow for notetaking, and the icons used to indicate new topics, activities and breaks for reflection don't stand out very clearly. The font size and numbering for section headings,
case studies and activities are confusingly similar. There are no objectives at the beginning, nor summaries at the end of either the books or individual sections.
Despite the promise of "clear navigation", no guidance is provided to the student at the start of either volume on how to proceed. There appears to be only one route through the book, from beginning to end. At the end, one discovers some commentaries on the various Activities, which haven't been mentioned before. However, a case study in Financial Performance has commentary in the text immediately following it.
It's a pity a little more attention couldn't have been paid to learning and design issues. The books are well written and would benefit many different sorts of students at all levels. With a bit more attention to aesthetics, they could be very good indeed.
The Universal Manager: Risk Management and Financial Performance were reviewed by David Evans, E-Learning Consultant, Financial Projections Ltd.
More reviews in the series:
Managing for Knowledge and Business Planning
Planning and Controlling Projects
