ASSESSMENT BRIEF AND MARKING RUBRIC

Module title: Innovation, Sustainability and Transition in the Oil and Gas Sector (UEL-SG-7005)

Assessment point: Week 12

Assessment task: Coursework
Word count limit: 3000 words +/- 10% (excluding references and appendices)

Width: 100% of overall module grade

Procedure in the event of illness or other valid cause (extenuating circumstances)

If you believe that:

• your performance in assessment or reassessment has been impaired, or;

• you were unable to attend for an assessment or reassessment, or;
• you were unable to submit assessed or reassessed work by the scheduled date due to
illness or other valid cause (as defined in the Procedures Governing Extenuating
Circumstances), may apply for extenuation for the relevant component(s) to Unicaf
Extenuating Circumstances team ([email protected]).
*Once a component has been capped, extenuation does not uncap it.

Academic misconduct including plagiarism

Ensure that you are familiar with the relevant regulations regarding academic misconduct. By
submitting the assignment, you declare that it is your own work and that the material and sources
of information used, including internet sources, have been fully identified and properly
acknowledged. In addition, you confirm that the presented work has not been submitted for any
other assessment. You also acknowledge that the faculty reserves the right to investigate
allegations of plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct which, if proven and
dependent on the severity level of the offence, may result in a penalty that could affect your
progress.

By submitting your work, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed with the above
statements.

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General Guidance

Your assignment should be MS Word processed (handwritten assignments are not accepted),
using Times New Roman size 12 font, double spaced, with numbered pages and your student
number printed as a footer on every page. Note this is a report supported by academic research
so you should adhere to the appropriate referencing guidance. The word limit stated for this
assignment excludes the list of references at the end of the assignment but includes all text in
the main body of the assignment (including direct quotations, in-text citations, footnotes, tables,
diagrams and graphs). Please be aware that exceeding the word limit will affect the academic
judgement of the piece of work and may result in the award of a lower mark. Appendices are
not considered a supplement and will not be assessed as part of the content of the assignment.
As such, they will not contribute to the grade awarded; however, it may be appropriate to use an
Appendices section for any material which is a useful reference for the reader. Please note that
appendices are not included in the word count. The majority of references should come from
primary sources (e.g. journal articles, conference papers, reports, etc.) although you can also
utilise area specific textbooks. You must ensure that you use the Harvard style of referencing.
Please indicate the word count length at the end of your assignment.

Marking and assessment

This assignment will be marked out of 100% and contributes to a 100% of the total module
mark. The pass mark is 50%. The marking rubric is attached, which offers guidance on the
assessment criteria and weighting.

Late Submission
There will be a stipulated deadline date for all assignments. All assignments will need to be
submitted by the set time on the stipulated deadline date. Assignments submitted up to 24 hours
late will be accepted, but the assignment mark will be subject to a deduction of 5 marks from
the mark awarded or a mark of 40% whichever is the greater.

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Learning outcomes applied in this assessment

LO1: Become familiar with and demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and their
applicability to contemporary, sector-specific debates.

LO2: Demonstrate both conceptual and applied perspectives.

LO3: Demonstrate critical awareness of the study’s conceptual underpinnings and apply them to
analyse and synthesise industry-related problems.

LO4: Develop and express ideas in an analytically sound manner through an industry project.

LO5: Have effective written communication of complex ideas and arguments using a range of
academic, industry and media sources.

LO6: Ability to gather empirical evidence from secondary sources and publicly available data,
condense information and present it in an inclusive manner.

Assessment guidelines
Produce a 3000-word coursework (+/- 10%) (excluding the list of references) which offers
students the ability to demonstrate their developing knowledge and application of the teaching
and learning material covered in weeks 1 to 11. It also encourages students to develop their
thoughts and perspectives on theories and concepts.

Task

In recent years, the need for a transition to a low-carbon energy sector has been strongly
expressed, driven by the severe impact of climate change. Such a transition involves the
implementation of sustainable technologies such as renewables, electrification infrastructure,
carbon capture and storage, etc. In this transition to an ambitious low-carbon energy industry, the
companies operating in the Oil and Gas (O&G) sector are under pressure, as they are expected to
maintain and improve their economic and reputational resilience. In this context, please critically
discuss potential ways in which O&G companies can demonstrate their financial and reputational
resilience, and successfully adapt to a low-carbon energy industry.

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Your coursework should include a discussion of the following important points:

1. An insightful introduction to the driving force for the transition to a low-carbon industry,
and the importance of a transition of the Oil and Gas sector. The objectives and scope of the
coursework should be clearly indicated in the introduction.
2. A critical discussion of specific plans projected by the Oil and Gas companies in order to
achieve financial and reputational resilience, or actions that have already been implemented. The
use of examples of such plans and actions by different companies across the world is encouraged.
This analysis may include plans and/or actions related to any of the following aspects; technology,
organisational integration, investment portfolios or company operating models.
3. A conclusion including a of the main points included in your analysis and a reflection on
whether the planned or implemented actions are sufficient for a successful transition into a low-
carbon O&G sector.

Additional considerations for your analysis

1. Make sure to clearly indicate which of the recommended aspects you will be focusing on,
namely technology, organisational integration, investment portfolios or company operating
models. Please select two of these aspects and analyse them.
2. You are expected to provide representative examples of planned or implemented actions
by various O&G companies across the world, but you should not be focusing on a single O&G
company.
3. The coursework requires you to use the relevant module material (ideas, concepts,
theories or frameworks) to inform your evaluation. Well established media platforms (e.g. BBC,
Financial Times, New York Times, etc.) and other reliable online sources may be used to support
your analysis, that appropriately reflect the contemporary perspective of this assessment topic. In
addition, information obtained from academic books and/or updated peer reviewed academic
journals can also be used.

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Assessment Criteria

Your assignment will be marked according to the following criteria:

1. Understanding and Reading: The depth of your reading (number, range and quality of
sources) and understanding of it. You are expected to read the essential and further readings to
support your argument/discussion; you cannot rely on personal opinion or unsupported
statements.

2. Critical Analysis: The level of critical analysis in your writing and the quality of the
argument developed. You cannot rely on simple description, but have to apply knowledge and
theory from the readings to critically engage with the material.

3. Structure: Your ability to develop a clear, logical structure for your coursework which
addresses the required points of the task and guides the reader. Your coursework should include
a clear introduction, a cogently argued main body, and a conclusion that summarises the argument
and answers the overall question.

4. Presentation and Referencing: Your ability to express yourself clearly in English using
appropriate terminology, correct spelling and grammar. The extent to which your coursework is
correctly referenced using the Harvard system of referencing in-text and with a reference list.

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 Section/aspect Content to cover Marks
available
Introduction General background on the topic you are going to 10
250 words discuss. Possible definitions for terms relating to the Marks
question.
What the essay will include and/or leave out (scope).
What themes the essay will discuss and the order they are
presented.
What the essay will argue / demonstrate (thesis statement).
Main Body The following structure can be used for discussion of 70
(Understanding, the themes that you have identified: Marks
Reading and T - topic (sentence to introduce the theme or topic of
Critical Analysis) the paragraph)
2000 words E - example (you could mention an example here to
focus the topic)
S - support (bring in supporting information from your
research / e.g. theory, research studies, statistics,
legislation, professional guidelines, examples from
practice)
T - talk about the ideas (strengths, weaknesses,
importance, relevance, usefulness, comparison to other
ideas). Evaluation and critical discussion of the
supporting materials and how they relate to the question
under scrutiny - keep the discussion focused on
answering the question in the title.

Conclusions and Links back to the themes identified in the introduction. 10

recommendations A reminder of what the essay has argued. A recap of Marks
250 words the main themes that have been discussed.
Proffer some recommendations
Formatting, High quality presentation of the material that conforms 10
Structure and to principles of academic writing and contains minimal Marks
Referencing errors in sentence construction, grammar and
(list of references not punctuation.
included in word A logical structure was followed.
count) The assignment followed appropriate academic
conventions regarding in-text
citations and referencing.
Total: 2700-3300 Total
words 100

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 Masters Grading Scale

Mark Range Criteria

90-100% Demonstrates an exceptional ability and insight, indicating the highest level of technical competence.
Distinction The work has the potential to influence the forefront of the subject, and may be of publishable
/exhibitable quality. Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at the highest possible standard.
80-89% Demonstrates an outstanding ability and insight based on authoritative subject knowledge and a very
Distinction high level of technical competence.
The work is considered to be close to the forefront of the subject, and may be close to
publishable/exhibitable quality. Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at a very high level.
70-79% Demonstrates an authoritative, current subject knowledge and a high level of technical competence.
Distinction The work is accurate and extensively supported by appropriate evidence. It may show some originality.
Clear evidence of capacity to reflect critically and deal with ambiguity in the data.
Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at a high level.
60-69% Demonstrates a sound, current subject knowledge. No significant errors in the application of concepts or
Merit appropriate techniques. May contain some minor flaws.
The work is well developed and coherent; may show some originality. Clear evidence of capacity to
reflect critically. Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at a good level.

50 – 59% Demonstrates satisfactory subject knowledge. Some evident weaknesses; possibly shown by conceptual
Pass gaps, or limited use of appropriate techniques. The work is generally sound but tends toward the factual
or derivative. Limited evidence of capacity to reflect critically.
Relevant generic skills are generally at a satisfactory level.
45 -49% Demonstrates satisfactory subject knowledge to some degree. Some important weaknesses; possibly
Marginal shown by factual errors, conceptual gaps, or limited use of appropriate techniques.
Fail The work is generally sound but tends toward the factual or derivative. Little evidence of capacity to
reflect critically. Relevant generic skills are generally at a satisfactory level.
40-44% Demonstrates limited core subject knowledge. Some important weaknesses; possibly shown by factual
errors, conceptual gaps, or limited use of appropriate techniques.
The work lacks sound development. Little evidence of capacity to reflect critically.
The quality of the relevant generic skills does not meet the requirements of the task.
30-39% Demonstrates inadequate subject knowledge.
The work lacks coherence and evidence of capacity to reflect critically.
The quality of the relevant generic skills does not meet the requirements of the task.
20-29% Demonstrates seriously inadequate knowledge of the subject. The work contains minimal evidence of
awareness of relevant issues or theory. The quality of the relevant generic skills does not meet the
requirements of the task.
10-19% The work is almost entirely lacking in evidence of knowledge of the subject. No evidence of awareness of
relevant issues or theory.
The quality of the relevant generic skills does not meet the requirements of the task.
0-9% The work presents information that is irrelevant and unconnected to the task. No evident awareness of
appropriate principles, theories, evidence and techniques.

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 Module Title: UEL-SG-7005 Innovation, Sustainability and Transition in the Oil and
Gas Sector

Assessment Title: Assessment Point (coursework, 3000 words) Weighted: 100%

Criteria 90-100% 80 – 90% 70 – 79% 60 – 69% 50 – 59% 40 – 49% 20 – 39% 0-19%

and
weighting Highly Outstanding Excellent Very Good Good Quality Acceptable Work does Work fails to
Exceptional Work Work Quality Work Work work with not satisfy meet the
Work some good assessment assessment
aspects criteria criteria

Exceptional and Excellent Very good Good Adequate Some integration Poor quality of No integration
outstanding integration of integration of integration of integration of of the appropriate integration of the of the
integration of the the appropriate the the appropriate the appropriate data, appropriate data, appropriate
appropriate data, data, appropriate data, data, contextualised contextualised data,
contextualised with contextualised data, contextualised contextualised with limited with very limited contextualise d
commercial with good contextualise with good with good evidence to show evidence to show with very poor
awareness, business evidence to d with evidence to evidence to awareness, awareness, evidence to
maturity and skill. show evidence to show overall show overall business maturity business maturity show
commercial show awareness, awareness, and skill. and skill. awareness,
awareness, commercial business business business
business awareness, maturity and maturity and maturity and
maturity and business skill. skill. skill.
skill. maturity and
skill.

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 All relevant All relevant Virtually all Most of the Some of the Omissions and Many deficiencies Major
theories/concept theories/conce relevant relevant relevant inaccuracies in and omissions in deficiencies
ual models ptual models theories/conc theories/conce theories/conce the presented of theories/concept and omissions
accurately and accurately and eptual models ptual models ptual models theories/concept ual models. in
extensively extensively accurately and accurately accurately ual models. Delivery of theories/conc
presented. presented. extensively presented. presented. A Some level of applied theory is eptual models.
Exceptional Excellent presented. reasonable delivery of inadequate or Delivery of
application of delivery of High level Good level delivery of applied theory. wholly absent. applied
theory and applied theory. delivery of delivery of applied theory. theory is
supporting applied applied theory. wholly
materials. theory. absent.

Exceptionally Highly Very High standard Good standard Reasonable Low quality of No
innovative. innovative. Very innovative. of innovation. of innovation. standard of innovation. Poor reasonable
Outstanding professional and Strongly Professional Appropriate innovation. and inadequate attempt at
professional and appropriate professional and delivery and Reasonably delivery and innovation.
appropriate delivery and and appropriate language. appropriate language. Poor and
delivery and language. Very appropriate delivery and Many referencing delivery and Referencing inadequate
language. well referenced delivery and language. errors. language. very poor. delivery and
Accurate throughout. language. Referencing Referencing was language.
referencing Well most accurate. inaccurate and/or Referencing
throughout. referenced inconsistent. absent.
throughout.