Communication Skills — 2020

KNEC Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Module I. Original examination questions with explained model answers for revision.

July 2020

Paper codes: 2903/104
Time: Not shown in supplied scan
Instructions: Answer ALL the questions in both sections.

SECTION A (32 marks)

Answer ALL the questions in this section.

Question 1 — 3 marks

State three characteristics of a good customer care officer.

Model answer

  1. Courtesy and a helpful attitude.
  2. Patience and attentive listening.
  3. Adequate knowledge of the organisation’s products and services.

Question 2 — 3 marks

List three ways in which employees practice courtesy in an organization.

Model answer

  1. Use polite greetings and expressions such as “please” and “thank you”.
  2. Listen respectfully without unnecessary interruptions.
  3. Offer considerate assistance and respond promptly to reasonable enquiries.

Question 3 — 3 marks

State three types of messages that would be placed on a notice board.

Model answer

  1. Meeting and event announcements.
  2. Staff vacancies or opportunities.
  3. Changes to work schedules, procedures or facilities.

Question 4 — 4 marks

List four instances when informal communication may be used in an organization.

Model answer

  1. Casual social interaction between colleagues.
  2. Quick clarification of a routine task.
  3. Friendly encouragement or immediate feedback.
  4. Preliminary discussion of ideas or concerns before formal action.

Question 5 — 3 marks

State three situations when organizations may opt to use teleconferencing to communicate with staff.

Model answer

  1. Staff are located in different places.
  2. An urgent joint discussion is needed without time for travel.
  3. A physical meeting would be costly or impractical.

Question 6 — 3 marks

List three uses of feedback to a manager.

Model answer

  1. Checking whether instructions were understood.
  2. Assessing results and identifying problems.
  3. Improving decisions, plans and future communication.

Question 7 — 3 marks

State three uses of interviews in an organization.

Model answer

  1. Selecting suitable employees.
  2. Reviewing performance and development needs.
  3. Investigating grievances or disciplinary matters.

Question 8 — 3 marks

List three reasons why a message should be brief.

Model answer

  1. It saves the sender’s and receiver’s time.
  2. It helps sustain attention.
  3. It highlights the main point without unnecessary detail.

Question 9 — 4 marks

State four reasons why organizations train staff on how to handle customers.

Model answer

  1. To develop clear and courteous communication skills.
  2. To provide accurate product and service information.
  3. To resolve complaints appropriately.
  4. To deliver consistent service and retain customer confidence.

Question 10 — 3 marks

List three limitations of grapevine communication in an organization.

Model answer

  1. Information may be inaccurate or distorted.
  2. Its sources and spread are difficult to control.
  3. Rumours may cause anxiety, conflict or disclosure of confidential information.

SECTION B (68 marks)

Answer ALL the questions in this section.

Question 11(a) — 10 marks

You work as the Assistant Human Resource Manager at Opty Company. In the past three days, some employees have not reported to work due to disruption of transport by heavy rains. Write a memorandum to the employees detailing how they will make up for the lost working hours.

Model answer

The model assumes an eight-hour normal working day and supplies illustrative dates and an agreed recovery plan.

OPTY COMPANY

MEMORANDUM

To: Employees Affected by the Transport Disruption
From: Assistant Human Resource Manager
Date: 15 July 2020
Subject: Arrangements to Make Up Lost Working Hours

Some employees were unable to report to work during the past three days because heavy rains disrupted transport. Departmental supervisors will verify the hours missed by each affected employee and agree suitable make-up arrangements once safe, reliable transport is available.

For an employee who missed three normal eight-hour days, the following illustrative plan will apply:

Step Working Hours or days
Hours missed 3 days × 8 hours 24 hours
Agreed additional time 2 hours per working day 2 hours daily
Days required 24 hours ÷ 2 hours daily 12 working days
Hours recovered 12 days × 2 hours 24 hours

The proposed period is 20 July to 4 August 2020, excluding weekends. Supervisors will agree the timing of the additional hours, maintain attendance records and ensure that essential duties are covered. Employees who missed fewer hours will complete only the verified shortfall.

Please discuss any continuing transport or personal difficulty with your supervisor before the plan begins so that an appropriate arrangement can be agreed. Departmental heads should submit confirmed schedules to the Human Resource Office by 17 July 2020.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Assistant Human Resource Manager

Question 11(b) — 8 marks

Explain four challenges that the chair of a meeting may encounter while it is in progress.

Model answer

  1. Dominating members: one participant may consume discussion time and prevent balanced contributions.
  2. Conflict or disorder: arguments and interruptions can prevent calm consideration of business.
  3. Irrelevant discussion: digressions delay the agenda and make decisions difficult.
  4. Inadequate information or preparation: members may be unable to evaluate proposals or reach sound conclusions.

Question 12 — 16 marks

You are the Personal Assistant to the General Manager of a flower farm. In the last one week, the employees have been on a go-slow and this has seriously interrupted the farm’s operations. The Manager has asked you to investigate the matter and write a report giving recommendations. Assume you have completed the investigations and write the report.

Model answer

The findings are assumed for this examination report.

REPORT ON THE EMPLOYEE GO-SLOW AT THE FLOWER FARM

To: General Manager
From: Personal Assistant
Date: 15 July 2020

1. Terms of reference

I was asked to investigate the employee go-slow during the past week, assess its effect on farm operations and recommend a resolution.

2. Methodology

I interviewed employees and supervisors, examined relevant payment and duty records and observed work in production and dispatch areas.

3. Findings

Employees expressed concern about delayed responses to payment queries and unclear communication about working arrangements. Some considered workload allocation unfair. Shortages of suitable tools made tasks difficult, while the absence of a trusted grievance channel allowed frustration to build. The go-slow delayed harvesting, grading and dispatch, increasing the risk of deterioration and failure to meet orders.

4. Conclusion

The disruption arose from unresolved concerns and weak communication between staff and management. A constructive, timely response is necessary to restore cooperation and protect production.

5. Recommendations
  1. Hold a structured meeting with staff representatives to establish and address verified grievances.
  2. Resolve payment queries promptly and communicate reliable arrangements.
  3. Review workload allocation and explain duty schedules clearly.
  4. Provide appropriate tools and support for the assigned tasks.
  5. Establish an accessible grievance procedure with clear response responsibilities.
  6. Agree a recovery plan for delayed work and monitor progress jointly.

Submitted by: Personal Assistant to the General Manager

Question 13 — 16 marks

The company you work for as the Assistant Public Relations Officer plans to hold an end of year party for the staff. You have been asked to procure catering services. Write a letter to a catering firm requesting for their services.

Model answer

The company and caterer names, dates, addresses and guest number are illustrative.

Umoja Company
P.O. Box 100–00100
Nairobi
15 July 2020

The Catering Manager
Delight Caterers
Nairobi

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: REQUEST FOR CATERING SERVICES FOR OUR STAFF END-OF-YEAR PARTY

Our company plans to hold its staff end-of-year party on 18 December 2020 at our premises. We expect approximately 150 guests, and the event is scheduled from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. We request information on your availability and a written proposal for catering services.

Please suggest suitable menu options, including vegetarian choices, and explain how you would accommodate dietary requirements notified in advance. Your quotation should state the price per person, the total charge and any additional costs for transport, equipment or service personnel. Kindly indicate whether crockery, cutlery, serving equipment, setup and cleaning are included.

We would also appreciate details of your experience in catering for similar events, the number of staff you would provide and the arrangements for ensuring timely food service. Please explain your booking procedure, payment terms and the conditions for changing the final number of guests.

Kindly send your proposal by 31 July 2020 so that we can review the options and discuss the arrangements. An appointment to view our premises can be arranged through our office.

We look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,
Assistant Public Relations Officer
Umoja Company

Question 14 — Reading passage

Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) have developed a service portal that has automated various services; the TVET Management Information System (MIS). Since it started providing services to the public in 2014, TVETA has been operating manually with limited automation. For instance, those applying for consideration as TVET trainers previously used to download forms from the Authority’s website, print, fill, scan and then send them to an email address provided on the forms. The TVETA staff would then download these applications and evaluate them before sending them to the TVETA Board for consideration. Feedback would then be provided to all applicants via their emails. This was a tiresome and time-consuming exercise.

Now, with the development of the online portal for all services, TVETA has successfully managed to make the application process seamless, faster and easier for the prospective trainers. This is because it has automated the whole application and feedback process. In addition, those applying for registration and licensing of colleges will now do so through the portal and attach all the required documents. The applicant will then receive the Board’s decision either approving or declining accreditation of the college or the program in their signed up account in the system. In between, the applicant will be given alerts and will be able to track the status of the application. In case the Board approves the registration or licensing of the institution or program, a registration certificate or license is automatically generated by the system. The applicant can then download and print the certificate. The same will also apply for individuals seeking licenses as TVET trainers, verifiers or assessors.

The online portal has also made it possible for TVET institutions to start online submission of their annual returns to the Authority using their signed up accounts. This includes information about their student enrolment, staff, infrastructure, course uptake, dropout rate and any other relevant information. Equally, individuals seeking a “Letter of No Objection” for submission to the Registrar of Companies for purposes of registration of names of institutions will now make the application online instead of going to TVETA offices with hard copies. The Authority will approve or decline and, in case of approval, send the letter to the applicant to download, print and submit to the Registrar of Companies. The portal also enables production of custom reports, based on the specified parameters. These parameters include the number and gender of trainers per institution and per county, the list of accredited institutions per category and per county, and other system-customized reports.

The second phase of development of the portal, which is currently ongoing, will seek to introduce advanced features that will enable more intelligent processing of data to obtain information. This will involve building data models and the corresponding software that will make it possible to flag critical cases that require immediate intervention. The models will also help to make many other data-supported decisions such as predicting certain outcomes and planning more accurately. The portal will, in addition, have a service desk that will allow clients to seek any information about the services offered. The desk will be integrated into social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube so as to create seamless service delivery.

Further, the system will provide additional features for conducting tracer studies that will help determine the relevance of each training program and the delivery methods. The tracer studies will go up to 18 months after the trainees graduate and will be done at intervals of six months. Even more fundamentally, the portal will have an interface through which other systems within the Ministry of Education and other government agencies can be integrated to facilitate smooth sharing of knowledge and information.

The TVET portal will not only reach more clients and provide feedback within a shorter time, but also immensely improve efficiency in collecting factual and timely data on institutions, trainers and students. This will be useful for the efficient regulation of the sector.

Adapted from: “Daily Nation”, 19 March 2020

Question 14(a) — 4 marks

State the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage:

(i) evaluate;

(ii) seeking;

(iii) specified;

(iv) immensely.

Model answer

  1. Evaluate: assess or examine to determine suitability or value.
  2. Seeking: trying to obtain or applying for.
  3. Specified: clearly stated or defined.
  4. Immensely: greatly or to a very large extent.

Question 14(b) — 6 marks

Outline, according to the passage, the services being offered in the first phase of the TVET online portal.

Model answer

  1. Online registration, licensing and accreditation applications for institutions or programmes.
  2. Applications by trainers, verifiers and assessors.
  3. Application tracking, alerts, decisions and automatic certificates or licences for approved applicants.
  4. Online submission of institutional annual returns.
  5. Applications for Letters of No Objection for institution-name registration.
  6. Production of customised reports using specified institutional, trainer and county information.

Question 14(c) — 8 marks

In about 120 words and according to the passage, write a summary on the services that will be included in the second phase of the TVET portal.

Model answer

The portal’s second phase will introduce advanced data models and software for intelligent analysis. These tools will identify urgent cases, support predictions and improve planning through evidence-based decisions. A service desk will answer clients’ questions about available services and connect with social media platforms for seamless communication. The system will also conduct tracer studies to assess the relevance of training programmes and their delivery methods. Graduates will be followed for up to eighteen months, with reviews every six months. In addition, an interface will connect the portal to systems in the Ministry of Education and other government agencies, enabling smoother sharing of knowledge and information. These features will strengthen timely feedback, informed administration and efficient sector regulation.

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