Advanced Award - Unit Content

Candidates complete the core unit (unit 6) and two other units selected from the five options.

All learning materials are logically structured and presented in a user friendly way - and with full support from a qualified personal tutor.

Participants are encouraged to draw on their own workplace situations and experiences so that they can achieve genuine improvements at work at the same time as meeting qualification requirements.

The following tables show the learning outcomes and outline content for the core and option units.

Unit 1 - Managing Personal Development (OPTION)
Learning outcome:
  • Explore a range of feedback sources
 Outline content:

Introduces the importance of managing personal development and provides useful tools to support team leader/first line managers in improving efficiency and effectiveness.

The benefits of feedback are explored and the characteristics of constructive feedback identified (with practical guidance on giving and receiving feedback).

The unit offers a valuable focus on the context, sources, and uses of feedback as key components in managing personal development.
Unit 2 - Managing People (OPTION)
Learning outcome:
  • Explore concepts of leadership and leadership skills
 Outline content:

Introduces the key area of leadership in managing people. Participants explore in a practical way some notable concepts directly relevant to the role of team leader/first line manager. This provides a framework of approaches from which to select and apply concepts of most value in the workplace.

Leadership skills are also identified and their importance explored, such as skills required in relation to task, team, and individuals.
Unit 3 - Managing Information (OPTION)
Learning outcomes:
  • Examine concepts of effective workplace communication
  • Examine the use of information in management
 Outline content:

Introduces the importance of managing information, both in terms of approaches to communication and in information for management.

Participants consider notable communication concepts, including communication processes and principal methods of workplace communication. Communication methods are reviewed in terms of uses, advantages, and disadvantages. This helps participants apply the most efficient and effective methods to their own workplace communications.

Participants also examine the main uses of management information together with how information is used in their workplace.
Unit 4 - Managing Activities (OPTION)
Learning outcome:
  • Explore processes for planning and controlling work
 Outline content:

Focuses on managing activities in the important area of work planning and control. Participants explore the objectives and processes involved. This includes the key stages they can use to help plan and control work more effectively plus specific pointers relevant to the role of team leader/first line manager.

Participants are also provided with a framework to support practical application in the workplace and valuable guidance in setting effective performance standards and measures/indicators.
Unit 5 - Managing Resources (OPTION)
Learning outcome:
  • Explore resource planning and management
 Outline content:

Introduces participants to managing resources, both in the team leader/first line manager context and in the broader context of sustainability.

Participants explore the need for resource planning together with the stages necessary to be effective. This provides a framework that can be directly related to the participant's own work context.

Specific team leader level responsibilities for managing physical resources are considered, specifically issues concerning equipment and buildings, such as the suitability/safety of equipment, and optimising facility usage.
Unit 6 - Managing Change in Local Government (CORE)
Learning outcome:
  • Explore organisational change
 Outline content:

Introduces the dynamics of organisational change in local government. Participants explore the nature and forces of change. This promotes a deeper understanding of factors of significance when setting and modifying objectives at different organisational levels.

Sources of objectives in local government are reviewed, both to raise awareness and to illustrate the importance of having clear objectives that can adapt to changing circumstances.

Participants also consider reactions to and phases of change and how they influence success. This is complemented by a change planning/implementation check-list that helps participants identify the role of team leader/first line managers in anticipating and supporting change.
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