The Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) has recently become a Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Accredited Awarding Body. Accredited training programmes are important to facilities managers, and the IAM can help provide them.
The QCA is a public body, sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), and governed by a board appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. The QCA has a pivotal role in helping the UK become the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world.
The QCA regulates the public examination system, so that it is responsive to the needs of learners, employers and other stakeholders. It also accredits qualifications offered by professional institutes such as the IAM.
Additionally, the QCA works closely with strategic partners, including the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI), employers' organisations, the Training and Development Agency (TDA), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the Sector Skills Councils (SSC) to enhance standards.
The QCA offers advice and research services to national and international bodies on a wider, commercial basis. Work is currently taking place in partnership with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, CEDEFOP, OECD, the European Commission, the British Council and a number of overseas Ministries of Education, on topics including:
- Citizenship;
- Diversity and Inclusion;
- Assessment and Qualifications;
- Research and Statistical Analysis.
What does this mean to you?Managers are spoilt for choice when considering training and development for themselves and their employees, and few of us have the experience or the time to be aware of every provider in the industry. It is easy to set up a training organisation and offer 'qualifications' and it is difficult to ascertain the credentials of such organisations - but it is not easy to obtain recognition from the QCA! Recognition of the tuition provider by the QCA helps ensure that programmes are designed to recognised standards and that quality assurance processes are in place at the provider institution. All in all, recognition by the QCA is an indicator of the quality and standards of training and education programmes.
Qualifications from the Institute of Administrative ManagementSo what training programmes are available from the IAM to help facilities managers develop themselves and their staff? The Institute has a wide range of qualifications that meet the evolving needs of practising managers, in all professional disciplines. Being QCA accredited means that the IAM programmes are within a regulated framework that ensures quality of:
- Programme content;
- Assessment;
- Delivery;
- Customer service /internal processes;
- Governance.
What is the IAM?Established in 1915, the IAM is the oldest professional body for both practising and aspiring administrative managers. "Management" is a transferable skill across a range of specialisms. Membership of the IAM helps provide you with the expertise, knowledge and practical skills to sustain your competitive advantage. The IAM supports managers at all levels, helps them gain professional qualifications and enables them to stay up-to-date with new developments within the profession.
IAM management training programmes are designed to meet the needs of today's employers and our Continuing Professional Development scheme gives structure and recognition to systematic professional development activities.
Our members and students are employed in a wide variety of sectors - in public companies, small and medium enterprises, local authorities, the armed forces, the civil service and central government - and with students and members in 65 countries worldwide the IAM truly is an international organisation - which you could be part of.
The Core IAM programmeAt the core of the IAM programme are the International Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management, which are at levels 4 and 5 of the National Qualification Framework. These two qualifications offer the opportunity to learn the key information needed to work as professional managers - with successful candidates earning the right to use designatory letters after their names and to support their professional standing and career development through the use of the professional job designation of Incorporated Administrator (Diploma holders) or Incorporated Administrative Manager (for those with the Advanced Diploma).
Table 1. The IAM programme.
International Diploma in Administrative Management
Unit one: People in organisations
Unit two: Administrative Systems and Processes
Unit three: Professional Administration
Unit four: Information for Decision Making
Unit five: Case Study or work based project
International Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management
Unit one: Administrative Systems in the Organisation
Unit two: Strategic Issues in Administration
Unit three: Administrative Management of Resources
Unit four: Human Resource Management and Practice
Unit five: Case Study or work based project
Table 1 also shows two new qualifications now available from the IAM: the Level 2 Introductory Award in Administrative Management and the Level 3 International Certificate in Administrative Management. These new qualifications have been designed in response to market demands for shorter introductions to administration and management - both students and employers have indicated interest in courses giving a broad introduction to this area of professional practice, which can provide a foundation to new entrants to the profession of administrative management as a precursor to moving on to the Diploma in due course. They also enable students with no previous qualifications to commence their professional studies with the Institute.
Introductory Award in Administrative Management
Unit one: Skills for Administrators
Unit two: Individuals within the Organisation
Unit three: Organisational Skills
International Certificate in Administrative Management
Unit one: Inside Organisations
Unit two: Working with People
Unit three: Administrative Practice
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Strategic Administrative Management
For those who want to pursue their studies further, the IAM offers a top up degree in collaboration with the Oxford Brookes University Business School. After finishing Advanced Diploma, completion of a further three compulsory modules, a single optional module and a dissertation will lead to the award of The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Strategic Administrative Management. The IAM is also exploring the launch of a dedicated Masters Degree programme during 2007.
New IAM programmes
As well as the IAM's core programmes, a number of additional qualifications are now available from the Institute to support managers and their employees, in a variety of disciplines, at all levels (Table 2).
Table 2. Additional IAM qualifications.
Many of these programmes have been developed for a specific market, and others will be of use to all managers and administrators, depending on the current level of skills. Of particular interest to many readers is the new suite of ICT qualifications. Details of these are given here for your information. The other, more specialised qualifications in Table 2 are also available to anyone wishing to study with the Institute, and information can be obtained from the IAM website, or by ringing Customer Services.
IAM Online Awards in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Developed by IAM partners Londonlearning and Dulwich College, with the IAM accrediting the programmes and making the final awards, the Online Awards in ICT promote best practice in ICT and deliver key IT skills. The Awards have been developed especially for use in schools and colleges, the home and the workplace.
The online awards are designed to address the following questions:
- How to ensure that everyone has the ICT skills they need for life?
- How to cope with the fact that people come into the workplace with radically different levels of ICT competency?
- How to ensure maintenance of standards through external accreditation?
The three awards are vocational in nature and coursework forms a crucial component in order to demonstrate that the skills learnt have been used correctly on a regular basis. The IAM qualifications actually ensure that ICT skills can be effectively applied and offer a clear skill progression at three levels:
- The IAM Level 1 International Online Introduction to ICT is a qualification for beginners offering basic competence in Microsoft Office and Adobe software;
- The IAM Level 2 International Online Award in ICT is a qualification typically offered to those who have used some ICT at school/college or in the work place - it equips individuals with the practical skills required for success in future study and employment;
- The IAM Level 3 International Online Certificate in ICT enhances the ICT skills for those requiring a greater degree of competence in ICT for high attainment and personal productivity.
The Londonlearning courseware that delivers the e-tutorials leading to the IAM qualification can be customised to meet specific employer needs. Learners can work independently at a pace that suits the individual best and/or be supported by a teacher or mentor.
Table 3. ICT programme structure.
Membership
Membership of the IAM is not just available to students of IAM programmes: it is possible to join this prestigious professional Institute through a Vocational Entry Scheme, which recognises prior learning in the workplace or the attainment of other relevant academic or vocational education. Details of all these programmes and information about the Institute is available from the IAM.
Further information
Please contact:
Institute of Administrative Management (IAM)
Tel: 020 7841 1100
Email:
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www.instam.org
www.qca.org.uk
About the author
Liz Harris is the Head of Marketing and Communications at the Institute of Administrative Management. Her varied career in commerce and industry includes roles with McDonald's Restaurants, international finance company Provident and the not-for-profit organisation Business in The Community.
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