Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management is to deepen learners' knowledge and skills as well as applied competence to supervise/manage administrative functions in a business enterprise. Qualifying learners will have the competence to integrate and oversee the application of appropriate concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of the fields of business administrative management to unfamiliar but relevant contexts. Learners will be equipped with knowledge and skills to communicate effectively and to utilize management information systems to support business decision making processes. Depending on their choice of elective modules, learners will be able to apply either Business Management or Financial Management principles as areas of specialisation.

Learners will be given research skills to complete a mini research project, to write a project report, and will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to apply the principles of project management. The qualification also prepares learners for post-graduate studies.

Rationale

The lack of adequate management and business management skills in South Africa plays an important role in the high failure rate in the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) arena. This qualification will provide a set of very important and essential skills to support national efforts to equip prospective business managers and entrepreneurs to produce better economic results.

The qualification focuses on the financial and business management aspects of commerce as well as on human resource management aspects, including organisational effectiveness. It includes important business related modules to ensure a balanced perspective of modern corporate business to inform the environment within which the graduates must operate. Learners will develop depth and specialisation of knowledge, together with practical skills, to enable graduates to apply their learning in the workplace.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of relevant prior learning and through prior experience as a practitioner in the field of Administrative Management. Providers are required to develop structured means for the assessment of individual learners against the exit level outcomes of the qualification on a case-by-case basis. Such procedures, and the assessment of individual cases, are subject to moderation by independent-assessors. The necessary evidence as required by the exit level outcomes, and presented by the learner, should meet the following principles: currency of evidence, sufficiency of evidence, validity of evidence and authenticity of evidence.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entrance requirement is

• A cognate National Diploma or Diploma.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at NQF Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 90 Credits

• Research Methodology IV, 30 Credits.
• Project Management Processes, 30 Credits.
• Administrative Management IV, 30 Credits.

Elective Modules, 60 Credits (Choose one)

• Strategic Management IV, 30 Credits.
• Financial Management IV, 30 Credits.

1. Manage information systems to support business decision making processes including the identification, evaluation, selection and application of the latest computer software applications, procedures or techniques within a defined context.
2. Select and apply a range of methods to resolve problems or introduce change within the practice.
3. Demonstrate ability to integrate central areas or practices in the field of Strategic Management including an ability to evaluate and apply the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of the discipline to unfamiliar but relevant contexts.
4. Communicate complex information coherently, using appropriate professional or occupational conventions, formats and technologies within an administrative management context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• The latest computer software applications, procedures or techniques are identified, evaluated and selected for application.
• Computer software applications, procedures or techniques are applied within a defined context.
• Information systems to support business decision making processes are managed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• An understanding of a range of methods of enquiry in the field of Administrative Management is demonstrated.
• A range of methods of enquiry in the field of Administrative Management is analysed and evaluated for their suitability to specific investigations in the field.
• Appropriate methods and techniques to resolve problems or introduce change within the practice are selected and applied.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The ability to integrate central areas or practices in the field of strategic management is displayed.
• The ability to evaluate and apply the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of the discipline strategic management to unfamiliar but relevant contexts is demonstrated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Appropriate professional or occupational conventions are applied correctly in all forms of communication.
• Formats and technologies are used appropriately in all forms of non-verbal communication.
• Complex information is communicated coherently.

Integrated Assessment

The overall assessment strategy of the department of Management and Entrepreneurship is that of integrated assessment which is evident in the approach to the assessment of applied competence. Applied competence is understood as the learners' ability to integrate concepts, ideas and actions in authentic, real-life contexts; the assessment of which is broken down to the assessment of foundational, practical and reflexive competence where:

• Foundational competence is the demonstrated understanding of what the learner does and why (s) he does it.
• Practical competence is the demonstrated ability to perform a set of tasks and actions in authentic contexts.
• Reflexive competence is the demonstrated ability to integrate learner's performances with their understanding so that they are able to adapt to changed circumstances and explain the reason behind these adaptations.

Integrated assessment further implies a planned combination of formative and summative assessment strategies with varying ratios, depending on the level (year) of study where: formative assessment implies being supportive to learning, non-judgemental and focused on providing constructive feedback or criticism to the learner, takes place during the learning process and informs planning of future learning activities.

Summative assessment implies assessment to be mainly concerned with summing up the learning process and therefore usually takes place at the end of the relevant learning process.