Higher Certificate in General Management

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

An application for prior learning will be considered in accordance with the prescribed policies and procedures of the Institution. It implies that learning has been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal means, is recognised for the fulfilment of the requirements of this qualification or part thereof. It is required that through assessment practices, the Learners shall demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills and values implicit in this qualification. Recognition of Prior Learning is performed by means of integrated assessment.

Recognition of prior learning may allow for accelerated access to further learning. All recognition of prior learning is subject to quality assurance by the relevant accredited Education and Training Quality Assurance Body and is conducted by an experienced academic team.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

1. Senior Certificate.

Or

1. National Senior Certificate granted access to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

1. National Certificate Vocational granted access to Higher Certificate studies.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 5 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 100 Credits

• Management Principles and Techniques, 20 Credits.
• Business Communication, 20 Credits.
• Personnel Management, 20 Credits.
• Business Law, 20 Credits.
• Quality Management, 20 Credits.

Elective Modules, 20 Credits Choose/Select one)

• Marketing Management 1, 20 Credits.
• Human Resource Management 1, 20 Credits.
• Public Relations 1, 20 Credits.
• Financial Accounting 1, 20 Credits.
• Cost and Management Accounting 1, 20 Credits.

1. Show understanding of the South African Legal System, law of contracts, performance, compliance and formalities.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of marketing as a business function.
3. Apply Human Resource Practices in an Organisation.
4. Improve the image of the organisation through effective public interaction.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of management and supervision.
6. Build a range of personal and interpersonal skills that will serve as a basis for further development in management and supervision.
7. Manage financial aspects in terms of accessing, interpreting, calculating and processing information.
8. Demonstrate professionalism in business communication.
9. Identify and implement a quality control programme for an Organisation.
10. Demonstrate and apply cost and management accounting practices in an organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify all the different courts in South Africa and describe their respective jurisdictions.
• Identify, describe and apply the requirements for an offer and an acceptance.
• Identify and discuss the improper obtaining of consensus.
• Explain the difference between duress and undue influence.
• Explain and identify capacity to perform juristic acts.
• Distinguish between the determined performance and the ascertained performance.
• Identify contracts where formalities are required.
• Identify and explain the different remedies for breach of contract.
• Identify and distinguish between the ways in which personal rights can be terminated.
• Explain the difference between rescission and cancellation.
• Identify and distinguish between the agreements through which obligations can be terminated.
• Demonstrate understanding of contracts of sale, lease, insurance and franchising.
• Distinguish a credit agreement from a contract of sale.
• Identify and explain the rights that a credit receiver cannot validly waive.
• Identify and describe the steps that should be followed before a credit grantor can repossess goods.
• Distinguish between a private company and a public company.
• Identify the requirements of a business trust.
• Identify the requirements of a contract of suretyship.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Discuss the tasks and responsibilities of marketing management.
• Diagrammatically illustrate various ways of organising the marketing department.
• Discuss the nature of the marketing environment and its effect on marketing management and marketing efforts.
• Gather and analyse data for conducting a marketing situation analysis.
• Describe the nature and process of consumer and industrial buyer behaviour by identifying, evaluating and responding to a customer's needs.
• Diagrammatically illustrate the following aspects:
• Maslow's hierarchy.
• Phases in a consumer's decision-making process.
• The process model of consumer-buyer behaviour.
• Explain the use of market measurement and demand forecasting.
• Explain the elements of a product mix.
• Identify and explain the relevance of product packaging decisions.
• Discuss the importance of distribution channels and name the principal types of intermediaries in the distribution channel.
• Discuss product pricing and marketing techniques.
• Formulate plans at strategic and tactical levels; set strategic sales objectives and design a sales organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Describe various organisational structures and discuss their respective merits and demerits.
• Explain the importance of human resource planning processes.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the strategic planning processes and forecasting.
• Describe job analysis and job design processes and techniques.
• Demonstrate an understanding of and apply recruitment, selection, placement and induction processes.
• Demonstrate an understanding of performance management issues and techniques.
• Assess and improve upon personal career management and development as well as for subordinates.
• Show evidence of compensation systems and how they are derived.
• Describe the process of job evaluation and explain how it links into a compensation plan for an organisation.
• Describe the factors influencing the growth of employee benefits.
• Describe the relationship between quality assurance, total quality management and compensation systems in an organisation.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of health and safety issues in the work environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Communicate with the media by first establishing effective media relations and arranging media events.
• Write a news or press release and compile appropriate attachments.
• Design, edit and publish house journals, annual reports and similar publications.
• Design, plan and use visual and audio-visual aids when communicating with groups.
• Design and co-ordinate special events to promote the image of the organisation to a general public, as well as to promote products and services of an organisation.
• Design and implement an employee relations programme.
• Acquire professional skills in Public Relations functions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Apply management functions and principles as well as the eight business functions of an enterprise.
• Plan, manage and implement the objectives of each business function.
• Suggest principles or guidelines that could be usefully applied to make the enterprise more effective.
• Indicate the dynamic nature of management work by showing the interaction between management tasks as well as the performance of tasks at specific levels of management.
• Demonstrate understanding of the importance of each business function for achieving the objectives of the organisation.
• Formulate a self-development programme based on priority areas in personal skills and organisational skills.
• Plan and utilise time effectively.
• Manage stress and carry out relaxation exercises.
• Develop and implement a strategic plan for an organisation.
• Use techniques to define and solve problems.
• Illustrate the techniques of method study.
• Briefly describe management science (mathematical) techniques.
• Illustrate network analysis.
• Apply techniques to improve the availability and utilisation of physical resources in the organisation.
• Make decisions based on financial information.
• Develop guidelines for working with people in groups and creating conditions, which may enhance motivation, co-operation, and teamwork.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Plan a career and set goals and develop a self-concept and self-confidence by being assertive.
• Develop a self-development programme; based on priority areas in personal skills and organisational skills.
• Explain the importance of the recruitment and placement of new employees in suitable jobs, considering the nature of the work, conditions of service, and the personal abilities of applicants.
• Interpret the meaning of non-verbal behaviours.
• Implement guidelines for inducting, training and developing employees.
• Apply fair practices for handling grievances and discipline.
• Develop guidelines for working with people in groups and creating conditions which may enhance motivation, co-operation, and teamwork.
• Practice methods and styles of handling conflict.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Compile a list of financial management activities.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the double entry system of accounting.
• Write up and construct journals suitable for various business enterprises.
• Demonstrate an understanding of partnership accounting.
• Calculate liquidity ratios, activity ratios, solvency ratios, profitability ratios and leverage ratios, making use of a set of financial statements.
• Results and significance of a specific financial ratio are to be interpreted.
• Apply financial management techniques to make budgeting more efficient, including flexible budgets and zero-based budgets, and.
• Costing and pricing decision making skills will be assessed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Explain organisational communication needs, planning and structuring processes.
• Apply appropriate business writing styles, non-verbal and verbal communication etiquette, as well as body language must be practiced.
• Work effectively in groups as well as in various situations in business life.
• Produce and communicate information in a professional manner.
• Determine the circumstances or conditions to be considered when delivering a message.
• Evaluate whether the communication has been successful and identify communication barriers.
• Know the steps to take to improve written style and writing by reading and by evaluating the level of difficulty.
• Identify a suitable format and appearance for business letters.
• Edit and assure the quality of business letters and correspondence.
• Apply the techniques of public speaking.
• Plan and use in-company presentations.
• Direct and control the proceedings of meetings.
• Practise different business letters and correspondence for the marketing of products or services.
• Prepare written communications with employees regarding suggestions, grievances and complaints.
• Develop appropriate and efficient manners when answering calls and making calls.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• Design and implement a quality improvement programme in an organisation.
• Identify the characteristics of organisations with poor quality records.
• Discuss the benefits of Total Quality Management (TQM).
• Satisfy the requirements of Quality of Design to meet customer needs.
• Establish a quality policy in an organisation.
• Design a plan to make the sampling of materials cost-effective.
• Apply rules of probability to obtain representative and accurate samples.
• Show how control charts can be used to monitor quality standards.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10

• Identify and understand the basic concepts of Cost and Management Accounting.
• Apply the principles of inventory control.
• Implement all aspects of an Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) inventory management system.
• Know the various methods of labour remuneration and the functions required for efficient labour administration.
• Calculate the labour recovery rate.
• Explain and apply the effect of the learning curve.
• Identify overheads, both fixed variable and semi-variable components.
• Determine, apply and analyse overhead allocation.
• Distinguish between budgeted, applied and actual overheads.
• Perform a primary and secondary allocation of manufacturing overheads.
• Calculate the overhead allocation rate per production department.
• Calculate the overhead cost per product.
• Calculate under- and over applied overheads.
• Record all accounting entries in respect of overheads.
• Distinguish between Process and Job Costing.
• Calculate equivalent units in an enterprise using a first-in-first-out method or a weighted average cost method.
• Determine the profit of a task or job and deal with over- or under-applied overheads.
• Explain the difference between job costing and process costing.
• Make the accounting entries in respect of the cost of material, labour and manufacturing overheads in a job costing system.
• Calculate the manufacturing unit cost in a job costing system.
• Calculate the profit or loss of a job.
• Draw up contract accounts.
• Discuss the different methods that can be applied to calculate the profit for construction projects.
• Calculate the total estimated profit of a construction project.
• Calculate profit or loss at the end of an accounting period according to the various methods of profit determination.
• Draw up a process cost report for a single product using a single and multiple process.
• Explain different ways of using manufacturing resources in a production process.
• Prepare a process cost report using the weighted average and First In, First Out (FIFO) method in valuating opening inventory.
• Calculate the current period's equivalent unit costs using the FIFO method and weighted average methods.
• Explain the various stages where wastage can occur in a production process.

Integrated Assessment

In the assessment strategy, competence must be demonstrated and is assessed through a variety of options.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment methods include

• Self-assessment activities in the learning material.
• Case studies.
• Knowledge tests.
• Report writing and other generic management formats.
• Basic research and project-based assignments.
• Contact sessions - interaction.

The Learners is required to provide evidence, which will act as proof that learning has taken place. Although this method of formative assessment is required, it will not be measured or monitored by the assessors due to the mode of distance learning. Compilation of the portfolio is designed to assist Learners toward the compilation of tutor- marked assignments, which are formally assessed.

Formative Assessment

• Is designed to ensure that it supports the teaching and learning process; provides constructive feedback to the Learners on his/her progress; it helps to make decisions on the readiness of Learners to complete their summative assessment.
• Is developmental in nature; and.
• Does not award credits/certification.

Formative assessment is useful in terms of assessment of critical cross-field outcomes, as these are often difficult to assess during summative assessments. Gaps in terms of knowledge and abilities can be identified in individuals at this stage and appropriate action planned. The assignments, which are submitted, have a weighting of 20% towards the final examination mark.

At risk learners are identified and are offered additional assistance in a range of possible interventions. The Institution will where possible, actively assist Learners to form study groups. These micro-sessions will facilitate learning in a group context.

Summative Assessment

Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience.

Summative assessment includes

• Formal written examinations (where applicable oral assessment) Summative assessment is a judgment about achievement. Learners-readiness determines whether the Learners will qualify for his/her respective examinations. It is required from Learners to complete and submit assignments to write an examination.

Summative Assessment occurs

• At the end of each study cycle of learning; and.
• Is used to determine whether the Learners is competent in the required knowledge and skills.

Summative assessments will be conducted on a continuous basis throughout the learning experience. Summative assessments are moderated per module of learning, in order for all Learners to be fairly assessed against the planned outcomes.

Integrated Assessment

The term "Integrated Assessment" implies that theoretical and practical components should be assessed together. During integrated assessments the assessor should make use of formative and summative assessment methods and assess combinations of practical, applied, foundational and reflective competencies.

A variety of methods must therefore be used in assessment. Tools and activities must be appropriate to the context in which the learner is working. Simulation, case studies and other similar techniques should be used to provide a context appropriate to the assessment. Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience.