Why should I study the Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance & Administration?

The National Certificate in Governance and Administration (NQF level 7) is the third qualification in a learning pathway in Governance and Administration. The purpose of the qualification is to equip senior managers and administrators in the public and private sectors with the theory relating to administration, management and corporate governance underpinning their work. This will enable them to acquire the practical skills to perform competently within an organisation. The learning in the qualification is broad-based, with the emphasis on governance, administration and strategic issues. This covers the requirements of both the public and private sectors.

Given the need for appropriately trained and skilled managers and administrators in the public and private sectors in South Africa, successful learners will be able to contribute substantially to social and economic transformation. This is particularly relevant in the context of the need for appropriate governance in our developing democracy.

Successful learners who attain the qualification are eligible to apply to become an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Business Management which is the third level of qualification required for membership of Chartered Secretaries International.

This qualification is focused on governance at a corporate and public management level and includes advanced administration, financial and cost accounting, strategic and operations management, corporate law, governance and corporate financial management. There is sufficient demand for this qualification from corporate and public organisations. The successful learner will find employment opportunities with this qualification at a senior level in private organisations and public entities.

Successful learners will be able to undertake leadership roles with confidence, be able to motivate their staff, understand and advise on legal and accounting matters as well as being able to contribute to corporate strategic planning.

Should there be no opportunities in their present employment, successful learners will be highly marketable. By applying the knowledge and skills acquired, they will be able to become successful managers and administrators of high performing departments/teams. Additionally, their skills will prove useful in life outside the work environment as officials in clubs and societies.

Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance & Administration - Course Structure

In order to complete this qualification students will have to complete the following Modules:

• Tactics for Winning
• Communication
• Economics
• Financial Accounting I (Including Interpreting Financial Accounts)
• General Principles of Commercial Law (Including Introduction to Governance)

AND

• Managing Information Systems
• Management Principles
• Taxation
• Financial Accounting II
• Advanced Commercial Law

AND

• Corporate Law
• Strategic Management
• Cost and Management Accounting
• Financial Accounting III

Please Note:

* The subject Foundations of Law has been phased out and no new registrations will be accepted after the October 2010 exams. The subject will be replaced by General Principles of Commercial Law which will include a Governance portion.


You cannot start with the Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration until you have successfully completed the CIS Professional Qualification: Management and Administration as well as the CIS Professional Qualification: Governance and Administration.

Thus, you will see that for this Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration Programme we mention that the subjects from the Management and Administration Programme and from the Governance and Administration Programme are part of it.

In other words, you must complete these subjects from the Management and Administration Programme:

• Tactics for Winning
• Communication
• Economics
• Financial Accounting I (Including Interpreting Financial Accounts)
• General Principles of Commercial Law (Including Introduction to Governance)

And then you can begin with the Governance and Administration Programme subjects:

• Managing Information Systems
• Management Principles
• Taxation
• Financial Accounting II
• Advanced Commercial Law

Only once you have successfully completed all the subjects from the Management and Administration Programme and the Governance and Administration Programme, can you then begin with the subjects for the Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration Programme.

Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration - Programme Outcomes:

• All the subjects from CIS Professional Qualification: Management and Administration,

AND:

• All the subjects from CIS Professional Qualification: Governance and Administration

AND:

• The subjects from Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration

Corporate Law

• Legislation as it applies to Corporate Bodies – Companies Act, Close Corporations Act, Insider Trading Act, Financial Intelligence Centre Act and the Insolvency Act.
• Detailed knowledge of Corporate Personality as applied to Business Entities, Different Types of Corporate Entities, Best Fit-For-Purpose, Legislation applicable to Corporate Environment, Contract Law.
• Interaction between Members, The Corporate Body and Third Parties, The Provision of Legal Advice, Differences between Membership of a Company and a Closed Corporation, Relationship between Members.
• The Qualifications, Appointments and Duties of Directors and Officers of Corporate Bodies, Director, Company Secretary, Auditor, Fiduciary and Statutory Duties of Directors, Knowledge of Statutory Provisions.
• The Purpose of Meetings of Companies and CCs, The Requirements of a Valid Meeting, Rules of Conduct, Legal Requirements for the Recording of Proceedings, Implications of Decisions taken at Meetings.
• Members’ Interests, Shares and Debentures, Transactions and Minority Protection, Legal Rights of each Class of Share, Share Transaction Procedures, Security Measures, Sale, Transfer, Transmission and Buy-Back.

Strategic and Operations Management

• The Use of Strategic Planning in an Organisation, Strategic Management Process, Strategy Implementation, Strategic Control, Arguments For and Against the use of Strategic Planning in Contemporary Organisations, Wealth Maximisation, Profit Maximisation, Long and Short-Term Survival.
• Role of Corporate Governance in Strategic Planning, King Report on Corporate Governance, The Role of the Board, Stakeholder Expectations, Social Responsibility and Ethics, Triple Bottom Line Reporting, Financial Intelligence Centres Act.
• The Vision and Mission Statements of an Organisation, Importance of Future-Focus, Dreams and Current Realities, Formulating an Inspiring Vision Statement, Employee Buy-In, Components of a Mission Statement, The Variables that Impact on Mission Formulation, Stakeholders’ Claims in the Mission Statement.
• The Results of the Organisation’s External Environmental Assessment, Sub-Environments that comprise the External Environment, Macro-Environment, Industry Environment, Operating Environment.
• Forecasting Methods and Scenario Planning, Identifying Key Success Factors, Porter’s Model.
• The Organisation’s Profile, The Importance of Compiling a Company Profile, Identifying Organisational Capabilities, Company Resources, Management Experience, The Different Approaches to Assessing Organisational Capabilities, Value Chain Analysis, Functional Analysis, Resource-Based-View, SWOT Analysis.
• Translating the Mission Statement into Long-Term Goals, Balanced Scorecard, Key Performance Areas, Key Performance Indicators, Objectives, Ratings, Actions to be Taken.
• Choice of a Strategy with Reference to the Chosen Mission and Long-Term Goals.
• The Importance of Various Strategy-Implementation Levers and Strategic Control, Financial Strategies, Annual Objectives, Policies, Organisational Structure, Leadership, Culture, Reward System, Resource Allocation, Learning Interventions, The Difference between Strategic and Operational Control.
• The Importance of Managing Operations, Information and Quality to Ensure Successful Strategy Implementation, Inputs, Capacity Planning, Scheduling, Outputs, Feedback, Process Design, Facility Location, Non-Financial Indicators, External Intelligence, Surveying Customer Satisfaction.
• Knowledge Management, Explicit Knowledge, Tacit Knowledge, The Ethics of Managing Information, Total Quality Management.

Management Accounting

• The Nature of Cost and Management Accounting in the Corporate Environment, The Nature and Classification of Costs.
• Perform Product and Service Costing, Different forms of Management Accounting, Alternative Options for Investment Decisions to Achieve Optimum Returns, Comparative Opportunity Costs to Facilitate Decision-Making.
• Preparing Budgets and Implementing Budgetary Controls, Capital and Operational Budgets, Variances between Budgets and Expenditure, Internal and External Influences on Cost and their Effect on the Overall Pricing of Products and Services.
• Account for Standard Costs, How Fixed and Variable Costs are applied to all Input Costs, Costing Techniques – Marginal, Absorption and / or Differential Costing.
• Participating in Planning and Decision-Making, Impact of Costs, Standard Costing Techniques, Short Term Planning, Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis, Methods of Inventory Control and Credit Control of Debtors.
• Performance Analysis and Communicating the Findings, Budgetary Controls including Projections, Performance Management Systems, Bridge-of-Profits Statement for Remedial Action (not for examination), Contingency Planning.

Financial Accounting III

• The Conceptual Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements, Accounting Standard Setting Procedure, Profit Measurement and Revenue Recognition.
• Preparing the Necessary Journal Entries, Related Ledger Accounts, Financial Statement Disclosure.
• Accounting for Limited Liability Companies.
• Group Financial Statements, Losses in Subsidiaries, Group Cash Flow Statements.
• Special Aspects Relating to Companies, Accounting for Acquisitions, Mergers, Amalgamations, Reconstructions.
• Transactions of a Special Nature, GAAP, Instalment Sales Transactions, Allocation of Profit and Treatment of Deferred Taxation, Leases from the Lessee Point of View, Long-Term Contract Accounts.
• Accounting under conditions of Changing Prices, Capital Maintenance.
• Analyse, Interpret and Discuss Financial Statements, Profitability, Performance, Investment, Liquidity, Solvency, Going Concern.
• The Merits of Current Developments in Accounting and Financial Reporting, Present and Potential Legislation and Accounting Standards.
• Accounting Theory, Investments, Corporate Accounting, Group Financial Statements, Foreign Exchange, Financial Press.

Course Duration:

This course should take you between 40 and 46 months to complete

Entrance Requirements:

You can register for this Programme if:

• You have passed the National Senior Certificate Examinations with a Level 4 pass in both English and Mathematics/Science or a Level 5 pass in Mathematical Literacy;

OR

• If you have achieved the IBS National Certificate: Management and Administration (NQF4);

OR

• If you are older than 23 years of age and if you have been working in a related field for at least two years;

OR

• If you are a foreign learner who has the equivalent qualifications

Assessment and Award:

Once you have successfully completed the necessary assignments prescribed by College SA, you may apply to complete the examinations with the CSSA. Upon successful completion of your five exams, CSSA will grant your Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration Certificate.

PLEASE NOTE:

The Chartered Secretaries of South Africa (CSSA) will award you with the Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration.

FASSET will issue the following:

• Unit Standard Certification
• Certification of Qualification.

College SA has received accreditation from FASSET SETA to offer the following Chartered Secretaries of South Africa (CSSA) Programmes:
 

• CIS Professional Qualification: Management and Administration
• CIS Professional Qualification: Governance and Administration
• Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration.

Interested? Want to find out more?

If you would like to find out more about the Professional Advanced Qualification: Governance and Administration, please fill in this short form and one of our friendly Student Registrars will respond to your questions and provide you with all the information you need.

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