excellence in public sector business and communication skills

Transcription

1 Autumn 2012 excellence in public sector business and communication skills

2 introduction The pressure on public bodies to operate effectively and efficiently has never been greater. Fundamental to this is the need for managers and staff to possess excellent business and communication skills to enable them to execute their role and represent their organisation in a positive manner. Staff of all grades must be able to communicate under pressure, manage challenging relationships and display key competences in the effective management of people and information. Highly skilled staff is an essential element of a successful organisation, and a yardstick by which the public will judge the service they receive. Whether you aspire to progress your career, or simply need to equip yourself for the imminent changes ahead, this unique, flexible certificate will explore how to capitalise on your existing skills and help you to fine-tune your approach and communicate with impact! modules and mode of delivery Participants studying for the programme must attend the following compulsory modules 1. Effective Report Writing 2. Managing Relationships and Aggressive Behaviour at Work plus two of the following modules: 3. Perfect Proofreading 4. Presenting with Confidence 5. Introduction to Budgeting 6. Meetings and Events Made Easy 7. Minute Taking Participants that have previously undertaken one or more of the above modules on a public basis with CIPFA will be awarded an exemption from this module(s). who should attend? Anyone who wants to enhance their existing business and communication skills and improve their personal effectiveness including managers, supervisors, officers, administrators and PAs. The programme will benefit new staff working in the public sector as well as experienced staff that have no previous formal training but would like to improve their skills and maximise their impact. cost An early-bird booking price of 195 plus VAT per module is available for all bookings received before 10 September After this date, the cost of attending the programme is 230 plus VAT per module. This cost includes all tuition, course materials and assessment. Individual modules can also be taken at public course rates of for a one day event and 450 plus VAT for a two day event. excellence in public sector business and communication skills

3 course modules Compulsory Modules Effective Report Writing - 4 October 2012 The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is a key skill required by all levels of staff throughout the organisation. This module shows you how to define objectives, sketch an outline and structure your information. It also provides guidance on getting started, writing clear recommendations and appropriate use of diagrams/illustrations. Plain English and essential grammar are also covered to ensure that you have the full range of skills to write reports and other communications that are both professional and contemporary. This practical module outlines a six stage process for writing efficiently and effectively that will help you write reports that are clear, successful and professional. By the end of the module you will be able to: Understand and apply a six stage writing process Reduce time and increase productivity when writing Produce written communications that are succinct, professional and easy to understand Create reports that are appealing and interesting to read Engage with the reader Managing Relationships and Aggressive Behaviour at Work -16 November 2012 How do you maximise your impact in meetings and interviews? What are your options when faced with difficult, aggressive or un-cooperative people in the workplace? Face-to-face communications that take place in a formal environment can be some of the most stressful situations we have to face. This module will help you to successfully create, maintain and enhance effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. It will provide you with strategies for effective communication, address the importance of body language, help you identify and respond to different behaviours and share the key to assertiveness and building rapport. By the end of the module you will be able to: Define the barriers to and hallmarks of effective communication Understand the importance of preparation for a successful outcome Recognise how different personalities and behaviours can affect the communication process Use assertive behaviour to confidently mange and communicate with aggressive or hostile people Develop key questioning and listening skills Recognise and apply the behaivours of an effective influencer Optional Modules (choose two) Perfect Proofreading - 18 October 2012 No matter how careful you are, errors have a tendency to camouflage themselves throughout written copy in spelling, punctuation, consistency and layout. A correctly formatted, error free document conveys a positive image of both the writer and the organisation behind it. As arduous as it seems, proofreading is the necessary evil that separates your written documents - and your credibility - from the rest. This module provides tips and techniques to simplify the art of proofreading. It covers key topic areas including proofreading for accuracy and outlines different types of spelling errors, the correct use of punctuation marks and standardising consistency in use of capital letters, abbreviations, numbers, names and layout. The module also examines barriers to proofreading and provides seven tried and tested strategies to catch even the tiniest error. By the end of the module you will be able to: Understand the importance of effective proofreading Proofread for accuracy by recognising and avoiding common errors Learn to apply proofreading strategies Produce error free documents Presenting with Confidence - 11 & 12 October 2012 A request to deliver a presentation or a training session can strike fear into even the most confident communicators. How do you overcome your nerves and deliver a successful presentation with impact? The key to successful presentations lies in preparation, planning and managing your nerves on the day. This module will help you create presentation excellence in public sector business and communication skills

4 objectives and design and deliver a presentation with confidence. You will learn how to structure your presentation for clarity and build rapport with your audience. By the end of the module you will be able to: Design and deliver a presentation with confidence Harness nerves and use them to your advantage Structure content for clarity and understanding Understand different learning styles and use appropriate learning methods Create rapport and encourage interaction and feedback Handle interruptions and difficult questions This introductory module on budgeting and budgetary control will provide you with an understanding of the key principles and various techniques that can be used to prepare, monitor and control budgets. The module includes practical case studies to ensure that everything learnt can be directly related to the workplace. By the end of the module you will be able to: Understand the basic principles of good financial management Create a budget for your department, team or project Monitor income and expenditure against your targets Apply key techniques for putting your budget back on track should problems occur Meetings and Events Made Easy - 20 September 2012 It takes just a split second for an oversight to become a crisis when organising an event. Events, both large and small, showcase your organisation but more importantly they showcase you and your organisational skills. How do you stay on top of everything to ensure your event will be a success and not a disaster? This module will develop your event management skills, enabling you to deliver flawless meetings and events with confidence. The module covers the key steps that need to be taken during the planning phase, tips for venue selection, how to create and monitor action plans and event budgets and outlines controls to help you keep everything on track. Using practical exercises and case studies, you will create contingency plans for events and learn how to handle a crisis. By the end of the module you will be able to: Apply a three step event management process Develop a toolkit for successful event implementation Monitor the progress of your event against plans Deliver successful events with confidence Evaluate the success of events Introduction to Budgeting - 8 November 2012 Minute Taking - 4 December 2012 Minute taking is an integral factor in the success of a meeting. Accurate meeting minutes should record what has taken place, decisions made and what actions are required. Minute taking can be daunting but with the right preparation minute taking can be handled with confidence. This module will outline the key ingredients of effective meetings including preparation, structuring meetings, the meeting cycle and your role. It also addresses raising issues or concerns and common problems as well as the do s and dont s of effective note taking, writing, layout and consistency of minutes and how the Freedom of Information Act impacts on printed information. You will gain the confidence and skills required to take accurate and concise minutes in suitable language for the audience and will leave with a better understanding of your role. By the end of the module you will be able to; Identify the role and responsibilities of the minute taker Understand best practice to prepare for meetings and write effective minutes Identify positive strategies for listening and summarising Deal with jargon, technical language and grammar professionally Identify different methods of minute taking, organising your material and highlighting important points Take accurate and concise minutes Managers, budget holders and administrators need to understand how to prepare and manage budgets for programmes, projects or departments. With little or no previous finance training, it can be daunting and hard to know where to start. excellence in public sector business and communication skills

5 CIPFA is the leading professional accountancy body for the public services, whether in the public or private sectors. We are the leading provider of training to the public sector in areas such as accountancy, financial management, fraud awareness, internal audit, corporate governance and business planning in Northern Ireland. For further information on the qualification, or to receive this brochure in any other format, please contact Eva Dillon or visit: cipfa.org.uk/ni CIPFA Northern Ireland 3rd Floor, Lesley Exchange 2 22 East Bridge Street BELFAST BT1 3NR T: F: cipfa.org.uk/ni The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Registered with the Charity Commissioners of England and Wales No

6 excellence in public sector business and communication skills Booking Form f: e: w: cipfa.org.uk/ni Delegate Details Title:... Forename:... Surname:... Post Held:... Organisation:... Address: Postcode: Tel:... Dietary/Access/Special Requirements:... Invoice Details (if different from above): Contact:... P/o Number:... Address: Postcode: Payment Details Please tick the appropriate box below and complete the form overleaf Please invoice my organisation... plus VAT I enclose the appropriate fee of... plus VAT (cheques to be made payable to CIPFA - VAT Reg GB ) This cost does not include fees payable to the accrediting organisation How to Book Return completed form to: Eva Dillon Business Support Officer CIPFA Northern Ireland 3rd Floor, Lesley Exchange 2 22 East Bridge Street T: Belfast F: BT1 3NR E: eva.dillon@cipfa.org.uk Notification of cancellations must be received in writing 4 weeks prior to the the first module of the course date to qualify for a refund of fees. Substitution may be made at no extra charge, but please inform Jenny in advance.

7 excellence in public sector business and communication skills Enrolment I wish to enrol for the CIPFA Certificate in Business and Communication Skills at 195 plus VAT per module (applicable to all bookings received by 10 September 2012). The cost after this date will be 230 plus VAT per module. Compulsory modules Effective Business and Report Writing Managing Relationships and Aggressive Behaviour at Work Optional modules Please select two of the following optional modules: Perfect Proofreading Presenting with Confidence Introduction to Budgeting Meetings and Events Made Easy Minute Taking Participants that have previously undertaken one or more of the above modules on a public basis with CIPFA will be awarded an exemption from this module(s). I wish to enrol for the following individual modules at the public course rates below: Effective Business and Report Writing Managing Relationships and Aggressive Behaviour at Work Perfect Proofreading Presenting with Confidence Introduction to Budgeting Meetings and Events Made Easy Minute Taking 450 plus VAT Please note that costs include all tuition, course materials and assessment but does not include membership of the accrediting body. cipfa.org.uk/ni