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Administration
Administration can be defined as providing: ‘Business support systems, processes and services that enable the organisation to achieve its objectives and continuously improve its performance for the customer.’ The Council for Administration (CfA), a charity, is not a sector skills council and does not envisage becoming one because administration is a function in all sectors. The CfA therefore has a cross-sector responsibility as the national standard-setting body for business and administration.
The UK economy depends on the effective operation of companies. Fundamental to their operation is their ability to apply quality administrative practice through a combination of professional administrators and, increasingly, good generic administration skills alongside other technical or specialist skills.
The job of an administrator is central to the sound management of an organisation, whether in the private, public or not-for-profit sector. Administration is everybody’s business. It is about co-ordinating resources, systems, procedures and services. It is about oiling the wheels of the organisational machine.
Technological advances and flatter structures mean that more people now have a responsibility for administrative tasks within their jobs. There are 4.7 million people working in administration in the UK (set to rise to 5 million by 2012), while 12 million (nearly half of all people in employment in the UK) have administrative tasks as part of their day-to-day work. About half of them are employed in clerical or secretarial roles; the rest are managers or administrators. Nine out of ten administrators are women.
The position of an administrator is best illustrated by the company secretary although the function is fulfilled in a range of positions. The job title varies and may include secretary to the trustees, administration or human resources manager or officer, or office manager.
Properly qualified administrative managers play a major part in the legal running of an organisation. They keep a watchful eye on legislation affecting the organisation in human resources, finance, facilities, equipment resources and information technology. The range of duties varies considerably depending on the nature and size of the organisation, and this diversity is attractive for many people.
Administration in the Services
All three Services have their own specialist administrators – generally in the Supply Branch (RN), the Adjutant General’s Corps (Army) and specialisations in the RAF’s administrative branch. However, all Service people are involved in administrative tasks for much of their time in uniform. These tasks vary from full-time secretarial and personal staff functions to the basic administration that is essential to team operations.
The ability to organise, plan, project manage and control systems is, of course, important; however, skills and experience are equally vital. Skills such as effective communication, good interpersonal skills, ability to work on own initiative and in teams, and the ability to relate to customers, are highly valued by employers.
Qualifications and training
Council for Administration
The CfA is responsible for ‘defining and promoting excellence in administrative skills and practice across all industrial sectors’. It holds the national occupational standards for administration, which produce better skilled, more flexible employees equipped to deal with a variety of tasks. They are available at:
·Level 1 – basic skills, knowledge and ability needed to apply learning in the workplace with guidance or supervision; tasks are linked to occupation competences and relate to junior job roles such as office junior
·Level 2 – provides good working knowledge and understanding of an occupation; it demonstrates an employee’s ability to perform a range of tasks with some guidance or supervision; competence levels are related to job roles such as junior secretary or administration assistant
·Level 3 – detailed knowledge, skills and understanding within a relevant field; it demonstrates team-leading and specialist technical skills with competence in communication, problem solving and applied teamwork; example job roles for this level include personal assistant, secretary and administration clerk
·Level 4 – in-depth knowledge of their occupation and will be used to dealing with high-level information; job roles will include managerial skills with demonstration of competence in planning and business awareness; example job roles for this level include office manager and administration manager
·Level 5 – standards are currently under development; this level of learning involves the development of strategic skills and leadership, requiring demonstration of high-level specialist and professional knowledge; example job roles for this level include company secretary and managing director.
The CfA is also responsible for the Business Administration Advanced Apprenticeship – Level 3, and Apprenticeship – Level 2. Both involve an NVQ in Administration, a technical certificate, key skills and optional related qualifications to provide flexibility so that schemes can meet the needs of particular employers. It has developed Specialist Business & Administration Standards for:
- agriculture
- custodial care
- law
- parking.
It is also reviewing the needs of specialist administrators in other sectors, and imports units that involve administration developed by sector skills councils.
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
The job of secretary is central to the sound management of an organisation, whether in the private, public or not-for-profit sector. Chartered secretaries are professionally trained administrators, best illustrated by the post of company secretary, although they can be found in a range of other senior positions.
Chartered secretaries play a major part in the proper and legal running of an organisation – known as corporate governance. The range of duties of a chartered secretary will vary considerably depending on the nature and size of the organisation.
The ICSA offers a postgraduate-level qualification. With 44,000 members and 27,000 students in more than 70 countries, the ICSA is at the head of one of the largest integrated global professions. A chartered secretary is trained to understand the full range of skills underpinning the management and governance of an organisation, and its International Qualifying Scheme is grouped into four programmes, which build upon each other (although
the Certificate and Diploma in Business Practice can also be taken as standalone qualifications).
1. Certificate in Business Practice
2. Diploma in Business Practice
3. Professional Programme Part I
- Corporate Law
- Financial Accounting
- Management Accounting
- Strategic and Operations Management
4. Professional Programme Part II
- Corporate Governance
- Corporate Administration
- Corporate Secretaryship
- Corporate Financial Management.
Everyone has to pass the Professional Programme Part 2 exams. Some people with a related degree or professional qualification can start the programme there. University graduates can start at the Professional Programme Part 1 or may be exempt some of its exams, while some other qualifications will provide exemption from all or some of the Certificate or Diploma programmes. Entry to the Certificate programme is open access. Exemptions through Armed Forces experience will be judged on their merits.
Methods of studying the ICSA qualification include evening classes, day release, distance learning and e-learning, depending on each candidate’s circumstances. The Institute’s collaborative courses are postgraduate programmes at universities. Candidates who successfully complete these programmes gain both the university postgraduate award and Graduateship of ICSA.
Other ICSA awards are:
- Certificate and Diploma in Offshore Finance and Administration
- Certificate in Company Secretarial Practice and Share Registration Practice
- Certificate in Irish Company Secretarial Practice and Share Registration Practice
- Diploma in Company Secretarial Practice and Regulatory Knowledge
- Certificate in Charity Management
- Certificate in Employee Share Plans
- Certificate in Further Education Governance.
Institute of Administrative Management
The IAM is an institute that, in addition to qualifying and supporting members at management level, identifies and promulgates best practice, and provides members with assistance in carrying out their roles. It offers broad-based qualifications that enable people to understand the full range of skills underpinning the management and governance of an organisation. Its qualifications include the following.
Introductory Award:
- Skills for Administrators
- Individuals within Organisations
- Organisational Skills.
- Certificate:
- Inside Organisations
- Working with People
- Administrative Practice.
Diploma:
- People in Organisations
- Administrative Systems and Processes
- Professional Administration
- Information for Decision Making
- Case Study or Project Report.
Advanced Diploma:
- Administrative Systems in the Organisation
- Strategic Issues in Administration
- Administrative Management of Resources
- Human Resource Management and Practice
- Case Study 2 or Project Report 2.
Other Institute qualifications include:
- BA (Honours) Degree in Strategic Administrative Management
- Diploma in Administration for Executive Assistants
- Information and Communication Technology at Levels 1,2 and 3
- Diploma in Financial Administration
- Certificate in Educational Administration.
Service people and others can offer other exams and/or significant work experience to become exempt from some or all papers at each level. They may also claim significant exemptions from the qualifying examinations to allow faster progress to the next level. Study methods for IAM qualifications include evening classes, day release and e- and distance learning. It is also possible to enter the IAM through vocational membership, assessed through a range of benchmarks and evidence indicators.
There are many different qualifications available and relevant work experiences that help with a career in business administration. The ability to organise, plan, project manage, control systems and many other skills are as vital as administrative skills and experience. Skills such as effective communication, good interpersonal skills, ability to produce results as an individual as well as in teams, and the ability to relate to customers, are highly valued by employers.
Contact details
Council for Administration, 6 Graphite Square, Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5EE Tel: 020 7091 9620 Website:
www.cfa.uk.com
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, 16 Park Crescent, London W1B 1AH Tel: 020 7580 4741 Website: www.icsa.org.uk
Institute of Administrative Management, Caroline House, 55–57 High Holborn, London WC1V 6DX Tel: 020 7841 1100 Website:
www.instam.org
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