35880 BA courses delivered Online

It is important for Officers to understand the roles and responsibilities, processes and procedures involved when working with Elected Members. They also need to appreciate the significance of Elected Members as the decision-makers in local government. Officers have a responsibility to work and communicate with Elected Members effectively. This very successful course is designed to help Officers with this. Note: this is very much an indicative outline. The programme is tailored to the needs of each particular organisation. To provide managers with the knowledge and understanding they need to have productive working relationships with Elected Members and provide appropriate support. By the end of the course participants will: Understand the roles, responsibilities, processes and procedures in place for working with Elected Members Be able to identify the best way to approach potentially sensitive issues Understand the skills and behaviours required for working effectively with Members Be able to deploy their influencing skills more successfully Review their learning and have an action plan to take back and implement at work Note: this is very much an indicative outline. The programme is tailored to the needs of each particular organisation. 1 Introduction Welcome and introductions Objectives and programme overview 2 Working in a political environment What is political awareness? Contact and experience with Members Importance of the role of Members 3 Why be an Elected Member? Perceptions of what Elected Members are and do Values of Members and their motivations for doing what they do 4 Political decision-making in local government Current challenges and drivers affecting the organisation / the council Roles and responsibilities of Officers and Members Centrality of Members' strategic role 5 (Option) A day in the life of an Elected Member An Elected Member gives a talk about what they do 6 Having a beneficial relationship between Officers and Members 7 Member / Officer communication Discussion of the formal processes, service procedures, etc (whether enshrined in a protocol, Memorandum of Understanding, etc) Response times and requirements Procedures required by Heads of Service [if appropriate] 8 Influencing styles and strategies Different forms of power and how they impact Developing an appropriate 'influencing style' Exploring strategies for improving communication and influencing at work 9 Review and evaluation Review and evaluation of learning Personal action plans

This one-day workshop is intended for participants who have a basic understanding of Outlook but who want to know how to use its advanced features to manage their email communications, calendar events, contact information and other communication tasks. This course will help participants: Gain confidence using Outlook and its advanced features Organise and prioritise email messages Archive messages for safe-keeping Use rules to process received or sent messages automatically Manage scheduled meetings with others Give others permission to view and manage their folders and items Use contacts and commands to find out more about a person or company Prioritise work-flow using tasks and assigning tasks to others 1 Email messages Combining multiple clicks with quick steps Following up flag options Saving multiple attachments Attaching a folder of files Recalling and replacing a message Categorising messages with conditional formatting 2 Message options Adding options to messages Marking a message as private Receiving quick responses with voting buttons Directing replies to specific users Delaying sent messages Inserting links in messages 3 Stay organised with rules Using rules to automate message flow Moving messages with rules Using the rules wizard Setting up rules with conditions Using rules that work whilst you are away 4 Message clean-up Using conversation clean-up Using mailbox clean-up Moving messages to the archive folder Archiving folder properties Auto-archiving properties 5 Managing calendars Creating calendar groups Sharing calendars with permissions Setting up working days and times Managing time zones Categorise appointments with conditional formatting Publishing a calendar 6 Schedule meetings Scheduling a meeting Managing meeting responses Proposing new meeting times Adding attendees to a meeting Viewing multiple appointments 7 Using contacts Merging contacts to letters Merging contacts to labels Mail merging contacts in Word Exporting contacts to Excel 8 Managing tasks Organising your workload with tasks Categorising tasks Assigning tasks to others Sending a task status report Allocating time for tasks Regenerating a new task Viewing your tasks in the calendar 9 Adding message items Adding calendars to messages Adding business cards to messages 10 Email accounts Adding multiple user accounts Adding account permissions

Do you hear yourself saying the same thing over and over again? Do you want to bring some new skills to your role? If you have been in a sales role for some time it is easy to fall into a comfortable pattern. This workshop will help you incorporate advanced techniques drawn from NLP, behavioural science and social psychology into your existing skills. This course will help you: Use the consultative sales process to achieve more cross-sales Employ advanced rapport-building skills Assess the buying preferences of a customer Articulate the link between customer goals and needs Identify your customer's needs and wants Use advanced questioning techniques to gather information Resist the temptation to tell when it would be better to ask Identify communication preferences Given various scenarios, present a product to the explicit need of a customer Appreciate the impact of the language used during this stage of the sale and decide what language is appropriate with a variety of customers Handle objections positively Close the sale or gain commitment to further action 1 Introduction Aims and objectives of the training Personal introductions and objectives Self-assessment of existing sales skills Overview of content 2 Understanding yourself and your customers Personal communication style and what this means in a sales situation Wants versus needs What motivates people to buy Using social media tools such as LinkedIn Managing your portfolio to maximise sales Preparing to sell 3 The sales process Overview of the consultative sales process Review personal strengths and weaknesses as a salesperson Habits of top-performing sales people Common pitfalls Articulate sales goals 4 Building rapport 11 decisions that customers make in the first 9 seconds Spotting buyer communication preferences Building rapport with a wide variety of customers Dealing with emotions Keeping control 5 Questioning and listening Assumptions and how they trip us up Structured questioning Looking for cross-sales Honing your listening skills Identifying buyers' motivation Using summaries to move the customer forward 6 Presenting products and services to customers Choosing the right time to present Using features, advantages and benefits Tailoring your presentation of products and services to match buyer preferences and motivations 7 Gaining commitment When to close Dealing with difficult customers 5 things to avoid when handling a customer objection 8 Managing your business The link between service and sales Using customer surveys Winning back lost business 9 Putting it all together Skills practice Personal learning summary and action plans

Fraud should not happen, but it does. It can happen at the highest to lowest levels in an organisation. Recent surveys show that incidents of fraud are not decreasing. Fraud costs companies money and, perhaps even more importantly, reputational damage. The losers are not just the shareholders, suppliers, customers, etc, but society as a whole. This programme shows why frauds happen, how organisations put themselves at risk and what they can do to prevent it. This programme will help directors and others understand: The motives for committing fraud Directors' responsibilities for identifying and reporting fraud What types of frauds there are How frauds are perpetrated How they can be prevented How regulators deal with fraud Above all, the principal objective of this programme is to help make your organisation as secure as possible from the threat of fraud. 1 Motives for committing fraud - drivers of fraud Session objective: to understand why people might commit fraud Drivers of fraudulent behaviourAmbitionGreedTheftConceit? And more! 2 Accounting mechanisms that allow fraud Session objective: to review the elements of the accounting, internal control and management processes that allow creative accounting Income or liability? Asset or expense? Coding errors and misclassification Netting off and grossing up Off-balance sheet items 3 Structures that allow fraud Session objective: to consider company and trading structures that allow frauds to be perpetrated Group structures Trading structures Tax havens Importing and exporting 4 Interpretations and other non-compliance that allow fraud Session objective: to look at how creative interpretations of law and accounting practice may permit fraud The place of accounting standards Accounting policies Trading methods The place of auditing standards 5 Money laundering Session objective: to review what constitutes money laundering Types of money laundering Identifying laundering Preventing laundering 6 Preventing fraud - proper management structures Session objective: to review the place of proper corporate governance Corporate governance Company management structure Audit committees The place of internal audit 7 Preventing fraud - proper accounting Session objective: to review best accounting and auditing practice Accounting standards Internal accounting policies Adequacy of internal controls Internal audit 8 Preventing fraud - regulation Session objective: to look at how regulators aim to prevent fraud The regulatory environment Financial services regulation 9 Conclusion Course review Open forum Close 10 Course summary - developing your own cost action plan Group and individual action plans will be prepared with a view to participants identifying their cost risks areas and the techniques which can be immediately applied to improve costing and reduce costs

It is essential that those charged with responsibility for credit control and debt recovery have a full appreciation of the relevant law: no-one can negotiate effectively to recover a debt if they don't understand the ultimate sanctions they can apply. This programme is designed to give them a practical, up-to-date understanding of the law as it applies to your particular organisation. This course will help ensure that participants: Understand the relevant laws Know how and when to invoke legal processes Avoid legal pitfalls in debt collection negotiations Specific, practical learning points include: Definition of 'harassment' How to set up an in-house collection identity Whether cheques in 'full and final settlement' are binding The best steps to trace a 'gone away'... and many, many more. 1 Data protection and debt recovery There are a whole range of things which can be checked on members of the public and which are not affected by the restraints of the Data Protection Act. These will be explained in simple, clear terms so that staff can use this information immediately. 2 County Court suing The expert trainer will show how to sue for money owed, obtain judgment and commence enforcement action without leaving your desk. This module is aimed at showing how to make the Courts work for you instead of the other way around! 3 Enforcement of judgments There are many people who have a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against their debtor but who still remain unpaid. This session explains each of the enforcement methods and how to use them to best effect. Enforcement methods covered include: Warrant of Execution Using the sheriff (now known as High Court Enforcement Officers) Attachment of earnings Third Party Debt Orders Charging Orders (over property and goods) Winding-up companies and making individuals bankrupt 4 Office of Fair Trading rules on debt recovery Surprisingly few people are aware of the Office of Fair Trading rules on debt recovery and many of those that do know think they don't apply to them - but they do. Make sure you know what you need to! 5 New methods to trace elusive, absentee and 'gone away' debtors Why write the money off when you can trace the debtor and collect the money you are owed? 6 Credit checking of new and existing customers It makes sense to credit check would-be, new and existing customers to evaluate the likelihood of payment delays or perhaps not being paid at all. This session shows a range of credit checking steps, many of which can be done completely free of charge, including a sample credit application/ account opening form. 7 Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations Do your staff understand this legislation and how to use it to make people pay quicker than ever before? The trainer shows how. 8 The Enterprise Act The Enterprise Act made some startling changes to corporate and personal insolvency. What are the implications for credit control and debt recovery within your organisation?

Software comes in a variety of guises - application software, firmware, middleware, system software. Increasingly, however, it doesn't necessarily present that way, especially as the boundaries between software, data and source code are becoming more and more blurred. And as software becomes more complex and more difficult to disentangle, so it becomes harder to manage and to value. But as it becomes more integral to every aspect of a business, so it is ever more important to keep on top of the technical, legal and commercial issues that arise, issues such as: To address these issues, organisations need a process for evaluating their current situation from all perspectives and for identifying the key actions they need to take to ensure holistic management of their software. This very practical programme will help set your organisation on the right path. Note: this is an indicative agenda, to be used as a starting point for a conversation between client and consultant, depending on the organisation's specific situation and requirements. This programme is designed to give you a deeper understanding of: The technical, legal and commercial risks associated with software development, procurement, use and commercial exploitation The most appropriate processes and responsibilities for managing those risks Note: this is an indicative agenda, to be used as a starting point for a conversation between client and consultant, depending on the organisation's specific situation and requirements. 1 Software business model What is the software business model? What options exist? Has the software business model been thoroughly reviewed to ensure its viability? This means fully understanding the market opportunity, the business environment and customer and end-user expectations. 2 Technology What are the technologies? How has the technology selection been validated considering the competitiveness, structure, and potential for future innovation? 3 UI and UX What is the UI and UX? How to best articulate this? Has the user interface and user experience been studied from both a subjective and objective view to give insight into customer behaviour? 4 Legal framework / commercial aspects Has the necessary legal framework or commercial aspects that may impact upon use or operation of the software been understood and risks identified and mitigated? 5 Software development What is the software development process? Are both the business management and development team's processes resilient in order to improve the company's capability and the maturity of the software? 6 Software quality What is quality? What are the metrics around software quality? What is the maturity level, based around a qualitative and quantitative assessment? 7 Intellectual property associated What IP should be considered when it comes to software? Does the company understand both the intellectual property risks and potential opportunities associated with this software? 8 Security What does software security mean in this context? How is it being addressed? 9 An holistic approach Review of roles and responsibilities to ensure appropriate management and protection

The work of a technical team is invariably challenging and often unpredictable. Definition of the work can be problematic, timescales can be hard to estimate and the right technical approach difficult to select. Staff involved in this type of work usually have very high levels of specialist knowledge in their field and have high expectations of those who lead them. In addition to the challenges of the work, the team leader often has to balance the need for professional excellence with financial and commercial considerations and to ensure that team goals are realistic by being an effective negotiator with other project and senior managers. These characteristics make technical team leadership a demanding and complex activity. This programme aims to help participants develop the skills needed to become an effective technical team leader. The objectives of this programme are to help participants: understand the significance of leadership skills and their impact on team performance review the key skills needed to be an effective, 'multi-dimensional' team leader and learn how to develop, adapt and apply them in practice learn how to identify the preferred leadership style for the context and organisational culture and how to develop personal style versatility understand the role of the project leader in building an effective team and the skills required to promote and sustain team performance gain a better understanding of the interpersonal skills needed to motivate individual team members and harness the full potential of the team DAY ONE 1 Technical teams and leadership What is a leader? How much can leadership be learned? The team environment and the impact of leadership skills The characteristics of high performance teams and their leaders Some useful models and theories of leadership explored Types of leadership; choosing how to use leadership power Evaluating personal leadership style; how to develop style flexibility 2 Essential skills for team leaders 3 key dimensions of effective leadership: inwards, outwards and upwards Developing and promoting a 'team vision': strategic thinking skills The vital role of communication skills and how to develop them Understanding others; emotional intelligence skills Being a visible leader; behavioural and influencing skills Building effective relationships; the importance of trust and respect DAY TWO 3 Leading inwards to build the team The role of leadership in developing team performance Understanding individuals in the team; recognising team role preferences Managing conflict and promoting positive team dynamics Setting standards, maintaining discipline and rewarding performance Harnessing team potential: building motivation within the team Promoting team learning; the team leader as coach / mentor 4 Leading outwards and upwards to support the team Negotiating realistic team goals; effective influencing skills Gaining empowerment and support from the key stakeholders Leading upwards: knowing when and how to take the initiative Building team credibility within the organisation; helping the team deliver Becoming an effective team player in leadership teams Building and maintaining rapport with influential stakeholders

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the key principles and techniques for leading and managing project work. It will focus on the core principles and generic methods of project management, showing how these can be applied to typical projects. The scope of the programme includes: The course also emphasises the importance of the leadership and team-working skills needed by project managers and team members in carrying out their roles. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: Explain and demonstrate the key principles of successful project management Demonstrate a range of useful project management tools and techniques Define the role of, and help participants understand the skills required by, the project leader Illustrate the use of project skills through examples and case studies Identify ways to improve project management, both individually and corporately DAY ONE 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Key concepts and requirements for success Projects and project management Lessons from past projects; the essential requirements for success Differences between projects; characteristic project life cycles The challenges of project management; the role of the project manager Project exerciseA team exercise to demonstrate the challenges of project management 3 Defining project objectives and scope Identifying the stakeholders; key roles and responsibilities Getting organised; managing the definition process Working with the 'customer' to define the project scope 4 Project case study: part 1 Defining the project objectives: syndicate teams define the objectives and scope for a typical project 5 Project planning The nature of planning; recognising planning assumptions Planning the plan; the importance of team involvement Developing the work breakdown structure Estimating task resources, timescales and costs Developing the project schedule Analysing the plan and identifying the critical path 6 Project case study: part 2 Creating the project plan Syndicate teams begin development of their project plans (for completion after session 7) Team presentations and group discussion (after session 7) DAY TWO 7 Managing project risks Understanding and defining project risks Classifying risks and adopting an appropriate risk strategy Identifying, evaluating and managing project risks Agreeing ownership of project risks; the risk register Integrating planning and risk management 8 Project control Pro-active and re-active control; striking the right balance Pre-requisites for effective, pro-active project control Avoiding unnecessary 'scope creep' and controlling change Selecting the data needed to provide early warning of problems Monitoring project performance: 'S' curves, slip charts, earned value Getting good data and assessing project status Defining the roles and responsibilities for control Setting up a routine process for keeping up to date Managing and controlling multiple projects 9 Project case study: part 3 Controlling the project Teams control their project as new developments take place 10 Course review and transfer planning (Course sponsor present) Identify actions to be implemented individually Identify corporate opportunities for improving project management Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals Conclusion

The market for professional services is becoming increasingly competitive, with some firms and individuals becoming very effective at winning new work, leaving others lagging way behind. Given the choice between spending time on client work and business development work, we all tend to choose that which we feel to be easier, more attractive and more aligned with our image of ourselves. We stay within our comfort zones, we focus on client work, and we only resort to business development work when we have to, which can also lead to 'feast or famine' syndrome. The programme will help participants: Understand the professional business development approach and the style that is appropriate for their business and their clients Follow a process to guide their conversations and business development meetings Prepare thoroughly for a business development meeting/contact with a client to ensure they use their time efficiently and maximise results Create a great first impression and professional opening to a conversation Ask open questions and listen effectively in order to spot opportunities, understand needs and progress the opportunity Identify and understand buying and decision-making processes and criteria Skilfully and confidently handle questions and objections Sell the benefits of their services and approach over those of their competitors Progress the sale by agreeing next steps and gaining commitment appropriately 1 Introduction Aims and objectives of the programme Personal introductions and objectives Workshop overview 2 An introduction to business development and selling for professionals What is selling? Who are you selling to? The buying experience What clients want The four-step business development process The business development cycle and pipeline management Upselling and cross-selling as well as winning new clients 3 Networking and generating leads What is networking? Networking objectives It's not what you know but who you know Asking for referrals and introductions Making appointments from networking activity 4 Opening the sales relationship/sales meeting What potential customers are thinking Judging first impressions Creating positive first impressions Building rapport and creating interest and impact Earning the right 5 Core communication skills for professional selling Overcoming barriers to listening The art of listening Questioning refresher Types of questions Questioning funnel 6 Understanding and identifying needs and opportunities Identifying the questions to ask to identify needs and opportunities Questions to move us through the buying and selling process Understanding their buying processes Asking questions that position you as a 'trusted adviser' The questions that give you a competitive advantage Knowing when you have asked enough questions 7 Introducing solutions Tailoring your 'pitch' to the client Speaking the client's language Using features and benefits Applying the benefit cycle 8 Handling objections and concerns Identifying the typical objections and concerns Understanding why clients raise objections and concerns Following a structure for handling objections Handling the price objection 9 Gaining commitment Knowing when to close The art of checking Recognising buying signals Small c and big C 10 Putting it all together Personal learning summary and action plans

Agile project management, already widely used for software development, is increasingly recognised as having much more general application. Continuous improvement programmes, business change projects, new technology development, research and development and a variety of other scenarios characterised by rapid change and high uncertainty can all benefit from an Agile approach. This programme presents the concepts and methods of Agile project management, and shows how to apply them to a range of project and change management situations. Participants will learn: how Agile project management can help with project and change management the 4 values and 12 principles of the Agile 'manifesto' and the range of Agile methodologies how to apply Agile project management methods and techniques in a range of project scenarios alternative Agile project management methods and how they can be applied and adapted what makes Agile project teams succeed the key roles and responsibilities needed to enable Agile project teams to work effectively how to encourage an Agile mindset within their organisation and how to move toward an Agile approach to managing projects 1 Introduction to Agile project management Overview of 'classical' project management and methodologies The link between project success and management performance Limitations of classical approaches and the need for Agile methods The 4 values and 12 principles of the Agile manifesto explained Agile project management values:Individuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking outputs over comprehensive documentationCustomer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a plan The cultural challenges of using Agile project management Choosing when and how to adopt Agile project management 2 Initiating a project using Agile project management Some key Agile methodologies explained: SCRUM, XP, Crystal Identifying and engaging project stakeholders; defining roles and responsibilities Setting the project vision and goals; defining project scope The Agile approach to requirements capture and elicitation of needs Tools and techniques for capturing and characterising requirements The role of documentation, reporting and process management 3 The Agile approach to definition and planning Understanding Agile planning; the 'planning onion' concept Developing the culture needed for collaborative involvement and iterative planning Defining project deliverables; the 'product backlog' concept Tools and techniques for defining and prioritising requirements in Agile projects Understanding and applying Agile estimating techniques Dealing with uncertainty and managing risks 4 The Agile approach to execution and delivery The results orientated, fast adapting culture of Agile teams The monthly 'Sprint' process for project planning and review The disciplines needed for effective daily SCRUM meetings Reviewing progress, managing change and project reporting Testing, completing and handing over of work packages Managing the interface between the project team and the business 5 Leadership and teamwork in Agile project teams Why Agile teams are different: the importance of individuals and interactions The skills and attributes needed to lead an Agile project team The challenges faced and skills needed by Agile team members Recognising team development needs; adopting the right leadership style Making the transition from project manager to Agile coach Key coaching skills explored: mentoring, facilitating, managing conflict