LEVEL TWO · OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
Lead operations with clarity, influence and measurable impact.
This online programme develops managers who must convert organisational plans into performance. Participants strengthen leadership judgement, stakeholder influence, coaching, change leadership, financial awareness, data-led improvement and project evidence while preparing for a CMI-recognised Chartered Manager route.
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
A Leadership Impact Lab for operational leaders
Operational leaders sit at the hinge of the organisation. They translate strategy into action, protect standards, mobilise teams, manage resources, solve problems and make trade-offs under pressure. When operational leadership is weak, strategy remains a document. When it is strong, organisations become disciplined, responsive and measurable.
The Operational Leadership & Management Programme is a high-impact online development experience for managers who carry real responsibility for people, budgets, resources, stakeholders, quality, service delivery and change. It is designed for those who need to lead people while also improving systems, processes, cost discipline and customer or service outcomes.
Delivered by the University of Gold Coast Leadership Academy in collaboration with CMI Leadership Academy, the programme operates as a Leadership Impact Lab. Learners bring a live operational challenge, analyse it through leadership, stakeholder, finance, data and continuous-improvement lenses, and present a Management Impact Project with a credible ROI story.
The promise
Successful learners should leave able to lead people and stakeholders, build high-performance cultures, coach talent, lead change, align operational plans with strategy, use financial and operational data, implement improvement methods and present a Management Impact Project as a credible impact and ROI story.
WHY THIS PROGRAMME MATTERS NOW
Promoted into authority before being equipped to lead
- Operational managers need to connect everyday delivery with wider organisational strategy.
- Stakeholder expectations, resource constraints and service pressures require disciplined judgement.
- Change fatigue and resistance require managers who can communicate, coach and mobilise people ethically.
- Data, finance and continuous improvement are no longer specialist concerns; they are core management disciplines.
- Employers need development that produces measurable outcomes, not simply evidence of attendance.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
For managers responsible for performance delivery
This programme is designed for managers with active responsibility for operations, teams, departments, projects, services or functions.
- Middle managers and operational managers responsible for performance delivery.
- Department, branch, unit or service heads with people and resource responsibilities.
- Project and programme leaders managing stakeholders, risks and outcomes.
- Managers preparing for Chartered Manager or Foundation Chartered Manager routes.
- Professionals in corporate, public sector, NGO, educational, ministry, entrepreneurial and service environments who need stronger operational leadership.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Practical capability, professional judgement and credible evidence
- Apply leadership styles that create inclusive, accountable and high-performing cultures.
- Manage internal and external stakeholders through mapping, communication and ethical influence.
- Use coaching, mentoring, feedback and succession practices to develop talent.
- Lead teams through change, resistance and uncertainty with structured communication and resilience.
- Develop operational plans aligned with strategy, KPIs, resources, budgets and risks.
- Use financial and operational tools to monitor performance and improve resource efficiency.
- Apply data, root-cause analysis and continuous-improvement methods such as PDCA, Kaizen and the 5 Whys.
- Design, implement and present a Management Impact Project supported by evidence and ROI logic.
PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE
The essentials
THE LEARNING JOURNEY
An I.M.P.A.C.T. model – Identify, Mobilise, Plan, Apply, Capture, Tell the ROI story
The programme combines live teaching, leadership labs, peer challenge, guided templates, professional reflection and workplace application. Participants use their department, function, project or service as the primary learning context. The journey may be adapted for cohort calendars and sector context while preserving the required learning outcomes, evidence standards and recognition-route integrity.
Week 0
Registration, eligibility, baseline assessment and project scoping.
Week 1
Leadership styles, psychological safety and team norms.
Week 2
Stakeholder mapping, influence, communication and trust.
Week 3
GROW, feedback, development plans and succession planning.
Week 4
Change models, barriers, resilience and communication.
Week 5
KPIs, resources, budgets, risk and dashboards.
Week 6
Budgeting, variance, cost-benefit logic and Lean waste.
Week 7
PDCA, Kaizen, 5 Whys, Fishbone and bottlenecks.
Week 8
Problem statement, options, ROI, risks and timeline.
Week9
RAID, RACI, dashboard and stakeholder communication.
Week 10
ROI story, reflection and professional discussion preparation.
IMPACT PROJECT, BUSINESS CASE & ROI
The anchor of the programme
The Management Impact Project requires each learner to address a live operational challenge, improvement opportunity or business case with sufficient evidence to demonstrate value. Projects may involve process improvement, service quality, stakeholder management, cost reduction, workflow redesign, team performance, customer experience, compliance, digital adoption, resource utilisation or change implementation. Where full implementation is not feasible during the cohort, learners may prepare a robust business case or pilot proposal supported by evidence and ROI logic.
- Diagnose the issue using evidence, stakeholder insight and operational data.
- Develop options, risks, resource implications and expected benefits.
- Use practical tools such as RACI, RAID, dashboards, project timelines and communication plans.
- Capture evidence of action, stakeholder feedback, learning and measurable change.
- Present a persuasive ROI story with next-step recommendations.
ELIGIBILITY & PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
Route decisions based on evidence, not title alone
Applicants should normally be operating in a management, operational leadership or substantial supervisory role. Route decisions for Chartered Manager or Foundation Chartered Manager should be based on experience, evidence and CMI verification, not job title alone.
- Complete onboarding, diagnostics and route-readiness activity.
- Engage in the masterclasses, impact labs and workplace application tasks.
- Prepare and complete the Management Impact Project or approved business case.
- Submit reflective and professional evidence required by the programme.
- Complete the final project presentation and internal review process.
- Meet route-specific requirements for Chartered Manager or Foundation Chartered Manager recognition where applicable.
Professional recognition should never be presented as a marketing shortcut. Learners should provide honest, proportionate and verifiable evidence of experience, engagement, application, reflection and impact. Awards and status are subject to successful completion and the relevant CMI eligibility and verification requirements.
VALUE FOR EMPLOYERS & SPONSORS
An evidence-led route to stronger middle management
- Improves the ability of managers to translate strategy into operational plans and accountable delivery.
- Strengthens stakeholder communication, ethical influence and cross-functional coordination.
- Builds coaching, feedback and talent-development habits that support retention and succession.
- Introduces financial awareness, data use and continuous-improvement methods into everyday management.
- Generates business cases or implemented projects that can show measurable value or clear next-stage ROI potential.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your questions, answered
Is the programme fully online?
Who is the programme best suited for?
Is the programme only for private-sector managers?
What is the Management Impact Project?
Does the programme guarantee Chartered Manager status?
Can employers sponsor cohorts?
What kind of evidence do participants produce?
How practical is the programme?
Turn operational responsibility into measurable leadership impact.
Become a HEPO member organisation to give eligible managers priority access to this programme, or speak to the HEPO Desk about a customised employer cohort designed around your operational priorities. Membership creates no obligation of any kind.