Mapping management levels to the National Credit Framework

Understanding the NCF (National Qualifications Framework) will help you match the right managers to the right QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework) level. If you don't do this, then three things can happen:

1. Managers can get quickly out of their depth.
2. Mangers can find that it is difficult or impossible to apply what they are learning.
3. Managers can get bored as they are not learning anything new.

Prior to 2006 traditional CMS and DMS programmes were clearly understood as:

• CMS = a medium length course for middle managers
• DMS = a longer and more demanding pre-MBA course for senior managers

However since 2006 the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority - the government body that controls all national qualifications) has introduced a new framework called the QCF (Qualifications Credit Framework).

The QCF matches numerical levels 1 to 8 against level of career experience and challenge.

To help you place what goes where, the following table gives an indication of equivalence:

You can find out more about QCF at the QCA website: http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_8150.aspx

For a variety of reasons, the three awarding bodies Croft Management Centre works with - CMI, ILM and BTEC (Edexcel) - mainly offer their management qualifications at Levels 2 - Supervisor, 3 - First line, 5 - Middle Management and 7 - Senior Management, and on this whole website we have focused exclusively on levels 3, 5 and 7. This is because when it comes to management development, these three meet most of the main needs of most organisations.

Understanding the QCF and how it relates to your business is not always easy, and usually the best way to understand your options is to talk it through with our subject expert Jeremy Hamilton. Please do contact or give him a call on 01202 461230.