The ProQual Level 3 Diploma in Management is a nationally recognised, work-based qualification for supervisors, team leaders and first-line managers. It is designed for people who lead teams, manage projects and contribute to improving business performance.
The qualification develops practical skills across people management, leadership, project delivery, organisational risk, customer service, continuous improvement and workplace health and safety.
There is no need to attend college and there are no formal examinations. Learners demonstrate their competence through evidence generated as part of their normal working role, supported by an experienced assessor and an online portfolio system.
This qualification is suitable for people who are currently working in a supervisory or management role and have responsibility for:
Leading and developing a team
Managing team performance
Planning or delivering projects
Managing business risks
Supporting organisational objectives
Working with customers and stakeholders
Improving business performance
Developing themselves and others
You do not necessarily need to have "manager" in your job title. However, your role must give you enough responsibility and access to workplace evidence to demonstrate the required management competence.
By completing the qualification, learners can develop and demonstrate their ability to:
Lead, motivate and develop high-performing teams
Apply effective people-management principles
Understand leadership and management within an organisation
Plan and manage workplace projects
Identify and manage organisational risk
Use knowledge and information effectively
Contribute to continuous business improvement
Resolve customer problems appropriately
Apply workplace health and safety procedures
Plan their own personal and professional development
This is a flexible, work-based programme. Learners build an online portfolio using evidence from the work they already carry out, with guidance from an assessor throughout the qualification.
The programme includes:
An initial skills assessment
Portfolio planning and development
Individual assessor support
Regular mentoring and progress reviews
Email and telephone support
Access to an online portfolio system
Internal and external quality assurance
Registration with ProQual
Certification following successful completion
Because the qualification is evidence-based, completion time varies according to the learner's experience, responsibilities and access to suitable workplace evidence.
There are no formal entry requirements for the ProQual Level 3 Diploma in Management.
Learners should be employed in a role that enables them to demonstrate competence against the qualification criteria. This normally means having genuine responsibility for people, projects, customers, workplace processes or business improvement activities.
Where a learner has limited management experience, an assessor will discuss their suitability and identify any additional support or evidence requirements before enrolment.
Level 3 Diploma in Management
Please enter your details below to continue
Assessment
Assessment is completed in the workplace through a portfolio of evidence. Learners use evidence generated through their normal working activities to show that they meet the requirements of each unit.
Evidence may include:
Workplace documents
Work products
Reports and projects
Professional discussions
Witness testimonies
Written or verbal questioning
Assessor observations, where appropriate
There are no formal examinations. The qualification is assessed on a pass-or-fail basis according to whether the learner has demonstrated the required knowledge and workplace competence.
Certification
Successful learners receive a certificate showing the full qualification title, together with a certificate, listing the units achieved and their credit values. The qualification is at Level 3 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework and has qualification reference 601/3702/2. The qualification itself does not expire.
More Details
Mandatory units
Learners will complete the following mandatory units:
Manage Team Performance (1821)
Principles of People Management (1937)
Principles of Business (1942)
Principles of Leadership and Management (2596)
Manage Personal and Professional Development (2952)
Optional units included in this programme
The programme also covers the following optional units:
Manage a Project (1999)
Manage Business Risk (2004)
Manage Knowledge in an Organisation (2032)
Contribute to the Improvement of Business Performance (1911)
Manage Events (1959)
Resolve Customers' Problems (2169)
Health and Safety Procedures in the Workplace (4673)
Together, these units provide a broad range of practical management competence across leadership, people management, business improvement, project delivery, organisational knowledge, customer service and health and safety.
Progression opportunities
The ProQual Level 3 Diploma in Management can support progression into more senior management responsibilities and further professional development.
Possible progression routes include:
Level 5 management qualifications
Operations or Departmental Manager apprenticeships
Leadership and management qualifications
Higher-level business management programmes
Professional management roles across a wide range of sectors
Why choose a work-based management qualification?
This qualification allows experienced employees to gain formal recognition for the management skills they use at work. Evidence is gathered through real responsibilities and activities, so learners can develop their portfolio without stepping away from their role to attend college or sit examinations.
FAQs
No. Its official title is the ProQual Level 3 Diploma in Management. It is a competence-based RQF qualification assessed through a portfolio of workplace evidence. Although the assessment approach is similar to an NVQ, “NVQ” should not be added to the qualification title.
You do not necessarily need to have "manager" in your job title. You must, however, be working in a role that gives you enough responsibility and suitable workplace evidence to demonstrate the required management competence. An assessor can check your suitability before enrolment.
There is no single fixed completion time. The programme is flexible and the time required depends on your existing experience, the evidence available from your role and how quickly you progress through your portfolio.
Yes. The qualification is completed through workplace assessment and an online portfolio. There are no formal examinations, although you will need to take part in assessment activities such as professional discussions, questioning and workplace observations where appropriate.