September 2001

THE REFLECTIVE MANAGER MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS

In early October all ACM members will receive The Reflective Manager, materials developed by the Association aimed at supporting managers’ self analysis of their skills against the FENTO management standards. Members will receive them both in hard copy and on CD.

The aim of these materials is to engage college managers in a process of reflection, analysis and planning which will underpin and promote their personal learning. We have aimed to make the materials relevant to all managers - curriculum, business and service managers - at all levels.

The Learning and Skills Council is charged with developing world class learning opportunities and organisations that will contribute significantly to a socially just and harmonious society; that will meet the skill needs of a 21st century economy; that will foster individuals’ personal, holistic growth. Colleges are striving to be the leading learning organisations in that modern world. Attaining that leadership role depends heavily on the values, qualities and skills of college managers.

The FENTO Management Standards represent a comprehensive audit of the skills, qualities and competencies demanded by management posts in post 16 education. They are the spine of these materials and provide all those working in the field with a framework for self analysis.

The Reflective Manager materials encourage managers to consider their strengths, skills and training needs against the full skills spectrum described by the FENTO standards. The materials are organised to be used flexibly depending on the circumstances of the individual manager. You may want to work with them quietly and privately, using them as an opportunity for quiet thought and analysis away from the pressures and pace of your role. Alternatively your work situation may best lend itself to using these materials with other colleagues, perhaps your primary team. Choose the sections most pertinent to you and your role, and work with them in the order that is right for your needs. Similarly providing the materials both in hard copy and electronically allows you to select the technology that best fits your circumstances. You are welcome to adapt the materials for your situation. Staff development managers for example may want to reshape the materials for use in training sessions.

The project was led by the Association for College Management, and funded by the Union Learning Fund. The materials are being distributed in hard copy and on disc, free of charge, to all ACM members. In due course they will also be available to all college managers on the ACM (www.acm.uk.com) and FENTO (www.fento.ac.uk) websites. The project has been ably supported by ACM’s project partners FENTO, Learning and Skills Development Agency, and the UfI.