Custom Courses Administration and Secretarial

Highly Productive Administrator Programme Training

SAQA US AATICD-0029 | NQF 5 | Credits 10 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This programme is designed to equip administrative professionals with the skills and knowledge required to manage office tasks efficiently, enhance productivity, and support organisational goals. Participants will learn to apply best practices in time management, communication, and workflow optimisation to become highly effective administrators.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply advanced time management techniques to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
  • Implement efficient office systems and procedures to streamline workflow.
  • Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills in a professional context.
  • Analyze administrative processes to identify areas for improvement and propose solutions.
  • Evaluate the use of technology and digital tools to enhance administrative productivity.
  • Design a personal productivity plan that aligns with organisational objectives.

Target Audience

This course is ideal for administrative assistants, office managers, secretaries, and any professionals seeking to enhance their administrative productivity and efficiency in a corporate environment.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Productivity and Self-Management

Objectives:
• Understand the principles of personal productivity and time management
• Identify common time-wasters and implement strategies to overcome them
• Apply the Eisenhower Matrix and Pareto Principle to prioritise tasks
• Set SMART goals and create actionable daily plans
• Develop a personal productivity baseline self-assessment

Topics:
• Introduction to productivity: definitions, benefits and mindset
• Time management principles: Parkinson’s Law, time blocking
• Prioritisation techniques: Eisenhower Matrix, Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)
• Goal setting: SMART criteria and breaking goals into tasks
• Self-assessment: identifying personal productivity gaps
• Overview of daily planning tools (paper-based and digital)

Day 2: Effective Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Objectives:
• Demonstrate assertive communication and active listening techniques
• Apply professional email and telephone etiquette
• Manage difficult conversations and provide constructive feedback
• Build rapport with colleagues, clients and stakeholders
• Use communication styles to enhance team collaboration

Topics:
• Assertive vs passive vs aggressive communication
• Active listening: techniques and barriers
• Professional email writing: structure, tone and netiquette
• Telephone etiquette: handling calls, taking messages, voice mail
• Conflict resolution: handling disagreements professionally
• Giving and receiving constructive feedback
• Understanding communication styles (DISC, MBTI basics)

Day 3: Office Systems, Document Management and Technology

Objectives:
• Organise physical and digital filing systems for efficient retrieval
• Use Microsoft Outlook (or equivalent) for calendar and email management
• Create effective templates and standard operating procedures
• Apply keyboard shortcuts and productivity apps to save time
• Manage information overload and maintain confidentiality

Topics:
• Filing systems: alphabetical, numerical, subject-based, digital folder structures
• Document version control and naming conventions
• Outlook/email management: folders, rules, flags, quick steps
• Calendar management: scheduling, meeting requests, time zones
• Keyboard shortcuts for Windows/Office and productivity tools (e.g., Trello, Asana)
• Information management: handling emails, reports, and data securely
• Creating templates for letters, memos, reports and minutes

Day 4: Meeting Management, Event Coordination and Travel Arrangements

Objectives:
• Plan, organise and facilitate productive meetings
• Prepare agendas, take effective minutes and follow up on actions
• Coordinate events, conferences and travel itineraries
• Manage budgets and vendor relationships for events
• Apply post-event evaluation techniques

Topics:
• Types of meetings: staff, project, client, virtual
• Agenda setting: objectives, time allocation, pre-reading
• Minute-taking: formats, recording decisions, action items
• Meeting facilitation: keeping time, managing participation
• Event coordination: venue, catering, AV, invitations, RSVPs
• Travel arrangements: flights, accommodation, car hire, visas
• Budget tracking and expense reporting
• Post-event feedback and lessons learned

Day 5: Workflow Optimisation, Problem-Solving and Continuous Improvement

Objectives:
• Analyse and improve administrative workflows using process mapping
• Apply root cause analysis and decision-making models to solve problems
• Implement continuous improvement techniques (Kaizen, PDCA)
• Develop a personal productivity action plan for ongoing growth
• Demonstrate professional ethics and confidentiality in all tasks

Topics:
• Process mapping: flowcharts, swimlane diagrams
• Root cause analysis: 5 Whys, fishbone diagram
• Decision-making models: rational, intuitive, consensus
• Continuous improvement: Kaizen, PDCA cycle
• Managing change and resistance in administrative processes
• Personal productivity action plan: goals, habits, review cycles
• Ethics and confidentiality: POPIA, company policies, professional conduct
• Course wrap-up: assessment, feedback and certification

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Jan 2027 Fri 08 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Feb 2027 Fri 05 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Jun 2027 Fri 25 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Sep 2027 Fri 24 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 426 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 03 Aug 2026 Fri 07 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,863 Register
Mon 03 Aug 2026 Fri 07 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 17 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Harare, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 12 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Feb 2027 Fri 12 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 12 Jul 2027 Fri 16 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 11 Oct 2027 Fri 15 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 10 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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