Professional Certificate in Financial Performance Management

This module provides you with a critical understanding of the sources and uses of finance for organisations operating in a domestic or international context and focuses on the management of financial and other resources to optimise organisational performance. You will explore the use of accounting, budgetary and other information systems in managerial planning, decision-making and control. You will learn to apply appropriate analytical tools and techniques, such as the balanced scorecard, key performance indicators, cost-volume-profit analysis and budget variance analysis. Through the lectures, relevant reading and seminar activities you will be introduced to the theory and practice of performance management and control. The role of budgets and budgetary control are critically evaluated and alternatives beyond budgeting are explored to ensure the organisation’s strategic goals are achieved. Through the learning and assessment strategy, you will incorporate the thinking behind integrated reporting, which acknowledges non-financial forms of capital such as human, intellectual, social and natural capital, as well as financial capital into your construction of a balanced scorecard.

Upon completion of this course, participants will gain the following:

• Knowledge outcomes – You will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the sources, uses and management of finance, and use accounting and other information for a range of managerial applications, including performance measurement scorecards.
• Cognitive skills outcomes – You will be able to manipulate financial and non-financial data to analyse organizational performance, including cost- volume-profit analysis, budget variance analysis and balanced scorecards as well as enhancing your problem solving and decision making skills and using information and knowledge effectively.

This module is designed for:

• Postgraduate students in Business, Finance, or Management who seek to develop a deeper understanding of financial decision-making, reporting, and performance management within organisational contexts.
• Healthcare, Public Sector, or NGO Managers who must integrate financial and non-financial performance indicators into strategy and control processes.
• Aspiring or current Finance and Accounting Professionals aiming to strengthen their grasp of advanced performance management tools such as cost-volume-profit analysis, budgeting techniques, and integrated reporting.
• Middle to Senior Managers involved in strategic planning, budget management, or evaluating organisational performance across departments.
• Business Consultants and Strategy Analysts who advise firms on financial efficiency, budgeting, and capital investment decisions, and require familiarity with balanced scorecards and sustainability-linked reporting.
• MBA and Executive Education Participants who want to enhance their business acumen in managing financial and non-financial resources to align with corporate goals and ESG priorities.
• Professionals transitioning into finance roles from non-financial functions, who need to understand how financial metrics inform business performance and strategic planning.