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Level 5 Diploma — 6-12 Months — Standalone Qualification

CMI Level 5 Diploma
in Management &
Leadership

Take strategic ownership of your organisation. This middle-management qualification develops capability in people management, strategic thinking, operational excellence, and business leadership.

CMI Accredited — Level 5 NQF — 6-12 Month Delivery — Standalone Diploma
100%
CMI
Accredited
6-12
Month
Delivery
Flexible
Study
Options
NQF
Level 5
Recognized
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Ofsted
Good Provider

For Middle Managers &
Operational Leaders

The credential for sustainable, strategic management. Develop your people, drive performance, and lead change with confidence.

🎭

Middle Managers

Running a department or function? This qualification deepens your strategic capability, people development skills, and operational leadership. Master the balance between execution and vision.

📊

Operational Leaders

Responsible for delivering results across teams. Gain proven frameworks in performance management, change leadership, and business acumen. Build credibility beyond your technical expertise.

🚀

Senior Supervisors & Team Managers

Ready to step up to true management. This qualification accelerates your transition from team lead to strategic manager, with formal recognition of your new scope.

🔄

Department Heads & Project Directors

Managing significant functions or projects. Strengthen your strategic mindset, stakeholder management, and people development capability. Position yourself for senior leadership roles.

What You’ll Get

Middle Management Standard

CMI Level 5 is the gold standard for middle managers across the UK. It recognises your strategic capability, people leadership, and operational excellence in a way that opens doors to senior roles.

Your Strategic
Leadership Platform

This qualification is where you take strategic ownership. You’ll develop capability in people management at scale, business leadership, change management, and sustainable performance.

Work-based learning means you apply everything to your real leadership context. Your portfolio demonstrates how you’ve led change, developed people, and driven business results.

Typical study is 10-12 hours per week over 6-12 months, with flexibility to suit senior leadership responsibilities.

Key Details

Duration
6-12 Months
Level
CMI Level 5 NQF
Format
Portfolio & Work-Based
Study Time
10-12 Hours/Week
Assessment
Portfolio & Viva

What You’ll Learn

Develop strategic capability, advanced people leadership, and operational excellence for modern management environments.

Strategic Leadership

  • Develop strategic vision & direction
  • Align teams to organisational strategy
  • Drive sustainable performance
  • Manage strategic risk & governance

People & Culture Leadership

  • Develop high-performing teams
  • Build organisational culture
  • Manage organisational change
  • Foster talent & succession

Business & Operational Excellence

  • Drive business performance
  • Manage complex operations
  • Build stakeholder relationships
  • Optimise resource & delivery

Change & Innovation Leadership

  • Lead organisational change initiatives
  • Build change resilience
  • Foster innovation & creativity
  • Manage transformation programs

Core Modules

Nine advanced modules covering strategic management, people leadership, and operational excellence at middle-management level.

Module 1

Strategic Leadership & Direction

Developing strategic vision, setting direction, and aligning teams to organisational objectives.

Strategy
Module 2

Managing & Developing Teams

Building high-performance teams, people development, and sustainable engagement at scale.

People Leadership
Module 3

Managing Performance & Change

Driving organisational change, managing resistance, and sustaining performance during transition.

Change Management
Module 4

Business Acumen & Financial Literacy

Understanding business strategy, financial management, and commercial decision-making.

Business Skills
Module 5

Stakeholder & Relationship Leadership

Managing complex stakeholder relationships, influence, and cross-functional leadership.

Stakeholder Mgt
Module 6

Organisational Context & Ethics

Understanding governance, ethical leadership, and building sustainable organisational culture.

Ethics & Governance
Module 7

Self-Leadership & Development

Executive self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and continuous leadership development.

Personal Development
Module 8

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

Fostering innovation, driving operational excellence, and building learning organisations.

Innovation
Module 9

Integrated Leadership Project

Demonstrate strategic leadership through a comprehensive real-world management project.

Assessment

How You’ll Be Assessed

Work-Based Portfolio

Build evidence from real leadership projects. Your portfolio demonstrates strategic capability, people development, change leadership, and business impact. Rigorous yet practical assessment.

Reflective Leadership Practice

Regular reflections on your strategic decisions and people leadership. How have you influenced strategy? What change have you led? This develops executive self-awareness.

Professional Viva

A one-to-one conversation with a senior CMI assessor. Discuss your portfolio, your leadership philosophy, and your strategic impact. This ensures authentic demonstration of capability.

CMI Accreditation & Credential

Once approved, you hold a CMI Level 5 Diploma — internationally recognised evidence of your middle-management leadership capability. Valued by employers across sectors.

“Level 5 gave me the confidence and framework to think strategically about my role. I went from managing day-to-day to shaping departmental strategy — and that’s changed everything.”
— Michael, Department Head, Finance

Strategic, Not Tactical

This qualification is about the whole game, not just winning the match. You’ll develop genuine strategic capability, not just better day-to-day management skills.

Real Leadership Challenges

Your assessment is built from real projects: the change you’ve led, the teams you’ve developed, the business results you’ve driven. It’s proof in action.

Progression to Senior Roles

Level 5 opens doors. Many of our graduates progress to CMI Level 7 and into senior executive roles. This is a credential that carries weight with top employers.

Senior Mentor Support

Your tutor has significant middle & senior management experience. They understand strategic challenges and can challenge you to think bigger about your role.

Ready to Lead Strategically?

Join senior managers across the UK building strategic leadership capability and stepping confidently into executive roles.

Enquire Now
TESS Group
+44 (0)20 7939 9090
hello@tessgroup.co.uk
www.tessgroup.co.uk