Cambridge
Academy
In London

Introduction

Modern administrative affairs functions must deliver reliable services, strong controls, and efficient operations while meeting compliance requirements and rising stakeholder expectations. This advanced program equips administrative leaders with practical methods to build effective policies, strengthen operational controls, optimize office processes, and improve service quality through measurable performance management. 

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

·        Design and manage office operations policies, procedures, and governance

·        Strengthen administrative controls for compliance, approvals, and risk reduction

·        Map and optimize core administrative processes to reduce cycle time and cost

·        Improve service delivery through SLAs, customer experience, and performance metrics

·        Enhance vendor, contract, and budget oversight within office operations

·        Develop an actionable office operations improvement roadmap and operating rhythm

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

·        Senior managers and managers in Administrative Affairs and Office Management

·        Facilities and workplace services leaders supporting office operations

·        Procurement and vendor management professionals involved in service contracts

·        Finance and compliance professionals supporting administrative controls

·        Team leaders responsible for administrative service delivery and performance 

Course Outlines

Day 1: Office Operations Governance & Policy Framework

·        Office operations scope: services, stakeholders, and operating boundaries

·        Governance design: roles, decision rights, escalation paths, and RACI

·        Policy framework: policy vs. procedure vs. guideline and ownership model

·        Documentation standards: clarity, version control, review cycles, and compliance alignment

·        Activity: Office operations governance health check + policy gap assessment

Day 2: Controls, Compliance & Administrative Risk Management

·        Administrative controls: approvals, segregation of duties, and authorization matrices

·        Records and documentation controls: retention, confidentiality, and access management

·        Managing operational risk: risk registers, controls mapping, and incident handling

·        Internal compliance: audits, inspections, and corrective actions

·        Workshop: Build a control matrix for a core admin process (requests-to-fulfillment)

Day 3: Process Mapping & Optimization (Lean Office)

·        Process mapping tools: SIPOC, flowcharts, and value stream concepts

·        Identifying waste in office processes: delays, rework, handoffs, and over-processing

·        Standardizing processes: SOPs, checklists, and service catalogs

·        Measurement and cycle time improvement: bottleneck analysis and quick wins

·        Practical activity: Improve a selected admin process (current state → future state + metrics)

Day 4: Service Excellence, SLAs & Performance Management

·        Service delivery design: channels, triage, prioritization, and service levels

·        SLAs and OLAs: defining targets, response times, and escalation rules

·        Performance metrics: volume, cycle time, quality, satisfaction, and cost-to-serve

·        Communication and stakeholder management: expectations, updates, and issue resolution

·        Case study: Building a service desk model for administrative affairs 

Day 5: Vendor Oversight, Budget Discipline & Continuous Improvement

·        Vendor and contract management: SLAs, KPIs, reviews, and performance remedies

·        Budget planning and cost control: forecasting, spend visibility, and savings initiatives

·        Continuous improvement routines: reviews, audits, lessons learned, and standard updates

·        Capability building: training plans, role clarity, and team performance coaching