Chartered Director Qualification

The professional qualification for directors

If you are looking to enhance your skills and improve your organisation's performance, Chartered Director is the award you need. The boards of many organisations are now embracing Chartered Director for their executive and non-executive directors.

Chartered Directors are able to:

• Appreciate all aspects of effective business leadership and sound corporate governance
• Improve the board's effectiveness and their personal contribution
• Operate at a strategic and tactical level to establish and sustain growth
• Attract interest and support from investors and banks
• Demonstrate to shareholders, clients and customers that their organisation is professional
• Enhance their career prospects as an executive or non-executive director

The Chartered Director qualification is unique.It is available to directors who have demonstrated the requisite knowledge and experience to act in this professional capacity and is the only award that recognises your capabilities as a director.

How to qualify

The first stage is to pass the IoD Examination in Company Direction. This examination assesses the IoD Company Direction Programme. The Programme's syllabus covers the areas which are considered important to a director's competence.

• Director duties, liabilities and legal responsibilities
• Finance
• Setting strategic direction
• Human resource strategy
• Marketing strategy
• Leading and directing change
• Decision making
• Performance management

The IoD Company Direction Programme consists of the Certificate in Company Direction, followed by the Diploma in Company Direction. The total class time commitment is just 13 days to cover both the Certificate and Diploma.

More details of the Programme structure...

Programme Schedule (taught at Salford)...

Eligibility

To register for Chartered Director you must be a full Member or Fellow of the Institute and be registered for or have passed the Diploma examination in Company Direction.

Your length of experience in a director role or equivalent should be either:

• 3 full years’ experience in a director level role for holders of a recognised degree or professional qualification.
• 5 full years’ experience in a director level role, for those who do not hold a recognised degree or professional qualification.

For either period you may have been working in a number of roles at director (or equivalent) level, including non-executive positions (NED positions must be consecutive). Your board (or governing body) must comprise three directors (including executive or non-executive directors).

Your role(s)

Do you participate, and/or have you participated, in the direction of your organisation for the time periods stated above by:

• being a full member of the board;
  • deriving your authority directly from the board, within an executive role, with clear responsibility
  • for determining and developing the strategy of, and the direction of, the organisation; participating in board activity in a role such as a non-executive director, trustee or governor
  • of a public body or institution; acting as company secretary for a significant entity or as company secretary combined with an executive position;
• being a focal point for the determination of the mission and vision of your organisation, or for driving the review of, and ensuring the relevance of, these;
• being responsible for the delegation and monitoring of performance and the delivery of the organisation’s strategy through senior management and other stakeholders;
• being responsible and demonstrating accountability on your own behalf, and on behalf of your organisation to a range of stakeholders.

Your participation in board activities

• Does your board meet formally at least four times per year? Does it focus on issues of direction and governance, rather than day to day matters?
• Does your board take responsibility for creating entrepreneurial opportunities for the organisation, while ensuring that it has fully assessed the risks of projects and ventures?
• Are you, as a member of the board, knowledgeable about the organisation so that you can be answerable to stakeholders, yet able to stand back from day to day operations and retain an objective and long-term view? Would you be able to demonstrate, or give examples of, this?
• Are you, as a member of the board, sensitive to short term issues affecting your organisation, and can you demonstrate how such issues are mitigated or dealt with in the context of the longer term? Can you demonstrate how you are able to contribute to board decisions?
• Do you, or does your board, ensure that there is a regular review of external influences and issues that could affect your organisation, does it take action in relation to the information that is gathered? Is your role in this activity influential?
• Does the board exercise its responsibility to staff, business partners, stakeholders and society as a whole, while focusing on the needs of the business?
• Can you demonstrate that your role has an impact on the board’s work and that through your role, you are able to lead change and/or influence outcomes relating to the organisation’s direction?

More information

For more information on the Chartered Direction Programme, please visit the IoD website...