ACCA Paper 11 Strategic Business Leader
The aim of the syllabus is to demonstrate organizational leadership and senior consultancy or advisory capabilities and relevant professional skills, through the context of an integrated case study. The syllabus for Strategic Business Leader acts as the key leadership syllabus at the Strategic Professional level and is a substantial integrated examination. The examination requires candidates to demonstrate a range of professional skills demanded by effective leaders or in advising or supporting senior management in directing organizations. The syllabus, therefore, combines the main functions of organizations in the context of leadership capability. The main capabilities of the Strategic Business Leader syllabus assume essential technical skills and knowledge have been acquired in the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills examinations where some of the core capabilities of Strategic Business Leader will have been introduced in a subject-specific context, such as governance, internal audit, control, risk, finance, and management. The examination also draws upon a range of ethical and professional skills acquired in the Ethics and Professional Skills module, which should be completed before attempting any of the Strategic Professional examinations.
The Strategic Business Leader syllabus is covered in nine main sections with leadership, professionalism, and ethics, and corporate governance used as the initial focus for the rest of the syllabus. Excellent leadership involves having a team of capable and responsible directors, setting an appropriate ‘tone from the top’, and embedding appropriate corporate and cultural values within the organization. This is supported by a sound governance structure and effective management structures. The syllabus begins by examining leadership and having in place responsible and ethical leaders, having an awareness of who they are responsible to This section also covers personal and professional ethics, ethical frameworks – and professional values – as applied to a senior manager or adviser’s role and as a guide to appropriate behavior and conduct in a variety of situations. Clearly linked to organizational leadership is the existence of an effective governance structure within organizations in the broad context of the agency relationship. This aspect of the syllabus focuses on the respective roles and responsibilities of directors, the relevant committee structures, and the effective scrutiny of the performance of senior management, demonstrating their accountability by reporting more widely and holistically to stakeholders under an integrated reporting framework. It is only after the fundamental organizational leadership and governance structures and values are in place that strategy can be determined and the strategic position of the organization can be assessed and strategic options evaluated and implemented. Evaluating strategic options, making strategic choices and implementing strategy requires the organization’s leaders, or their advisers, to fully understand the risks involved so the syllabus then examines the identification, assessment, and control of risk as a key aspect of responsible leadership and management. The syllabus also includes a section relating to and applying IT and security controls at all levels of the organization from strategic considerations including big data, cloud computing, and e-business, through to using IT in the management of information, controlling organizations, and in financial and organizational operations. This section also focuses on the growing importance of ‘cybersecurity’ To support the management of risk the syllabus also addresses organizational control in its wider context, including internal audit, review, internal control, and appropriate reporting to implement and support effective governance, including compliance issues related to the safeguard of assets including data security, and decision-support functions.
The syllabus includes financial aspects of managing an organization, including evaluating available sources of finance and key financial and management accounting techniques to analyze performance and to support decision-making. Candidates need to be aware of legal issues and of the financial reporting and taxation implications of strategic and investment decisions. The syllabus finally focuses on innovation, performance excellence, and change management to enable organizational success and to implement change through effective organizational processes, IT solutions, and project management, including the role of new and disruptive technologies in transforming the nature of business analysis and transactions.
The last section, which links to all the others, is the Professional Skills section which indicates the range of professional skills that the candidate must demonstrate in the exam which will make them more employable, or if already in work, will enhance their opportunities for advancement.