Advanced Food Safety Management and Leadership Level 5

Programme Summary

Develop the judgement needed to direct food safety across complex operations and supply networks. Experienced professionals evaluate scientific evidence, organisational behaviour, assurance data and business decisions that influence consumer protection. A progressive management case connects technical risk with investment, accountability and communication, culminating in a strategic improvement proposal supported by measurable controls and transparent assumptions.

Training Objectives

1 Strengthen strategic food safety leadership and accountability; 2 Integrate scientific evidence into management decisions; 3 Improve assurance across sites and supply networks; 4 Develop culture and resource allocation capabilities; 5 Support credible communication and sustained performance improvement.

Learning Outcomes

1 Evaluate food safety governance and assurance gaps; 2 Critique evidence supporting significant control decisions; 3 Prioritise a strategic food safety improvement portfolio; 4 Design measures linking behaviours controls and outcomes; 5 Defend an evidence based management recommendation.

Target Audience

Food Safety Directors; Technical Directors; Senior Quality Managers; Food Safety Consultants; Group Compliance Managers; Food Safety Trainers.

Target Industries

Food Manufacturing Groups; Retail Food Supply Chains; Large Catering Operations; Food Importing; Beverage Manufacturing.

Course Contents

• Module 1 Strategic Food Safety Governance: Board oversight and operational accountability; Risk appetite and consumer protection boundaries; Escalation and decision authority design.
• Module 2 Food Business and Supply Network Context: Business models and supply dependencies; Product portfolios and vulnerable consumers; Customer market and legal expectations.
• Module 3 Scientific Evidence and Critical Evaluation: Evidence relevance quality and uncertainty; Scientific reviews and expert consultation; Distinguishing assumptions from established knowledge.
• Module 4 Advanced Hazard and Control Review: Complex process and product hazard interactions; Control combinations and residual uncertainty; Significant changes requiring specialist evaluation.
• Module 5 HACCP System Leadership: Team competence and challenge culture; Oversight of validation and verification; Escalating unresolved control deficiencies.
• Module 6 Supplier and Outsourcing Governance: Risk segmentation and assurance depth; Contracted controls and information access; Supplier deterioration and contingency decisions.
• Module 7 Multi Site Food Safety Governance: Shared requirements and local operating differences; Consistent accountability and escalation routes; Learning across sites and product categories.
• Module 8 Food Safety Culture Diagnosis: Leadership consistency and operational pressures; Behaviour observation and confidential reporting; Survey evidence bias and triangulation.
• Module 9 Culture Improvement and Change: Desired behaviours and enabling conditions; Coaching incentives and management role modelling; Testing interventions and monitoring adoption.
• Module 10 Competence and Training Strategy: Role competence and succession risks; Learning pathways and practical verification; Evaluating training transfer to work.
• Module 11 Assurance Programme Design: Balance audits inspections monitoring and testing; Risk informed assurance coverage and independence; Interpreting assurance gaps and repeated findings.
• Module 12 Performance Data and Decision Quality: Leading indicators and outcome measures; Trend interpretation and misleading averages; Presenting uncertainty in management dashboards.
• Module 13 Resource and Investment Decisions: Quantify control weaknesses and business exposure; Compare improvement options and practical constraints; Protect essential controls under cost pressure.
• Module 14 Innovation and Operational Change: Product innovation and safety review gates; New technology and unfamiliar hazard pathways; Approval evidence and controlled implementation.
• Module 15 Food Fraud and Defence Governance: Accountable vulnerability and threat review; Intelligence monitoring and sensitive information control; Verification of proportionate protective measures.
• Module 16 Incident Leadership and Crisis Decisions: Decision logs and escalation thresholds; Product containment and stakeholder coordination; Communicating uncertainty without misleading reassurance.
• Module 17 Stakeholder Communication and Influence: Present technical issues to executives; Construct clear consumer protection messages; Manage conflicting operational priorities.
• Module 18 Independent Review and Continuous Improvement: Challenge assumptions and evidence sufficiency; Review recurring failures across processes; Translate learning into systemic corrective action.
• Module 19 Strategic Improvement Portfolio: Prioritise initiatives owners and milestones; Allocate assurance and resource commitments; Define measurable benefits and review triggers.
• Module 20 Leadership Capstone and Defence: Evaluate a complex food business case; Present and defend strategic recommendations; Record limitations and next verification steps.

Assessment

• 100 single best answer questions, including applied scenarios; one mark per question.
• 150 minute invigilated digital examination with identity verification. Approved accessibility adjustments preserve the assessed competence.
• Supplied reference sheets permitted; messaging, internet searches and external AI assistance prohibited.
• Individual applied assessment (90 minutes): Prepare and defend a strategic food safety improvement proposal for a multi site business, covering governance, three priority risks, assurance measures, resource decisions and evaluation milestones.
• Assessment criteria: Quality of evidence evaluation and risk reasoning; Feasibility of governance and improvement recommendations; Clarity of performance measures and executive justification.
• Pass each component separately: 75/100 written marks (75%) and at least 70% on the applied task.
• All mandatory criteria must pass: Do not recommend releasing products while material safety evidence remains unresolved.
• Individual results and feedback are provided. One reassessment may follow coaching under the published enrolment terms.

Certification

• Successful learners receive a TQCSI Arabia digital Certificate of Successful Completion.
• The certificate records the learner name, exact programme title, teaching hours, completion date and unique verification reference.
• Verified identity, full attendance and separate written and applied passes are required; all mandatory critical criteria must be met.
• Proposed issue target: within 30 calendar days of approved results and settlement of applicable fees.
• Records assessed TQCSI course achievement; the level indicates programme progression and does not imply equivalence to an external qualification framework.
• Attendance confirmation may record completed hours for unsuccessful learners; it does not certify successful completion.

Programme Profile

Number of daysNumber of daysNumber of days

555

Total teaching hoursTotal teaching hoursTotal teaching hours

35 hours; breaks, pre course work and formal final assessments excluded.35 hours; breaks, pre course work and formal final assessments excluded.35 hours; breaks, pre course work and formal final assessments excluded.

Delegates allowedDelegates allowedDelegates allowed

Maximum 16 delegates.Maximum 16 delegates.Maximum 16 delegates.

Training prerequisitesTraining prerequisitesTraining prerequisites

Food safety management and HACCP knowledge equivalent to the preceding manager level is required, with experience leading relevant technical or operational work.Food safety management and HACCP knowledge equivalent to the preceding manager level is required, with experience leading relevant technical or operational work.Food safety management and HACCP knowledge equivalent to the preceding manager level is required, with experience leading relevant technical or operational work.

Pre course assignment and assessmentPre course assignment and assessmentPre course assignment and assessment

Review a supplied management dossier and complete a 45 minute diagnostic on governance, HACCP and evidence evaluation.Review a supplied management dossier and complete a 45 minute diagnostic on governance, HACCP and evidence evaluation.Review a supplied management dossier and complete a 45 minute diagnostic on governance, HACCP and evidence evaluation.

End of course assessmentEnd of course assessmentEnd of course assessment

100 question written exam (150 minutes) and individual applied task (90 minutes).100 question written exam (150 minutes) and individual applied task (90 minutes).100 question written exam (150 minutes) and individual applied task (90 minutes).

Passing criteriaPassing criteriaPassing criteria

75% written and 70% applied, passed separately; full attendance. All mandatory criteria must pass.75% written and 70% applied, passed separately; full attendance. All mandatory criteria must pass.75% written and 70% applied, passed separately; full attendance. All mandatory criteria must pass.