The following profile is provided to assist programme directors and their clients in advising participants in regard to programmes of an appropriate level.

Middle managers can be distinguished from first line managers below them by their wider span of control. Team leaders or first line managers will frequently mediate their links with the people for whom they have responsibility. This means that they will have a similar or even smaller number of people reporting directly to them as managers nearer the front line, but will be accountable for the performance of all those over whom they have control, direct or indirect.

Middle managers will have a responsibility for allocating resources with some autonomy within defined boundaries, reflected in financial accountability for their area of activity. They will normally be budget-holders but with limited ability. They can authorise recurrent expenditure and expenditure on small capital items within defined, budgeted, limits. This responsibility will also include recruiting, promoting and disciplining people, within defined parameters and often with the agreement of HR specialists or senior managers. This may extend to sole responsibility for recruiting the most junior people in their area of responsibility.

Middle managers will engage in direct negotiation with internal and external customers and suppliers over the terms and prices governing their relationship, albeit within prescribed boundaries. They will also be accountable for the quality of the goods or services supplied by their area of responsibility and for improvements in quality and efficiency of operations.

Middle managers are likely to engage in project leadership where projects are designed to bring about changes in products, services, resources or systems. However, they will operate within defined boundaries and report progress and budgetary performance to more senior managers on a regular basis. Middle managers are more likely than first line managers to have a specialist management role which may extend to a technical specialism but which is primarily managerial in its focus. That means that they will be responsible for establishing, maintaining and improving systems (eg quality, marketing, sales, energy, health and safety, etc) as well as/rather than operating them.

Unlike the senior managers (both operational and strategic) above them, middle managers have clearly defined limits on their freedom to act or take decisions, and are expected to report regularly on their performance. They may propose changes to systems and will be responsible for ensuring that those systems are operated effectively, but they may only change those minor systems operated wholly within their own areas of responsibility without approval from others.