Designed for senior managers, directors, business owners, department heads and public sector leaders who need to make or influence decisions about generative AI.

It is particularly relevant if you are considering AI tools, reviewing proposed use cases, approving investment or responsible for governance and implementation.

No programming or previous AI knowledge is required. Basic digital literacy is sufficient.

This programme will help you if you want to:

• Understand generative AI capabilities and limitations without unnecessary technical jargon
• Identify where AI could create genuine organisational value
• Separate suitable AI use cases from tasks that need a different approach
• Use structured prompts to support decision making and analysis
• Challenge AI generated recommendations rather than accepting them at face value
• Understand governance, data protection, security, intellectual property and ethical considerations
• Build a realistic business case for AI investment
• Plan a controlled 90 day pilot with clear ownership, safeguards and measures of success

The course is designed for leaders who need to make sound decisions about AI, not become AI engineers. It combines accessible explanations with practical exercises so that you can judge opportunities, challenge outputs and oversee implementation with greater confidence.

The two day format takes you from understanding the technology and testing its use in decision support through to governance, supplier selection, business case development and implementation planning.

Understand what generative AI can and cannot do

Explore AI, machine learning and generative AI at an accessible level, including text, image and document capabilities. You will also examine important limitations such as fabricated information, variable outputs and the risks of overreliance.

Identify strategic opportunities

Consider practical applications across operations, customer service, HR, marketing and knowledge management. You will rank opportunities by value, feasibility and risk and distinguish tasks suited to AI assistance from those better handled in other ways.

Use AI to support decisions more effectively

Practise structured prompting by defining objectives, context, evidence, constraints and output formats. You will use a supplied briefing pack to produce an executive summary and options appraisal, then refine the result by requesting alternative perspectives.

Challenge AI supported recommendations

Learn to check claims, calculations and sources, distinguish evidence from assumptions and identify bias or missing information. A practical workshop asks you to test an AI generated recommendation against the original evidence before acting on it.

Build responsible AI governance

Explore confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property, bias, security and accountability. Consider human review, acceptable use rules and escalation, then build a risk register with proportionate controls for a selected use case.

Develop a credible business case

Move from a promising idea to an investable proposal by considering the problem, baseline performance, expected benefits, total costs and return on investment assumptions. Costs include licences, integration, training and the effort needed to verify outputs.

Select tools and prepare the organisation

Consider suppliers, data handling, access controls, integration and exit options, alongside assistants, organisation specific knowledge retrieval and agents. You will also explore staff capability, stakeholder engagement and workflow redesign.

Design and defend a 90 day pilot

Define scope, sponsorship, responsibilities, resources, milestones and measures for quality, cost and risk. The programme concludes with a boardroom simulation in which pilot proposals are challenged on strategic value, evidence, affordability and safeguards.

You will leave with a set of practical outputs that help turn an AI opportunity into a structured, governed proposal rather than an open ended experiment.

You will leave with:

• A prioritised AI opportunity shortlist
• An evidence checked decision brief
• A one page AI business case
• A risk register and proposed controls
• A supplier evaluation scorecard
• A 90 day implementation roadmap

By the end of the programme, you should be able to:

• Explain generative AI capabilities, limitations and implications for organisational decisions
• Identify and prioritise AI opportunities according to value, feasibility and risk
• Use structured prompts to produce and critically evaluate decision support material
• Assess governance, data protection, security and ethical considerations
• Develop an AI business case with costs, benefits and measurable success criteria
• Propose a 90 day pilot with clear ownership, human oversight and review points

Course duration

Two days, 09:00 to 17:00 each day.

The programme provides 13 guided learning hours, excluding lunch and refreshment breaks.

Participants

Suggested cohort size: 15 to 25 participants.

The format supports discussion, practical workshops, group case studies and peer challenge.

How the programme is delivered

Participants use supplied fictional or public information for practical exercises. Access to an approved generative AI tool should be checked before delivery.

• Interactive seminars
• Live demonstrations
• Practical workshops
• Group case studies
• Decision making exercises
• Boardroom simulation

Day 1: Understanding generative AI and applying it to decisions

Day 1 develops practical understanding of the technology, opportunity selection, prompting and evaluation of AI supported decisions.

• Generative AI essentials for leaders
• Strategic opportunity identification
• Practical prompting for decision makers
• Evaluation of AI supported recommendations
• Applied decision making exercise

Day 2: Governance, investment and implementation

Day 2 focuses on responsible use, business case development, supplier and tool selection, organisational readiness and pilot design.

• Responsible AI and governance
• Building the business case
• Selecting tools and preparing the organisation
• Designing a 90 day pilot
• Boardroom simulation and challenge

Preparation and equipment

Participants should bring a brief description of a workplace challenge. A laptop, internet access and access to an approved generative AI tool are required.