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Standard Operating Procedure and Technical Manual Writing

Operational errors, safety incidents and inconsistent practice often trace back to standard operating procedures and manuals that are outdated, unclear or ignored by staff on the ground. This course teaches delegates to write step by step procedures and technical manuals that are accurate, logically sequenced, and usable by the people who must actually follow them daily.

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What you will be able to do

  • Break down a complex task into accurate, logically sequenced procedural steps.
  • Write instructions in plain, unambiguous language suited to the intended user's skill level.
  • Incorporate safety warnings, exceptions and troubleshooting guidance at the correct points in a procedure.
  • Use diagrams, numbering and formatting that make manuals easy to scan under pressure.
  • Validate draft procedures with actual users before publishing them as final documents.
  • Maintain version control so operational staff always work from the current procedure.

Course outline

  1. 01Purpose of Procedures and Manuals
  2. 02Breaking Tasks into Logical Steps
  3. 03Writing for the Intended User
  4. 04Safety Warnings and Exceptions
  5. 05Formatting for Fast Scanning
  6. 06Diagrams and Visual Instructions
  7. 07User Testing Before Publication
  8. 08Version Control and Updates

Who should attend

This course is intended for technical writers, quality officers, operations supervisors and subject matter experts who document procedures, work instructions or technical manuals.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendarRegister
28 Sep to 2 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam5US$1,800Closed
5 to 9 Oct 2026Lusaka5US$1,800Register
12 to 16 Oct 2026Harare5US$1,800Register
19 to 23 Oct 2026Accra5US$1,800Register
26 to 30 Oct 2026Lagos5US$1,800Register
2 to 6 Nov 2026Dubai5US$1,800Register
9 to 13 Nov 2026Johannesburg5R18,000Register
16 to 20 Nov 2026Cape Town5R18,000Register
23 to 27 Nov 2026Durban5R18,000Register
30 Nov to 4 Dec 2026Pretoria5R18,000Register
7 to 11 Dec 2026Nairobi5US$1,800Register

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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