This qualification is designed for people working in, or intending to work in, senior managerial positions in fire management, either in paid employment or as a volunteer, who have responsibilities for the direction and management of an organisation, and can also include operational management of fires at a senior level.

This diploma is designed to complement the five National Certificates in Fire and Rescue Services (Vegetation) at levels 2-6, and shares some credits with each of them. Although the level 3, 4, 5, and 6 certificates have a prerequisite relationship, this qualification stands alone as worthy of achievement in its own right.

It recognises a range of knowledge and skills specific to vegetation fire prevention, command and control of fire fighting, as well as the management of a rural fire organisation. It is for people whose responsibilities include management of business processes, setting policy, and performing general management and civil defence duties.

The compulsory section contains standards that cover directing defensive control of structure and vehicle fires; exercising initial response, command, and control for vegetation fire operations; commanding vegetation fire incidents; assessing threat from vegetation fires; demonstrating knowledge of, and application of, vegetation fire behaviour; carrying out planning activities at rural fire operations; supervising the operation of aircraft at vegetation fires; demonstrating knowledge of the fire environment on fire behaviour; managing ground operations at vegetation fires; and demonstrating knowledge of legislated responsibilities of a Rural Fire Authority.

The elective provides flexibility to the qualification and offers a choice of standards from within the Fire and Rescue Services subfield and other sectors that have relevance to the responsibilities required of people working at a senior level in a fire agency or organisation.