Under the ZIPAM Act chapter 25:17 the Institute is mandated to:

• promote, assist and encourage the development of skills in administration and management by cooperation with individuals, organisations, and institutions in the coordination of any projects aimed at improving managerial skills;
• provide training courses in public administration and management to both the public and private sectors of Zimbabwe and encourage the exchange of ideas in administration and management between the public and private sectors;
• provide consultancy services to the government, parastatal, local authorities and, with the approval of the Board of Governors, to any interested persons, organisations or institutions;
• gather, document, and disseminate to government, parastatal, local authorities and the private sector, information relating to administration and management and give advice in relation thereto;
• undertake any research projects and publish any matter relating thereto;
• cooperate with persons, organisations or institutions in any other part of the world in matters of administration and management;
• make donations and grants or award fellowships or any other similar awards to any person for the enhancement of skills in administration and management; and
• charge fees in respect of services rendered by it.

ZIPAM is a service and market-oriented institution offering high level specialized client-centred management training and development programmes, consultancy and action-oriented management research services. ZIPAM's target key clients are middle and senior management in central and local government, Non-governmental Organisations, executive agencies, parastatals and business organisations in the private sector. Participants have also been drawn from the region. To date, over five thousand middle and top-level personnel in the government, parastatal, NGOs and private sector organisations have attended management development programmes offered by the Institute. In addition, these managers/executives have been provided with opportunities to widen their horizons, improve their executive skills and to understand management as a process of balanced judgement. The aim has always been to keep managers up-to-date with modern management thinking, and at the same time enable them to articulate their managerial and administrative responsibilities in the context of today's dynamic environment.