Accounting Policies and Procedures Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Financial Controllers, Finance Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-A-114

Before you join: Participants should have practical experience with accounting records, month-end close, reconciliations, financial reporting or finance operations.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Accounting policies and procedures determine how transactions are recognised, recorded, reviewed and reported. When they are unclear, outdated or inconsistently applied, finance teams face avoidable close delays, unsupported journal entries, reconciliation failures, control weaknesses and audit findings. A well-designed policy framework gives staff clear decision rules, consistent evidence requirements and defined accountability for recurring accounting activities.

This course develops the practical skills needed to design, update, document and maintain accounting policies and procedures. Participants examine the relationship between IFRS requirements, accounting judgments, estimates, internal controls and operational workflows. They work with policy hierarchies, IAS 8 accounting policy decisions, RACI matrices, process maps, reconciliation standards, close calendars, control descriptions and exception registers. The course addresses common finance processes including revenue recognition, fixed assets, inventory, accruals, journal entries, balance-sheet reconciliations and system access.

Teaching combines short technical briefings with case work, group analysis, document reviews and facilitated drafting activities. Participants assess examples of policy clauses, standard operating procedures, account certification packs and control matrices, then apply the methods to realistic finance scenarios. Each participant leaves with an Accounting Policy and Procedure Improvement Pack containing reusable templates, a gap assessment and a prioritised implementation plan.

The course is suited to finance professionals responsible for financial control, reporting quality, accounting operations, internal control or policy governance. It is particularly relevant where finance teams are standardising processes, preparing for audit, implementing new systems, responding to control findings or strengthening accountability across shared-service and business-unit teams.

What you will be able to do

  • Design an accounting policy hierarchy with clear ownership, approval and review requirements
  • Apply IAS 8 to distinguish accounting policies, estimates, errors and prior-period adjustments
  • Document accounting procedures using process maps, RACI matrices and standard operating procedure formats
  • Build month-end close, journal-entry and balance-sheet reconciliation control requirements
  • Assess revenue, inventory and fixed-asset policies against relevant IFRS requirements
  • Create COSO-aligned control descriptions for significant accounting risks and assertions
  • Develop policy exception registers, account certification packs and evidence retention standards
  • Produce a prioritised accounting policy and procedure implementation plan

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Write clearer accounting policies with defined authority, scope and review cycles
  • Handle accounting policy, estimate and error decisions using IAS 8
  • Document repeatable finance procedures that staff can follow and evidence
  • Identify control gaps in close, reconciliation and journal-entry processes
  • Build a credible implementation plan for improving finance documentation

For your organisation

  • More consistent accounting treatment across teams, entities and reporting periods
  • Reduced month-end delays caused by unclear ownership and undocumented procedures
  • Stronger audit trails for journals, reconciliations, estimates and policy exceptions
  • Fewer control failures from incompatible duties, weak approvals and missing evidence
  • Faster remediation of audit findings through accountable corrective-action plans

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can establish a governed structure for accounting policies, procedures and supporting instructions.

  • Purpose, scope and authority clauses that make policies enforceable
  • Policy hierarchy linking accounting manual, procedures, forms and work instructions
  • Governance roles defined through policy owners, approvers, custodians and users
  • Materiality thresholds aligned with reporting risk and management accountability
  • Document-control conventions for version numbers, effective dates and review cycles
  • Approval workflows that distinguish policy exceptions from routine operational judgments

Participants can make and document accounting policy decisions using IFRS requirements and IAS 8.

  • IFRS Conceptual Framework applied to recognition, measurement and presentation decisions
  • IAS 8 hierarchy used when no specific IFRS applies
  • Accounting policy selection distinguished from estimates, errors and prior-period adjustments
  • Materiality assessments documented using quantitative thresholds and qualitative indicators
  • Significant judgment memoranda structured for audit evidence and reviewer challenge
  • Disclosure implications traced from policy choices to financial statement notes

Participants can document controlled procedures for revenue recognition, period close and journal entries.

  • Revenue recognition procedures mapped to IFRS 15's five-step model
  • Contract reviews identify performance obligations, variable consideration and financing components
  • Month-end close calendar assigns cut-offs, dependencies, reviewers and escalation points
  • Journal-entry standards require support, preparer evidence and independent approval
  • Accrual procedures distinguish incurred obligations from forecast operating commitments
  • Cut-off tests reconcile goods receipts, invoices, dispatches and ledger postings

Participants can define consistent policies and procedures for inventory, assets and estimates.

  • IAS 2 cost formulas and net realisable value testing
  • Fixed-asset capitalisation rules separate repairs, components, depreciation and impairments
  • IAS 36 impairment indicators trigger documented cash-generating-unit assessments
  • Useful-life and residual-value reviews support depreciation estimate governance
  • Inventory count instructions address custody, count sheets, variances and approvals
  • Asset-register reconciliations connect additions, disposals, depreciation and general ledger

Participants can build evidence-based reconciliation and account certification procedures.

  • Bank reconciliation procedures investigate timing differences, stale items and unexplained variances
  • Balance-sheet reconciliation templates identify account purpose, source data and evidence
  • Subledger-to-general-ledger controls isolate interface failures and posting discrepancies
  • Account certification packs document preparer review, reviewer challenge and sign-off
  • Ageing analyses drive provisioning reviews for receivables, payables and inventory
  • Exception logs record root cause, corrective action, owner and closure date

Participants can design accounting controls linked to risks, assertions and evidence requirements.

  • COSO control activities linked to assertions, risks and control objectives
  • Segregation-of-duties matrices expose incompatible initiation, approval, custody and recording roles
  • Preventive, detective and corrective controls selected for key accounting risks
  • Control descriptions specify frequency, evidence, population and responsible role
  • Walkthroughs test whether written procedures match actual transaction processing
  • Key-control testing distinguishes design effectiveness from operating effectiveness

Participants can create usable procedure documents that specify roles, decisions and evidence.

  • Process maps use swimlanes to show handoffs, decisions and evidence
  • RACI matrices assign accountable owners for policy maintenance and execution
  • Standard operating procedures define triggers, inputs, steps, outputs and exceptions
  • Decision trees direct staff through recurring accounting judgment scenarios
  • Forms and checklists standardise evidence for recurring finance activities
  • Plain-language drafting separates mandatory requirements from explanatory guidance

Participants can specify procedure and control requirements for accounting systems and data.

  • Role-based access controls restrict posting, approval and master-data amendment rights
  • ERP workflow configurations reflect approval limits, tolerances and exception routing
  • Master-data governance controls chart-of-accounts, vendor, customer and asset changes
  • Spreadsheet control standards address ownership, formulas, protection and change logs
  • Automated interface reconciliations detect incomplete, duplicate and rejected transactions
  • Audit trails preserve source records, approvals and configuration-change evidence

Participants can monitor compliance, manage exceptions and respond effectively to audit findings.

  • Policy exception registers capture rationale, approvals, duration and remediation actions
  • Internal audit requests answered through indexed evidence and control narratives
  • Audit findings classified by root cause, risk rating and corrective action
  • Key performance indicators monitor close timeliness, reconciliations and overdue actions
  • Annual policy reviews incorporate standards changes, incidents and process feedback
  • Management reporting escalates unresolved issues through defined governance forums

Participants can plan and govern the implementation of improved accounting policies and procedures.

  • Gap assessments compare current procedures against approved policy requirements
  • Implementation roadmaps sequence ownership, communication, training and control changes
  • Change-impact assessments identify affected roles, systems, records and reporting deadlines
  • Pilot feedback refines procedures before controlled organisation-wide release
  • Training matrices assign policy learning requirements by role and risk
  • Review calendars schedule attestations, monitoring, updates and continuous improvement
  • Personal application plans prioritise three policy or procedure improvements

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Accounting policy hierarchy template
  2. IAS 8 decision memorandum template
  3. Standard operating procedure template
  4. Balance-sheet reconciliation checklist
  5. COSO-aligned accounting control matrix
  6. Policy and procedure implementation roadmap

Who should attend

  • Financial Controllers — responsible for consistent accounting treatment and financial control
  • Finance Managers — need clear procedures for reliable team execution
  • Accounting Managers — oversee close processes, reconciliations and accounting judgments
  • Financial Reporting Managers — translate reporting requirements into documented policies
  • Internal Control Managers — strengthen accounting controls and evidence standards
  • Internal Auditors — assess policy compliance, procedure design and control operation

Skills and tools covered

Policy governanceIFRS policy applicationProcedure documentationFinancial control designReconciliation managementAudit evidence management

Tools and standards

IFRS Conceptual Framework, IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors, COSO Internal Control Framework, RACI matrix

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish accounting policy, IFRS and control principles, followed by realistic finance cases and facilitated group work. Participants review policy wording, map procedures, assess judgment scenarios, analyse reconciliation exceptions and test control descriptions against transaction risks. Simulations focus on close activities, policy exceptions and audit evidence requests. Individual application planning helps participants convert course methods into specific documentation and control improvements for their own finance function.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical experience with accounting records, month-end close, reconciliations, financial reporting or finance operations. They should be familiar with core accounting concepts such as accruals, depreciation, journal entries, general ledger accounts and financial statements. Prior exposure to IFRS, internal controls or audit work is useful but not essential. The course does not require participants to be qualified accountants, internal auditors or system specialists. It does not assume advanced technical knowledge of every IFRS standard or prior experience writing formal policies.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should understand basic accounting processes, including journals, accruals, reconciliations and financial statements. Experience in finance operations, reporting, controllership or audit is sufficient; an accounting qualification is not required.

Participants should bring examples or descriptions of policy, procedure, close or reconciliation issues they want to improve. They should not bring confidential financial data, customer records or restricted internal documents.

The course suits financial controllers, accounting managers, finance managers, reporting professionals, internal control staff and internal auditors. It is designed for people who need to create, update, apply or assess accounting documentation and controls.

An IFRS course concentrates on technical accounting requirements and financial statement treatment. This course focuses on turning accounting requirements into approved policies, repeatable procedures, controls, evidence standards and accountability.

Participants can use the templates to review a current accounting policy, map a procedure, strengthen a reconciliation standard or address an audit finding. The implementation roadmap helps them prioritise changes by risk, ownership and timing.

The five-day programme provides approximately 32.5 contact hours, delivered from 08:30 to 16:30 each day. Time is divided across ten modules covering policy governance, IFRS decisions, core accounting procedures, controls, documentation, monitoring and implementation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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