Strategic Business Partnering for Accountants Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Finance Business Partners, Management Accountants and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-A-155

Before you join: Participants should have practical experience in accounting, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis or a related finance role.

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

Senior accountants are often expected to do more than close the books, explain variances and produce management reports. They must help leaders decide where to invest, how to improve margins, which risks require action and whether operating plans are financially credible. This requires commercial judgement, credible analysis, clear communication and the confidence to challenge assumptions without damaging working relationships.

This course develops the capabilities required of an accountant working as a strategic business partner. Participants examine business models, value drivers, customer and product profitability, forecasting, capital investment, pricing, working capital, risk and performance management. They apply driver-based planning, scenario analysis, activity-based costing, balanced scorecard design, discounted cash flow methods and management accounting techniques to realistic operational and commercial decisions. The course also addresses stakeholder mapping, influencing, constructive challenge, executive communication and the governance responsibilities of finance.

Teaching combines focused briefings with financial analysis cases, management simulations, group discussions and structured application to participants' own business issues. Participants progressively build a business-partnering case file during the programme, using practical templates for diagnostic analysis, forecasts, investment cases, performance reporting and stakeholder engagement. They leave with a completed strategic finance business case and presentation pack that can be adapted for a live decision in their organisation.

The course is suited to experienced accountants, finance business partners, management accountants, FP&A professionals and finance managers moving into broader advisory roles. It is also relevant to operational managers who work closely with finance and need to make better use of financial insight.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose a business model using value-chain, revenue and cost-driver analysis
  • Build driver-based forecasts, scenarios and sensitivity analyses for management decisions
  • Evaluate investment proposals using NPV, IRR, payback and risk-adjusted assumptions
  • Design decision-focused performance measures using balanced scorecard and KPI architecture
  • Analyse customer, product and channel profitability using contribution and activity-based costing
  • Challenge plans and assumptions through structured business partnering conversations
  • Present financial insight through executive narratives, decision papers and visual management reports
  • Produce a strategic business-partnering case with recommendations, risks and implementation actions

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater credibility in conversations with operational and commercial leaders
  • Practical methods for challenging assumptions without becoming obstructive
  • A stronger portfolio of forecasting, appraisal and performance-management techniques
  • Improved ability to convert financial analysis into executive recommendations
  • A completed business-partnering case suitable for workplace adaptation

For your organisation

  • Better financial challenge of budgets, forecasts and investment proposals
  • Earlier identification of margin, cash flow and delivery risks
  • More decision-focused reporting for senior management and budget holders
  • Stronger alignment between operational plans and financial targets
  • Finance teams able to support decisions beyond periodic reporting cycles

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can define a finance business-partnering mandate, priorities and decision-support responsibilities.

  • Finance business partnering mandate, decision rights and operating-model interfaces
  • From scorekeeper to co-owner: behaviours that build decision-maker trust
  • RACI mapping for finance, operations, commercial and executive accountabilities
  • Partnering service catalogue separating recurring reporting from decision support
  • Materiality thresholds directing analyst time toward high-value management questions
  • Ethical challenge protocols for estimates, targets and management bias

Participants can analyse how a business creates value and identify its critical financial drivers.

  • Business model canvas linking customers, propositions, resources and revenue
  • Value-chain analysis locating margin creation, cost concentration and bottlenecks
  • Revenue models: transaction, subscription, usage, licence and service contracts
  • Economic profit versus accounting profit in strategic resource allocation
  • Unit economics connecting volume, price, variable cost and contribution
  • Value-driver trees tracing strategic objectives to operational financial measures

Participants can frame financial advice using structured market, competitive and strategic analysis.

  • PESTLE analysis identifying external conditions affecting plans and forecasts
  • Porter's Five Forces assessing industry economics and competitive pressure
  • SWOT analysis separating evidence-based capabilities, constraints, opportunities and threats
  • Scenario planning for regulatory changes, demand shocks and supply disruption
  • Strategic assumptions register linking uncertainty to financial plan exposure
  • Decision framing distinguishing strategic choices from routine operating decisions

Participants can establish productive working relationships with key decision makers and budget holders.

  • Stakeholder maps ranking influence, interest, information needs and decision authority
  • Finance partnering contracts defining expectations, outputs, timing and escalation routes
  • Meeting charters establishing purpose, preparation, decisions and follow-up actions
  • Diagnosing stakeholder preferences for detail, pace, evidence and challenge
  • Trust-building behaviours: reliability, curiosity, confidentiality and constructive disagreement
  • Conflict-of-interest safeguards protecting finance independence and professional judgement

Participants can redesign management information around decisions, drivers and accountable actions.

  • Decision-led reporting starting with choices, owners, deadlines and financial consequences
  • KPI hierarchies linking strategic objectives, operational drivers and financial outcomes
  • Leading indicators distinguishing predictive measures from lagging financial results
  • Exception reporting using thresholds, trend breaks and materiality criteria
  • Variance bridges explaining changes through price, volume, mix and efficiency
  • Management packs structured for action rather than data accumulation

Participants can analyse cost behaviour and profitability to support operational and commercial choices.

  • Fixed, variable, stepped and semi-variable cost classification methods
  • Contribution analysis for volume decisions, capacity choices and short-term pricing
  • Break-even analysis incorporating contribution margin, fixed costs and sales mix
  • Activity-based costing assigning indirect costs through resource and activity drivers
  • Customer profitability analysis including service costs, rebates and credit exposure
  • Product portfolio analysis using contribution, capacity consumption and strategic relevance

Participants can construct integrated plans using operational drivers and accountable assumptions.

  • Driver-based planning connecting workforce, volume, productivity and capacity assumptions
  • Rolling forecasts replacing static annual assumptions with current operating evidence
  • Bottom-up and top-down planning reconciliation through agreed planning drivers
  • Assumption logs recording sources, owners, confidence levels and review dates
  • Zero-based budgeting for discretionary spend, services and support activities
  • Integrated profit, cash flow and balance sheet planning mechanics

Participants can produce decision-ready forecasts that show uncertainty, range and management actions.

  • 13-week rolling cash forecast built from receipts, payroll and supplier data
  • Forecast accuracy analysis separating bias, timing errors and driver errors
  • Base, upside and downside scenarios with explicit operating assumptions
  • Sensitivity tables testing price, volume, cost and working-capital movements
  • Monte Carlo simulation concepts for uncertain demand and investment outcomes
  • Forecast narratives stating changes, causes, consequences and required decisions

Participants can identify cash improvement opportunities and quantify their operational consequences.

  • Cash conversion cycle analysis using receivables, inventory and payables days
  • Working-capital bridges explaining cash movements from operational balance-sheet changes
  • Receivables ageing analysis identifying collection risk, disputes and credit concentration
  • Inventory segmentation using ABC analysis, demand variability and replenishment lead times
  • Supplier-payment analysis balancing liquidity, discounts, relationships and contractual terms
  • Cash improvement initiatives with owners, milestones, benefits and control measures

Participants can assess investment proposals and prepare financially credible business cases.

  • Investment case structure: strategic rationale, options, economics, risks and governance
  • Discounted cash flow calculations using forecast cash flows and discount rates
  • Net present value, internal rate of return and payback comparison
  • Relevant cash flow identification excluding sunk costs and accounting allocations
  • Realistic benefits cases separating revenue, savings, avoidance and productivity gains
  • Post-investment review criteria comparing approved assumptions with realised outcomes

Participants can evaluate pricing and revenue decisions using financial and commercial evidence.

  • Price-volume-mix analysis explaining revenue movement and margin consequences
  • Price elasticity concepts informing demand assumptions and commercial scenarios
  • Target costing linking customer value, market price and allowable cost
  • Discount governance using approval thresholds, margin floors and deal economics
  • Contract profitability analysis incorporating delivery costs, milestones and service obligations
  • Revenue recognition considerations under IFRS 15 performance obligations

Participants can design performance measures that align operational activity with strategic outcomes.

  • Balanced scorecard measures spanning financial, customer, process and capability perspectives
  • KPI design tests for relevance, controllability, timeliness and data reliability
  • Target-setting methods using baselines, benchmarks, capacity and strategic ambition
  • Performance dialogues separating explanation, accountability, learning and corrective action
  • Root-cause analysis using five whys, fishbone diagrams and process evidence
  • Incentive risks created by poorly designed targets and metric gaming

Participants can incorporate risk, control and governance requirements into strategic finance advice.

  • Risk registers connecting events, causes, impacts, controls and accountable owners
  • Risk appetite statements translating board tolerance into operating decision limits
  • Three Lines Model clarifying management, oversight and internal audit responsibilities
  • Control design for forecasts, investment approvals and management-reporting data
  • Fraud risk indicators within revenue, procurement, payroll and expense processes
  • Escalation protocols for material forecast changes, control failures and conflicts

Participants can assess data reliability and apply disciplined analysis before making recommendations.

  • Data lineage tracing management metrics to source systems and transformations
  • Reconciliation controls between operational systems, subledgers and general ledger
  • Data-quality dimensions: completeness, accuracy, timeliness, consistency and validity
  • Outlier analysis distinguishing data errors from genuine operating exceptions
  • Correlation versus causation when interpreting business performance relationships
  • Analytical review procedures testing reasonableness through trends, ratios and comparisons

Participants can communicate financial insight through concise narratives, charts and decision papers.

  • Message-first communication stating recommendation before supporting financial detail
  • Executive storylines linking context, insight, options, recommendation and action
  • Waterfall charts showing revenue, cost, margin and cash movement drivers
  • Dashboard design principles for visual hierarchy, comparisons and exception visibility
  • One-page decision papers presenting economics, risks, alternatives and approvals
  • Chart selection matching variance, trend, composition and relationship questions

Participants can challenge proposals constructively and influence decisions without relying on authority.

  • Interest-based negotiation identifying positions, interests, options and objective criteria
  • Socratic questioning testing assumptions, evidence, alternatives and unintended consequences
  • Constructive challenge language separating people from proposals and financial facts
  • Pre-mortem analysis exposing failure modes before approving significant decisions
  • Objection handling using acknowledgement, evidence, options and agreed next steps
  • Negotiating trade-offs among margin, cash, service levels and strategic priorities

Participants can establish finance routines that support timely decisions and accountable execution.

  • Monthly business reviews linking performance, forecast changes, risks and actions
  • Quarterly planning cycles integrating strategy refresh, resource allocation and forecasts
  • Decision calendars sequencing budgets, investments, pricing reviews and board submissions
  • Action trackers recording commitments, owners, due dates and financial impact
  • Finance service levels defining turnaround times, quality standards and stakeholder responsibilities
  • Continuous improvement loops using feedback, recurring issues and process measures

Participants can lead improvements to finance partnering processes, capabilities and service quality.

  • Capability assessments covering commercial acumen, analysis, communication and systems knowledge
  • Process mapping identifying handoffs, delays, rework and control points
  • Change impact assessments for reporting redesign, planning changes and automation
  • Kotter's eight-step process applied to finance transformation initiatives
  • Coaching conversations developing analyst judgement, stakeholder confidence and accountability
  • Benefits tracking for finance improvement initiatives and operating-model changes

Participants can adapt business-partnering methods to public, regulated and mission-led organisations.

  • Value-for-money analysis considering economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity
  • Grant-funded programme analysis linking restricted funding, outputs and eligible costs
  • Regulatory cost analysis separating compliance obligations from discretionary improvement spend
  • Service-line performance measures balancing financial sustainability, quality and access
  • Social return considerations within mission-led investment and resource-allocation decisions
  • Public accountability requirements for transparency, auditability and documented decision rationale

Participants can build, review and present a complete strategic business-partnering case with financially supported recommendations.

  • Business issue diagnosis using strategic, operational, financial and stakeholder evidence
  • Driver-based forecast incorporating base case, downside risks and management actions
  • Profitability, cash flow and investment analysis supporting recommended options
  • Risk register and control plan addressing material assumptions and delivery risks
  • Executive decision paper setting out recommendation, alternatives, economics and approvals
  • Senior-management presentation defending assumptions, trade-offs, actions and success measures

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

What you take back to work

  1. Finance business-partnering stakeholder map and service charter
  2. Driver-based planning and rolling forecast model
  3. Investment appraisal and business-case template
  4. Decision-focused management reporting pack
  5. Strategic assumption, risk and action register
  6. Executive decision paper and presentation pack

Who should attend

  • Finance Business Partners — strengthen commercial challenge and decision-support capability
  • Management Accountants — move from reporting responsibilities into advisory work
  • FP&A Managers — improve planning, forecasting and performance-management discussions
  • Finance Managers — lead finance teams supporting operational and commercial leaders
  • Senior Accountants — translate accounting insight into practical management action
  • Operational Managers — work more effectively with finance on plans and investment decisions

Skills and tools covered

Commercial financial analysisDriver-based forecastingInvestment appraisalPerformance managementStakeholder influencingExecutive communication

Tools and standards

Balanced Scorecard, Business Model Canvas, PESTLE Analysis, Porter's Five Forces

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish methods, followed by case work based on operational, commercial and investment decisions. Participants interpret management accounts, build forecasts, assess proposals, prepare decision papers and test recommendations under changing assumptions. Group exercises develop stakeholder mapping, constructive challenge and executive communication. Simulations require participants to respond to competing priorities from finance, operations and commercial teams. Each participant applies selected tools to a current workplace issue and develops a structured business-partnering case during the programme.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical experience in accounting, management reporting, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis or a related finance role. They should be comfortable reading income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements and basic management accounts. Familiarity with spreadsheets and common financial measures, such as gross margin, EBITDA and working capital, is expected. Prior experience as a finance business partner is not required. Advanced modelling, programming, data science, formal strategy qualifications and prior knowledge of every framework used on the course are not required.

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 have practical finance, accounting, reporting, budgeting or analysis experience. They need confidence with core financial statements and management-accounting measures, but do not need prior finance business-partnering experience.

Participants should bring a laptop for analysis work and, where organisational policy permits, a sanitised example of a current planning, performance or investment issue. No confidential data should be brought into the classroom or live online sessions.

It is designed primarily for experienced accountants, finance business partners, management accountants, FP&A professionals and finance managers. Operational leaders who regularly work with finance can also benefit from the decision-making methods.

Budgeting and analysis courses focus mainly on technical planning or interpretation methods. This course adds commercial judgement, stakeholder influence, challenge, decision governance and the practical role of finance in management discussions.

Participants build a business-partnering case file using their own workplace context where appropriate. The templates can be used for forecast reviews, investment proposals, profitability reviews, management packs and stakeholder meetings.

The first part establishes the business-partner role, commercial analysis and planning methods. The later modules deepen investment, performance, risk, communication and influence skills, ending with a capstone business case and presentation.

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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