Treasury and Cash Management Auditing Training Course

Course Introduction

Treasury and Cash Management Auditing Training Course provides a comprehensive and practical framework for auditing treasury operations, cash management, liquidity, banking activities, investments, financing, foreign exchange, payments, and related financial controls. The programme equips participants with advanced techniques for assessing whether cash and treasury resources are properly safeguarded, efficiently managed, accurately recorded, appropriately authorised, and aligned with organisational policies, risk appetite, and financial objectives.

The course examines the complete treasury management environment, including cash forecasting, bank account administration, cash positioning, liquidity management, payment processing, short-term investments, borrowing, foreign exchange, interest-rate exposures, guarantees, and financial counterparties. Participants will learn how to identify treasury risks, assess control frameworks, evaluate transaction processes, test balances and reconciliations, and determine whether treasury activities provide appropriate protection against financial loss and operational disruption.

A major emphasis is placed on cash and liquidity assurance. Participants will develop practical techniques for auditing cash balances, bank reconciliations, cash forecasts, liquidity positions, payment obligations, short-term funding requirements, and working capital movements. The programme explores how auditors can assess the reliability of cash-flow forecasts, investigate significant variances, evaluate liquidity buffers, and identify weaknesses that could create avoidable financing costs, idle cash, payment delays, or liquidity pressures.

The training also addresses investment, borrowing, foreign exchange, and counterparty risks that can significantly affect treasury performance. Participants will examine controls over investment decisions, counterparty limits, debt facilities, interest rates, foreign currency transactions, hedging arrangements, financial instruments, and treasury exposures. Emphasis is placed on evaluating compliance with approved mandates and policies while assessing whether treasury activities are properly documented, monitored, independently reviewed, and accurately reflected in financial records.

Modern treasury operations are increasingly dependent on technology, integrated banking platforms, enterprise resource planning systems, electronic payments, automated reconciliations, and real-time financial data. The course therefore incorporates technology-enabled treasury auditing, data analytics, continuous monitoring, cybersecurity, access management, system interfaces, automated controls, artificial intelligence, and emerging digital payment risks. Participants will learn how technology can improve treasury assurance while also introducing new risks that require focused audit attention.

By completing Treasury and Cash Management Auditing Training Course, participants will be able to plan and execute risk-based treasury audits, evaluate cash and liquidity controls, assess banking and investment activities, test payments and reconciliations, identify fraud and operational risks, analyse treasury data, and communicate meaningful assurance conclusions. The programme is designed to strengthen financial stewardship, liquidity resilience, control effectiveness, treasury governance, and accountability while helping organisations protect and optimise critical financial resources.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Internal auditors responsible for reviewing treasury, cash management, banking, payments, liquidity, and financial controls.

• Treasury managers and treasury officers seeking stronger understanding of audit requirements and control assurance.

• Finance managers and financial controllers responsible for cash, banking relationships, liquidity, investments, and financial reporting.

• Cash management professionals involved in cash positioning, forecasting, collections, payments, and bank reconciliations.

• Audit managers and supervisors responsible for planning, executing, reviewing, and reporting treasury audit engagements.

• Risk management professionals assessing liquidity, market, counterparty, operational, fraud, and financial risks.

• Compliance professionals responsible for treasury policies, financial regulations, delegated authorities, and control requirements.

• Investment and portfolio professionals involved in short-term investments, liquidity portfolios, counterparty management, and financial instruments.

• Banking and financial services professionals responsible for treasury operations, cash controls, liquidity, payments, and financial risk.

• Public sector treasury and finance professionals responsible for government cash, public funds, investments, borrowing, and financial accountability.

• Accounts and finance professionals responsible for bank reconciliations, payment processing, cash records, and financial reporting.

• Fraud risk and forensic professionals examining suspicious payments, cash diversion, unauthorised transactions, and treasury misconduct.

• Audit committee members and governance professionals reviewing treasury risk, liquidity exposures, cash controls, and assurance findings.

• Consultants and assurance specialists supporting organisations with treasury governance, cash optimisation, financial controls, and risk management.

Course Objectives

• Develop advanced knowledge of treasury auditing principles covering cash management, liquidity, banking, payments, investments, borrowing, foreign exchange, counterparties, and treasury governance.

• Apply risk-based treasury audit methodologies to identify financial, operational, market, liquidity, fraud, compliance, technology, and counterparty risks across treasury activities.

• Evaluate treasury governance frameworks, policies, delegated authorities, risk limits, approval structures, segregation of duties, oversight arrangements, and management reporting.

• Assess cash management processes including cash positioning, forecasting, collections, payments, bank account administration, reconciliations, liquidity buffers, and short-term funding requirements.

• Test bank balances, cash transactions, payment processes, reconciliations, transfers, outstanding items, and electronic banking activities using appropriate audit evidence and analytical procedures.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of controls over investments, borrowing, foreign exchange, interest-rate exposures, financial instruments, guarantees, and other treasury-related financial activities.

• Analyse cash-flow forecasts, liquidity indicators, working capital movements, funding requirements, and treasury performance to identify significant risks and unexplained financial developments.

• Apply data analytics and technology-enabled audit techniques to identify unusual payments, duplicate transactions, dormant accounts, unusual transfers, reconciliation exceptions, and other treasury anomalies.

• Assess treasury fraud risks involving payment diversion, unauthorised transfers, fictitious beneficiaries, management override, collusion, cash misappropriation, and manipulation of banking information.

• Evaluate treasury technology environments including ERP systems, banking platforms, electronic payment systems, automated reconciliations, interfaces, access controls, audit trails, and system-generated reports.

• Develop high-quality treasury audit findings and recommendations that clearly communicate control weaknesses, risk exposures, root causes, financial implications, and practical corrective actions.

• Establish effective treasury audit follow-up and continuous assurance approaches that verify remediation, monitor residual risks, strengthen liquidity resilience, and improve protection of organisational financial resources.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Treasury and Cash Management Auditing

• Principles, objectives, scope, and evolving role of treasury auditing in financial governance, liquidity management, and organisational resilience.

• Treasury functions covering cash management, banking, liquidity, investments, borrowing, foreign exchange, payments, and financial risk management.

• Relationships between treasury, finance, accounting, risk management, internal controls, financial reporting, governance, and organisational strategy.

• Professional ethics, independence, objectivity, professional skepticism, confidentiality, documentation, and quality requirements in treasury audits.

Module 2: Treasury Governance, Policies and Risk Frameworks

• Treasury governance structures, mandates, policies, delegated authorities, risk appetite, management responsibilities, and oversight arrangements.

• Assessing treasury policies covering investments, borrowing, banking, payments, foreign exchange, counterparties, liquidity, and financial instruments.

• Evaluating segregation of duties across treasury dealing, confirmation, settlement, accounting, reconciliation, monitoring, and independent review.

• Identifying governance weaknesses involving unclear authority, excessive concentration of responsibility, inadequate limits, weak oversight, and ineffective reporting.

Module 3: Treasury Risk Assessment and Audit Planning

• Identifying treasury risks across cash, liquidity, banking, investments, debt, foreign exchange, interest rates, counterparties, technology, and operational processes.

• Prioritising treasury audit areas based on financial significance, risk exposure, transaction volume, control maturity, market conditions, and previous findings.

• Developing risk-based treasury audit plans covering objectives, scope, criteria, procedures, sampling, resources, timelines, and reporting requirements.

• Integrating liquidity forecasts, market developments, incidents, system changes, management concerns, previous audit results, and emerging risks into audit planning.

Module 4: Cash Management and Liquidity Auditing

• Evaluating cash management policies, cash positioning, liquidity buffers, minimum balances, payment obligations, and short-term funding arrangements.

• Assessing cash-flow forecasting methodologies, assumptions, forecast accuracy, scenario analysis, stress testing, and management response to liquidity pressures.

• Analysing operating cash flows, working capital movements, receivables, payables, inventory, debt service, and other factors affecting liquidity.

• Identifying idle cash, liquidity gaps, inefficient cash structures, unnecessary financing costs, payment delays, and weaknesses in liquidity monitoring.

Module 5: Bank Account Management and Bank Reconciliations

• Auditing bank account opening, closure, signatory management, access rights, account rationalisation, dormant accounts, and banking mandates.

• Testing bank reconciliations for completeness, accuracy, timeliness, independent review, outstanding items, and appropriate resolution of differences.

• Verifying bank balances, deposits, transfers, direct debits, electronic transactions, restricted balances, and unusual movements through reliable audit evidence.

• Identifying unreconciled items, unauthorised accounts, stale transactions, unexplained transfers, delayed postings, and weaknesses in bank-account governance.

Module 6: Payments, Disbursements and Cash Control Auditing

• Evaluating payment processes covering payment initiation, beneficiary validation, approval, release, settlement, accounting, and post-payment review.

• Testing electronic payments, payment batches, bank transfers, standing instructions, direct debits, and other disbursement mechanisms.

• Assessing segregation of duties, payment limits, dual authorisation, beneficiary master-file controls, transaction monitoring, and payment exception processes.

• Identifying duplicate payments, unauthorised beneficiaries, payment diversion, unusual transfers, management overrides, and weaknesses in payment security.

Module 7: Treasury Investments and Financial Instruments

• Evaluating investment policies, approved instruments, investment limits, liquidity requirements, counterparty criteria, and delegated investment authorities.

• Testing investment transactions for validity, authorisation, valuation, maturity, yield, settlement, custody, ownership, and appropriate accounting treatment.

• Assessing investment concentration, counterparty exposure, liquidity characteristics, market risks, and compliance with approved treasury mandates.

• Analysing investment performance, realised and unrealised returns, fees, maturity profiles, liquidity needs, and deviations from approved investment strategies.

Module 8: Borrowing, Debt and Financing Auditing

• Auditing loans, overdrafts, credit facilities, bonds, leases, guarantees, and other financing arrangements for authorisation and contractual compliance.

• Evaluating borrowing policies, debt limits, approval processes, covenant requirements, interest calculations, repayment schedules, and refinancing risks.

• Testing loan balances, interest expense, fees, collateral, security arrangements, confirmations, covenant calculations, and related financial disclosures.

• Analysing debt maturity profiles, financing costs, interest-rate exposure, liquidity requirements, and sustainability of borrowing arrangements.

Module 9: Foreign Exchange and Interest Rate Risk

• Assessing foreign currency exposures arising from transactions, assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, financing arrangements, and international operations.

• Evaluating foreign exchange controls, dealing authorities, transaction confirmations, settlement processes, exchange-rate application, and accounting treatment.

• Auditing interest-rate exposures, variable-rate financing, treasury investments, derivative arrangements, and related risk-management controls.

• Identifying unauthorised trading, excessive exposure, valuation issues, settlement risks, inappropriate hedging, and weaknesses in market-risk monitoring.

Module 10: Treasury Reconciliations, Accounting and Financial Reporting

• Reconciling treasury records with bank statements, general ledgers, investment statements, debt records, payment systems, and financial management platforms.

• Evaluating completeness and accuracy of treasury accounting entries, interest income, interest expense, fees, foreign exchange gains and losses, and investment valuations.

• Testing cut-off, classification, valuation, existence, rights, completeness, and disclosure assertions for treasury-related financial statement balances.

• Identifying accounting discrepancies, suspense balances, unsupported entries, delayed reconciliations, incorrect classifications, and weaknesses in financial reporting controls.

Module 11: Treasury Fraud, Misconduct and Financial Crime Risks

• Identifying treasury fraud risks involving payment diversion, fictitious beneficiaries, unauthorised transfers, false confirmations, collusion, and cash manipulation.

• Analysing transaction patterns for unusual timing, round amounts, rapid transfers, unusual beneficiaries, split transactions, dormant accounts, and unexplained movements.

• Applying forensic-oriented audit techniques including transaction tracing, confirmation, relationship analysis, document review, and investigation of anomalies.

• Establishing escalation, evidence preservation, access restriction, investigation support, and corrective action procedures for suspected treasury misconduct.

Module 12: Treasury Technology, Data Analytics and Continuous Auditing

• Auditing enterprise resource planning systems, treasury management systems, banking platforms, payment gateways, and automated reconciliation applications.

• Applying data analytics to identify duplicate payments, unusual transfers, inactive accounts, threshold breaches, abnormal cash movements, and reconciliation exceptions.

• Evaluating user access, segregation of duties, system interfaces, automated controls, audit trails, master data, cybersecurity, and system resilience.

• Developing continuous treasury monitoring through dashboards, automated alerts, exception reporting, predictive indicators, and technology-enabled assurance.

Module 13: Counterparty Risk, Banking Relationships and Treasury Compliance

• Assessing counterparty selection, due diligence, exposure limits, credit assessments, concentration risk, collateral, and ongoing counterparty monitoring.

• Evaluating banking relationships, service agreements, fees, transaction charges, account structures, service performance, and contractual obligations.

• Testing treasury compliance with internal policies, delegated authorities, regulatory requirements, approved limits, and financial governance frameworks.

• Identifying weaknesses in counterparty monitoring, bank fee management, regulatory compliance, exposure reporting, and independent oversight.

Module 14: Treasury Performance, Efficiency and Financial Optimisation

• Evaluating treasury performance using liquidity metrics, cash conversion indicators, investment returns, borrowing costs, bank fees, and working capital measures.

• Analysing cash concentration, payment timing, collection efficiency, idle balances, financing costs, and opportunities for improved treasury efficiency.

• Benchmarking treasury practices, performance indicators, risk limits, transaction costs, and liquidity structures against appropriate organisational expectations.

• Connecting treasury audit findings to financial sustainability, liquidity resilience, cost management, operational efficiency, and strategic financial objectives.

Module 15: Treasury Audit Findings, Reporting and Remediation

• Developing evidence-based treasury audit findings that explain criteria, conditions, causes, consequences, financial implications, and control risks.

• Assessing the significance of treasury exceptions based on financial exposure, recurrence, liquidity impact, fraud risk, control weakness, and governance implications.

• Developing practical recommendations addressing cash controls, payment security, reconciliations, liquidity forecasting, investments, borrowing, and treasury governance.

• Communicating sensitive treasury findings to management, audit committees, finance leaders, treasury committees, and governance stakeholders clearly and objectively.

Module 16: Emerging Treasury Risks and Advanced Treasury Assurance Strategy

• Assessing emerging treasury risks associated with digital payments, instant settlement, fintech platforms, artificial intelligence, automation, cryptocurrencies, and changing financial technologies.

• Evaluating cyber-enabled payment fraud, third-party banking dependencies, system outages, geopolitical disruptions, market volatility, and changing liquidity conditions.

• Integrating continuous auditing, advanced analytics, predictive monitoring, artificial intelligence, automated reconciliations, and real-time treasury risk indicators into assurance strategies.

• Developing future-ready treasury audit capabilities that strengthen cash protection, liquidity resilience, risk management, technology assurance, governance, and financial performance.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.