A procedures manual only has value if it describes how the organisation actually works and if it is used. The engagement formalises administrative, financial and accounting workflows (requests, approvals, payments, archiving) in precise, applicable, auditable documents.
What the engagement covers
Procedures manuals
Drafting or overhaul of administrative, financial and accounting procedures: actors, steps, supporting documents, deadlines and controls at each step.
Approval workflows
Structuring of delegation thresholds and approval chains: who commits, who verifies, who authorises, who pays.
Organisation of the function
Job descriptions for the administrative and financial function, task allocation and absence cover.
Audit trail
Numbering, filing and archiving rules: any entry can be traced to its supporting document in minutes.
Approach
The same sequence on every engagement, from scoping to delivery.
- 1 · Scoping
- Engagement letter, confidentiality agreement, list of processes to cover and drafting timeline.
- 2 · As-is review
- Interviews and observation: procedures describe reality, including its exceptions, before improvements are introduced.
- 3 · Drafting and validation
- Drafting in short cycles, review by the operational staff concerned, management decisions on control points.
- 4 · Roll-out
- Presentation to teams, supported application and an update calendar for the manual.
Typical deliverables
Dated, sourced documents, ready to use: for management, the board or the auditor.
Procedures manual
The complete document, structured by cycle, with workflow diagrams.
Workflow diagrams
Each key workflow on one page: actors, steps, thresholds and documents.
Job descriptions
The responsibilities of the administrative and financial function, written and consistent with the manual.
Filing and archiving plan
The rules that make the audit trail verifiable by a third party.
Procedures that are useful because they are used.
Describe your current workflows: first reply within 24 business hours.