Finance skills for all

Created by government for government and supported by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). Register now, it’s instant and free.

Go to: nationalschool.gov.uk/financeskillsforall

Understanding finance … it’s more important than ever before

Finance Skills for All – it’s the way to do your job better, help your career and be more valuable. For all staff, no matter your job title, it’s the fastest, easiest, most credible and recognised way to get the finance skills you need to work in government.

What’s it for?

It’s the financial training programme developed for government by government to improve the finance skills of civil servants. Imagine how better the Civil Service would operate if all of us understood finance. It’s not just about how those skills would make us better at spending money, but how much better they’d make us at handling all the costs of running our organisations. Because even if we’re not in charge of budgets we’re often in charge of things that cost money.

Who is it for?

It’s for all civil servants. If all of us have the financial training that fits our job and responsibilities and we make better decisions, the benefits it will have for us, our organisations and the taxpayer are unarguable.

About Finance Skills for All

The foundation level training is a free e-learning programme which is interactive, straightforward and easy to use.  It’s made up of ten modules and you can choose the ones most relevant to you, your job and also your personal development. Accessible from work or home, you can stop and start and record your progress as you go along. It all fits around you. The ten foundation level modules are:

1. Financial Planning and Control Includes financial accountability – who does what; the rules for income and expenditure; budgeting and accounting for resources consumed not cash spent; behaviour expected of public servants.	2. Performance Indicators Includes performance management; the how and why of indicators to help manage service delivery; their importance in driving improvements; ranges of indicators for objectives.
3. Resource Based Management  1 (Introductory) Includes how resource based management is more suitable for the public sector by using public value for money not shareholder profitability.	4. Market Economics Includes key economic functions of Government; key economic decisions; supply and demand; elasticity; market failure and regulation.
5. Resource Based Management  2 (Detailed) Includes financial reporting and the format of Resource Accounts; managing assets and liabilities; depreciation.	6. Investment Appraisal and Evaluation Includes appraisal and evaluation; cost benefit analysis; risk and uncertainty.
7. Strategic and Business Planning Includes reform in public service; difference between strategies, business and operational plans; options and decisions for the best fit business model to the service; key steps in effective business planning.	8. Interpretation of Financial Accounts Includes how to read and analyse the accounts; the needs of different stakeholders in interpreting financial statements.
9. Budget Management Includes links between budgeting and business planning; different methods of budget preparation; behavioural issues around budgeting; forecasting, accurate costing.	10. Corporate Finance Includes understanding of why companies raise finance; the main alternative sources of finance; key differences between debt and equity finance; purpose of credit ratings; gearing and its impact on the cost of capital for a business.