Effective financial report writing - SAICA

http://patontraining.com/events/effective-financial-report-writing-2

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Those who want to improve their report writing skills (as well as Financial Report Writing)

• Accountants
• Controllers
• Planners
• Finance Managers

COURSE OUTLINE

1) Standardised finance reporting terminology for the establishment
- Use of appropriate wording for the organisation
- Use of the terms to express the concepts
- Acronyms that work for your organisation
- What is the business language used in the organisation and the Finance and Accounts teams?

2) Understand the report consumer and who he/she is
- Writing the report with its consumer in mind
- Understanding the receiving end towards a more suitable presentation
- General broadcasts are only good for mass media
- Separate the facts from opinion

3) Begin with the end in mind
- Why are we reporting on this? (standard monthly reporting or specific project/brief report required)
- Work out what the desired outcome of the report is
- Finance must deliver the facts without bias
- Anecdotes have their place - How to provide anecdotal evidence

4) Structuring the Report for easy consumption (sift through the facts to lift out the core message for the reader) e.g.
- Executive Summary
- Background
- The Business Case
- Alternatives
- The Economics
- Express an opinion

5) Workshop: Dissecting and Analysing an actual historical report
- What is the message and outcome of the report?
- Characteristics and styles perceived?
- What would we do differently?
- An independent 3rd party opinion
- Re-write the report with a fresh perspective

6) Anticipate the readers' questions

7) A Critic of the "new" report by the participants

Date: 15 March 2013
Time: 08:30 - 16:30
Venue: Paton Personnel, Johannesburg

More info:

4th Floor, North block, hyde Park Corner, Jan Smuts Avenue, Hyde Park