Lending remains the main source of income and the main source of loss for most banks, microfinance institutions and SACCOs. When credit assessment is rushed, inconsistent or driven by sales targets, the result appears later as rising arrears and write-offs. Strong lending depends on a few durable skills: judging character and capacity, reading numbers critically, structuring a facility to match the purpose and watching the account after disbursement.

This training course introduces those skills in a logical sequence for people who are new to lending or who have learned the job informally. Participants start with the nature of credit risk and the lending process, then learn to gather information, interview applicants and verify claims. They move on to financial statement analysis, cash flow projections, ratio work and security valuation, followed by facility types, pricing, terms and covenants. The final stage covers portfolio quality, early warning signs, restructuring, recovery and the basics of provisioning under IFRS 9.

Each module is taught through short case files drawn from small and medium enterprises, agribusiness and retail trading. Participants complete a full appraisal during the week, receive feedback, and take home templates they can apply immediately in their own institutions.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the types of credit risk and the stages of the lending cycle.
• Assess borrower character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions.
• Analyse balance sheets and income statements using core ratios.
• Prepare cash flow projections and test repayment ability under stress.
• Structure loan facilities, repayment schedules, pricing and covenants.
• Evaluate collateral and guarantees and apply sound documentation practice.
• Monitor loans, recognise early warning signs and manage arrears and recoveries.

The course is aimed at people who recommend, approve or administer credit, including:

• Loan officers and credit analysts
• Relationship managers in SME and retail banking
• Branch managers and operations managers
• Credit administration and documentation staff
• Microfinance and SACCO credit staff
• Graduate trainees entering banking
• Collections and recovery officers
• Finance managers who grant supplier or customer credit

Participants leave with:

• A complete credit appraisal prepared from a case file.
• A ratio and cash flow worksheet they can reuse on real applications.
• A checklist for borrower interviews and site visits.
• A guide to selecting facility types, tenors and covenants for common purposes.
• An early warning indicator list for monitoring their portfolio.
• A clear understanding of how provisioning affects their lending decisions.

The programme builds practical judgement through repeated application. Participants will take part in:

• Short explanations followed immediately by worked examples
• Case files for SME, agribusiness and trading borrowers
• Spreadsheet-based ratio and cash flow exercises
• Role-plays of borrower interviews and arrears conversations
• A full appraisal written up and discussed on the final day

Vision Reach Global Consultancy awards a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion to everyone who attends the programme and completes the case exercises.