Key details
Mode of delivery: Classroom-based
Course code: AFB55A
Duration: 5 days
Fee: £4,625.00 + VAT
CPD Hours: 30
Course Overview
This course is designed for early-career professionals, new hires, or individuals moving into roles that interact with central banks. It provides a clear and practical introduction to the core responsibilities, tools, and impact of central banking. Whether participants are working within a central bank or supporting its work from related institutions, this programme offers the essential building blocks for understanding how central banks help keep economies stable and functioning. The course begins by exploring why central banks exist, how they’ve evolved over time, and what their main objectives are today—from keeping prices stable to promoting trust in the financial system. Participants learn about the typical structure and governance of a central bank, and how its independence and accountability shape its role in society. A full day is dedicated to monetary policy, where participants learn how interest rates are set, how central banks manage the money supply, and why these decisions matter for businesses, inflation, and everyday life. Using real examples and interactive simulations, they gain a practical feel for how central banks respond to economic challenges. The programme then moves into financial stability and risk, helping participants understand how central banks monitor the health of the financial system, spot signs of potential crisis, and communicate clearly during uncertain times. Sessions also cover how central banks are governed and how they maintain public trust. Finally, participants explore the role of central banks in supervising banks and ensuring compliance with key regulations. This includes how central banks oversee financial institutions, enforce anti-money laundering standards, and respond to emerging challenges like fintech and digital banking. The course finishes with a reflection and action planning session, helping participants connect what they’ve learned to their own work. By the end of the programme, they’ll have a confident grasp of central banking essentials—equipping them to grow in their roles and contribute more effectively to their institutions.
Agenda
Day — 1 Central Banking Foundations and Core Objectives
- Origins, Evolution, and Purpose of Central Banks
- Key Functions and Governance Structures
- Exploring Central Bank Mandates Across Global Models
Day — 2 Monetary Policy in Action-
- Conventional and Unconventional Policy Tools
- Crisis Response and Comparative Analysis
- Evaluating the Impact of Monetary Policy on Financial Stability
Day — 3 Financial Stability, Risk Governance, and Crisis Communication
- Systemic Risk and Financial Stability Frameworks
- Financial Stability Reports and Risk Communication
- Governance, Ethics, and Crisis Communication
Day — 4 Bank Supervision and Compliance
- Supervisory Principles and Regulatory Architecture
- AML-CFT Compliance and Global Standards
- Supervisory Technologies (SupTech) and Innovation in Regulation
Day — 5 Course Review
- Summary and recap of key learning objectives
- Action Planning
Post-Course
- Three (3) x hour-long Executive Coaching sessions at monthly intervals following Course Completion
Target Audience
- Central bank officials and policy advisors
- Financial sector regulators and supervisors
- Senior staff from ministries of finance and treasury departments
- Risk management professionals in public financial institutions
- Economists and analysts specializing in monetary and financial stability.
- Members of financial stability and macroprudential policy units
- Internal auditors and compliance officers in regulatory bodies
- Professionals involved in crisis management and contingency planning.
- FinTech and SupTech specialists in regulatory innovation units
- Governance, ethics, and transparency officers in public institutions
- Researchers and academics in finance, economics, and public policy.
- Development partners and advisors supporting financial sector reform.
Learning Outcomes
- Explore the historical development of central banks and financial systems, their core mandates (price stability, sustainable growth, financial stability), and how these roles evolved across global and regional contexts.
- Understand central banking functions including monetary policy, lender of last resort, and financial system oversight; review governance models, independence, boards and committees, and institutional accountability.
- Understand and compare how central banks operate under different mandates across global models, and evaluate how these mandates shape their functions, priorities, and governance structures.
- Learn how interest rates, open market operations, and reserve requirements influence economies, and explore newer tools like quantitative easing, negative interest rates, and yield curve control (YCC), with a case study on the Bank of Japan.
- Examine how central banks responded to the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing tools, timing, and effectiveness across different contexts.
- Analyse the use of conventional and unconventional monetary policy tools, assess central bank responses to financial crises, and evaluate the impact of these policies on economic stability and recovery.
- Understand the importance of financial stability, how to identify systemic risk through indicators like credit growth and leverage, and explore macro-risk tools such as stress testing and early warning systems.
- Learn to interpret Financial Stability Reports (FSRs), communicate risks effectively, and apply composite indicators to monitor market vulnerabilities.
- Explore principles of good governance, transparency, and ethical integrity in central banking, and take part in a crisis scenario where participants draft a strategic press release during a reputational risk event.
- Dive into risk-based supervision, the Basel Core Principles, and oversight of systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs), while addressing the evolving challenges of fintech, shadow banking, and cross-border risks.
- Gain practical insight into AML and KYC obligations, FATF recommendations, and the division of roles between central banks and other supervisory authorities.
- Understand the role of Supervisory Technologies (SupTech) in enhancing regulatory oversight, and evaluate how innovation is transforming supervisory practices, data collection, and compliance efficiency in modern financial systems.
