Banking Operations

Certified Documentary Credit Specialist

Combating Money Laundering, Compliance

Commercial and Financial Fraud

Communications Skills for Operations Staff

Problem Trade Finance

Treasury (Back Office) Operations

CERTIFIED DOCUMENTARY CREDIT SPECIALIST
The Certified Documentary Credit Specialist (CDCS) is the professional certification that will enable
documentary credit practitioners to demonstrate specialist knowledge and application of the skills
required for competent practice.
This is an internationally recognized qualification developed by the International Chamber of
Commerce (ICC) France, the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIOB) UK and the International
Financial Services Association (IFSA) US.
The Institute of Banking is the Kuwaiti Examination Center for this subject.
There are no eligibility requirements but it is strongly recommended that exam candidates have a
minimum of three years documentary credit or related experience.
All relevant information pertaining to the Exam is available from the Human Resources Departments
of the banks.
The CDCS qualification will remain valid for THREE YEARS after qualification. To automatically
qualify for renewal of the designation holders are required to participate in continuing professional
development. Otherwise the Exam will need to be reset. Again the banks’ Human Resource
Departments have the relevant information

Additionally the Program is open to LC and LG staff who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the
operation of their Department
OBJECTIVES
ƒ To prepare staff who wish to sit the related CDCS Exams
ƒ To provide an understanding of the working of Letters of Credit and Letters of Guarantee
Departments
CONTENTS
Section A
ƒ Purpose, types and uses of Documentary Credits (DCs)
- Types and uses of DCs
- Parties to the Credits: roles, responsibilities,
and risks
- Types of payment
ƒ Characteristics of Documentary Credits
- Primary
- Specialty
- Functions
ƒ Applicable rules and local law
Section B
ƒ Case studies
ƒ Situational analysis
METHODS
Lecture-discussions, exam answering and case studies
TARGET AUDIENCE
Bank staff who wish to prepare for the CDCS Exam and LC & LG Department staff
LANGUAGE
The Program will be conducted in English
DURATION
15 training hours, five days, evening sessions
COMBATING MONEY LAUNDERING, COMPLIANCE
Money Laundering conjures up a world of shady dealings, customers with suitcases full of cash and
dodgy middlemen who transform that cash into some legitimate business investment. The cleaning of
dirty money gained from crime is not new, but as the number of money laundering criminal cases
increases, and the laws to combat them get tougher, the onus is on bankers to ensure they do not
become victims of money launders

Also very much related, as the financial “world” becomes smaller the potential for fraud and
innovation by criminals in perpetrating fraud becomes an ever larger risk for banks and their
employees

OBJECTIVES:

ƒ To be aware and appreciate transactions involving money laundering and fraudulent activity
ƒ To be able to develop checks and measures to detect and prevent money laundering and
fraudulent transactions
ƒ To understand regulations pertaining to money laundering and bankers’ legal responsibilities

CONTENTS:

ƒ What is Money Laundering?

ƒ Bank and staff responsibilities under the law
ƒ Review of Kuwait legislation and regulations (the Kuwait Law, March 2002)
ƒ Money Laundering and customer confidentiality
ƒ The Kuwaiti Governments role and efforts in combating Money Laundering
ƒ The Central Banks role and efforts in combating Money Laundering
ƒ Central Bank Rules related to Money Laundering
ƒ Reporting mechanisms for suspicious transactions
ƒ Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Guidelines
ƒ International law relating to Money Laundering

METHODS:
Lectures, discussions and case studies

TARGET AUDIENCE:
Branch operations staff

LANGUAGE:
The Program will be conducted in English.

DURATION
12 training hours, two days, morning and afternoon sessions
COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL FRAUD
Fraud and forgeries are a continuous concern of the Kuwaiti banking community. Statistics published
by the International Chamber of Commerce indicate a dramatic increase in the number of fraud cases.
In light of this alarming information, bankers need to become ever more skilled in handling fraud
cases and more importantly be capable of preventing their future occurrence.

This Program will enhance bankers’ knowledge and skills in operations area so as to detect and
minimize the potential magnification of the fraud phenomena

OBJECTIVES
• To increase participants’ awareness of circumstances and factors that lead to fraud in
banking instruments
• To provide them with measures and precautions which need to be made to prevent/minimize
fraud
• To help them learn how to deal with the ramifications of fraud cases in a manner that will
protect the interest of their banks and customers

CONTENTS
• The current situation
• What is fraud and forgery?
• The nature of forgery and fraud crimes
• Aspects of local and international forgery and fraud in the banking sector.
• International accords governing criminal exchanges among countries
• Types of forgery in day-to-day banking
• Types of fraud in day-to-day banking
• Modern means and techniques of countering forgery and fraud operations
• Detecting forgery and fraud in bank documents
• Control and prevention of fraud
• Aspects of fraud in the Kuwaiti banking sector

METHODS
Lecture-discussions and case studies

TARGET AUDIENCE
Branch operations staff

LANGUAGE
The Program will be conducted in English.

DURATION
12 training hours, two days, morning and afternoon sessions.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR OPERATIONS STAFF

Bank staff communicate with customers and colleagues all the time. Effective communication can
remove barriers and save a lot of time and energy. This program will equip participants to be able to
effectively communicate

OBJECTIVES
ƒ To know yourself
ƒ To identify and practice communication and interpersonal skills that build rapport, cooperation
and loyalty among co-workers and customers
ƒ To familiarize participants with the dynamics of communication and various techniques to
communicate better with colleagues/customers
ƒ To improve participants understanding of his/her own communication habits and effectively
communicate on the telephone, in writing and face-to-face

CONTENTS
ƒ Identify barriers to effective communication
ƒ Identify your own communication styles
- Verbal communications – face-to-face and on the telephone
- Non-verbal (body language)
- Identify your own listening style
- Written
ƒ Understanding others communication style
ƒ Matching your communication style with others
ƒ Handling of on-the-job stress
ƒ Organize and present ideas persuasively
ƒ Overcoming communication obstacles with others and staff
ƒ Inter departmental communication
ƒ Communication for staff satisfaction
- Recognition of needs
- Handling doubts
- Analyzing prejudices in communication
- Handling complaints
- Diffuse high-tension situations
- Say ‘No’ or ‘Sorry’ tactfully

METHODS
Lecture-discussions, case studies and exercises

TARGET AUDIENCE
Staff from Operations department

LANGUAGE
The Program will be conducted in English

DURATION
24 training hours, four days, morning and afternoon sessions
PROBLEM TRADE FINANCE
In a country, such as Kuwait, which is dependent upon international trade – both export and import –
a deep understanding of the problems that may, and do, arise in trade finance is critical for Bankers

OBJECTIVES
ƒ To understand how to handle problems which
arise in Trade Finance
ƒ To assist participants identify and minimize risks arising from fraud and errors in
International Trade Finance

CONTENTS
ƒ Problem which arise in:
- Letters of Credit
- Letters of Guarantee
- Collections
- Clean
- Documentary
- Demand Guarantees
- Standby Credits
- Sureties
- Bankers Acceptance
ƒ Recent court decisions
- Kuwait
- International
ƒ Recent Arbitrations by the International
Chamber of Commerce Commission
ƒ UCP 500, URC 522 & 525
ƒ ISP 98, Electronic Letters of Credit (eUCP)
ƒ Identifying risks at an early stage
ƒ Marine piracy
ƒ Forgery and commercial fraud

METHODS
Lecture-discussions and case studies

TARGET AUDIENCE
Senior staff working in Trade Finance Departments

LANGUAGE
The Program will be conducted in English

PRE-REQUISITE
Participants should have a working knowledge of
UCP 500

DURATION
18 training hours, three days, morning and afternoon sessions
TREASURY (BACK OFFICE) OPERATIONS

With Kuwait’s long trading history there has developed sophisticated Treasury Departments in the
banking community.

These Departments require professional support in this key profit center

OBJECTIVES
ƒ To review the procedures required to provide an effective and efficient support function to the front
office treasury operation
ƒ To provide an understanding of the systems used in the back office
ƒ To emphasize the need for stringent controls in order to minimize risk

CONTENTS
ƒ The segregation of duties
ƒ Deal input and completion
ƒ Types of Deal
- Swaps, Forwards etc
- Islamic Operations
ƒ Cash Flow issues
ƒ Standard Settlement Instructions (SSI)
ƒ Accounting control responsibilities
ƒ Clearing and payment systems
ƒ Ongoing control of payment authorizations
ƒ Verification techniques
ƒ Cross checking techniques
ƒ Settlement and reconciliation of nostro and vostro accounts
ƒ Managing reconciliation
ƒ Netting arrangements
ƒ Risk controls and measurement
- Transaction risk
- Operational control risk
- System risk
- Regulatory risk
- Business event risk
ƒ Documentation
ƒ System Management
ƒ Compliance issues/Regulatory Issues/Reporting Issues
ƒ Code(s) of Practice
ƒ Maintaining a database
ƒ Preparing reports
ƒ The relationship with front office and other bank departments/other banks/counter parties
ƒ Quality of service
ƒ Efficiency of service
ƒ The impact of Straight Through Processing/Internet trading
ƒ Replacement Delivery Mechanisms

METHODS
Lecture-discussions and case studies

TARGET AUDIENCE
Back Office staff

LANGUAGE
The Program will be conducted in English

DURATION
18 training hours, three days, morning and afternoon sessions