Financial Controls
Financial Governance & Control Discipline
Practical support for finance leaders and management teams that need clearer delegated authority, approval controls, management reporting and evidence-ready financial governance.
Overview
Financial governance is the discipline that connects finance decisions to authority, evidence, oversight and accountability. It helps firms show who approved what, under which policy, with which supporting records and what follow-up was required. The result is board-ready reporting and audit-ready evidence.
What we can review
- Delegated authority matrices
- Approval workflows and authorisation limits
- Spend and procurement controls
- Expense policy administration
- Supplier onboarding governance
- Invoice approval evidence
- Budget and variance review packs
- Month-end control evidence
- Management reporting packs
- Financial control registers
- Fraud-risk controls
- Segregation-of-duties mapping
- Issue logs and remediation actions
Circumstances that prompt this work
Most engagements begin from one of the following positions rather than from a general review cycle.
- 01Payment or approval authority is understood in practice but not documented.
- 02An audit or funder review has queried segregation of duties.
- 03The firm has outgrown informal financial controls after headcount or revenue growth.
- 04Delegated authority limits have not been reviewed against current roles.
- 05Management reporting reaches the board too late to act on.
Deliverables
What you receive
- 01
Financial governance map
Overview of authority, controls and reporting
- 02
Delegated authority schedule
Clear authority limits by role and value
- 03
Approval-control register
Documented approval routes and evidence
- 04
Finance procedure pack
Updated procedures with control points
- 05
Management reporting template
Board-ready finance reporting format
- 06
Evidence checklist
Control evidence requirements by process
- 07
Remediation tracker
Action tracker with owners and deadlines
How a typical engagement runs
Stages are confirmed in writing before work begins and adjusted to the scope agreed.
- 01
Scope
Financial processes, authority levels and reporting lines in scope agreed in writing.
- 02
Document
Current approval routes, authority limits and reconciliation practice recorded as they operate.
- 03
Assess
Segregation of duties, authority thresholds and reporting cadence assessed against the agreed standard.
- 04
Report
Findings, a documented control framework and a remediation schedule.
What stays on file afterwards
The point of the engagement is the record it leaves behind, so a later reviewer can follow the same trail.
- Documented delegated authority matrix
- Approval and payment control flow records
- Segregation of duties assessment
- Management reporting calendar
- Remediation schedule with owners
Who it supports
- 01Finance directors and controllers
- 02CFOs and finance leadership
- 03Audit committees
- 04Management teams
Engagement safeguards
BlackCores & Partners does not provide statutory audit, tax advice, investment advice or regulated financial advice through this website. Financial governance services are administrative, procedural and control-support services unless separately agreed in writing.
Financial governance support does not constitute financial advice, audit assurance, tax advice, investment advice or regulated accounting services. BlackCores & Partners does not sign or certify financial statements.
What we do not do
- We do not provide tax advice.
- We do not provide statutory audit services.
- We do not sign or certify financial statements.
- We do not provide investment advice.
- We do not guarantee that any control documentation will pass a particular audit or review.
Frequently asked questions
What is financial governance support?
Financial governance support helps organise delegated authority, approval controls, finance procedures, management reporting, segregation of duties and the evidential records that demonstrate how financial decisions are made and controlled. It is administrative and advisory support and is not statutory audit, tax advice or investment advice.
What is a delegated authority matrix?
A delegated authority matrix documents who may make particular decisions and approve spending, by role, subject and value. It sets out limits, approvers and escalation points so that authority is clear, evidenced and consistently applied across the organisation.
Can BlackCores & Partners audit or certify financial statements?
No. The work is governance and control support, not statutory audit or certification. BlackCores & Partners does not act as a statutory auditor and does not certify financial statements; where statutory audit is required, an appropriately authorised auditor should be engaged.
What may a Financial Governance Report include?
The report may include an authority map, control observations, approval routes, reporting gaps, prioritised actions and limitations. Content depends on the agreed scope and the evidence made available, and the final structure is confirmed in writing.
Can the work support a board, funder or external review?
Yes, as decision-supporting documentation that organises authority, controls and reporting evidence. It does not guarantee acceptance by any board, funder or external reviewer, each of which reaches its own conclusions.
Confidential scoping
Ready to strengthen financial governance?
Contact us to discuss scope, document requirements and deliverables. All engagements are confirmed in writing before work begins.