Pension Fund Investment Management Training Course

The course opens with trustee governance and fiduciary duty before moving into scheme design and the practical interpretation of actuarial valuations. Participants then build a strategic asset allocation aligned with scheme liabilities and examine how to select and monitor investment managers. The course closes with underfunding risk management and communicating investment performance clearly to members.

The Pension Fund Investment Management Training Course is a five-day programme that equips trustees, administrators and investment professionals with the practical governance and asset allocation skills needed to protect member benefits. Pension funds are among Africa's fastestgrowing pools of long-term capital, yet many schemes are governed by trustees without a strong technical grounding in investment strategy. Participants leave able to fulfil fiduciary duties with confidence, design a strategic asset allocation aligned with scheme liabilities, and evaluate investment manager performance.

As more African countries move towards funded pension systems and mandatory contribution schemes, trustees are being asked to oversee increasingly large and complex pools of capital, often without a corresponding increase in technical support. Strong governance and investment oversight are now central to protecting the retirement outcomes of a growing share of the workforce.

• Explain the fiduciary duties and governance responsibilities of pension fund trustees
• Evaluate regulatory frameworks governing pension fund investment in African markets
• Design strategic asset allocation aligned with a pension scheme's liability profile
• Assess the role of actuarial valuations in funding and investment decisions
• Compare investment approaches for defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes
• Evaluate alternative asset classes, including infrastructure and private equity, for pension portfolios
• Assess investment manager selection and performance monitoring processes
• Analyse the risks of pension fund underfunding and strategies to address them
• Design member communication strategies on investment performance and retirement options

This course is designed for:

• Pension fund trustees
• Retirement benefits authority staff
• Pension scheme administrators
• Fund managers serving pension clients
• Actuaries and actuarial support staff
• Social security institution staff
• HR and employee benefits managers

The course combines governance and technical teaching with practical exercises, including interpreting a real actuarial valuation report, building a strategic asset allocation for a sample scheme, and evaluating a sample investment manager proposal, supported throughout by facilitator guidance and peer discussion.

Upon completing this programme, participating organisations will be better equipped to:

• Improve long-term investment outcomes for pension scheme members through stronger governance
• Reduce the risk of regulatory non-compliance in pension fund governance
• Improve alignment between investment strategy and scheme liabilities
• Strengthen resilience against pension fund underfunding risk
• Improve member confidence through effective investment communication
• Build internal capability to select and monitor investment managers effectively
• Reduce reliance on external consultants for governance and investment strategy decisions
• Responsibly incorporate alternative assets, including infrastructure, into investment portfolios
• Strengthen the credibility of the pension scheme with regulators, members and other stakeholders

Upon completing this programme, participants will be able to:

• Fulfil fiduciary duties with greater confidence and professionalism
• Apply practical asset allocation techniques to pension investment decisions
• Interpret actuarial valuations to support funding and investment decisions
• Contribute confidently to pension governance and investment discussions
• Evaluate and challenge the performance of external investment managers
• Enhance career opportunities in pension governance and retirement benefits management
• Build professional networks across pension funds and retirement benefits institutions
• Communicate investment performance and retirement outcomes effectively to scheme members
• Navigate pension governance and regulatory compliance requirements with confidence

At Strategic Revenue Africa, our certification goes beyond proof of attendance—it represents practical competence and measurable capability. Upon successful completion of our training programs, participants are awarded a Certificate of Completion from Strategic Revenue Africa, recognizing their ability to apply acquired knowledge in real-world settings. As an organization focused on architecting sustainable revenue and strengthening organizational performance, our certifications signal that participants are equipped with skills that drive results, not just theory.

No prior investment management or actuarial qualification is required. This course is designed to be accessible to trustees and administrators without a finance background, while still offering technical depth for investment professionals already working in the pension sector.