Retail Banking

Branch Management for Retail Banking

The programme will strengthen participants’ ability to manage profitable branches, lead teams, improve customer experience, and coordinate branch execution with product strategy while maintaining effective operational controls.

Three daysDuration BeginnerLevel Interactive workshops, banking case studies, role plays, performance analysis, and branch action planning.Learning format 4Modules Bank employeesAcademy learning

About this course

The programme will strengthen participants’ ability to manage profitable branches, lead teams, improve customer experience, and coordinate branch execution with product strategy while maintaining effective operational controls.

Target participants: Branch Managers and Product Managers in the Retail Banking Department

Proposed duration: Three days

Delivery approach: Interactive workshops, banking case studies, role plays, performance analysis, and branch action planning.

Learning objectives

  • Develop branch plans aligned with the Bank’s retail banking priorities.
  • Interpret branch performance reports and identify corrective actions.
  • Grow deposits, lending, and fee income through responsible sales practices.
  • Improve collaboration between Branch Managers and Product Managers.
  • Strengthen customer service, complaint resolution, and retention.
  • Manage operational risks, staff performance, and service delivery.
  • Translate training into a measurable 90-day improvement plan.

Programme structure

1Day 1: Branch strategy, profitability, and business growth
Day 1: Branch strategy, profitability, and business growthMap responsibilities and decision boundaries between branches, product teams, and support functions.
Branch planning and local market analysisDevelop a branch opportunity map and prioritise customer segments.
Understanding branch financial performanceAnalyse a simulated branch performance report and identify the drivers of underperformance.
Performance indicators and target settingBuild a balanced branch scorecard with clear definitions, owners, and review frequencies.
Sales planning and pipeline managementPrepare a weekly sales plan and conduct a pipeline review meeting.
Deposit mobilisation and relationship developmentDevelop a deposit mobilisation and account activation campaign.
2Day 2: Customer experience, product execution, and operational control
Day 2: Customer experience, product execution, and operational controlMap a customer journey and identify practical service improvements.
Complaint handling and service recoveryRole-play a difficult customer complaint and prepare a service recovery response.
Branch–product collaborationDesign a branch rollout plan for a retail banking product.
Product performance and portfolio managementAssess a product with strong acquisition but low usage and propose corrective actions.
Branch operational controlsReview a branch control scenario and prepare an exception-resolution register.
Risk awareness and escalationAnalyse a case involving sales pressure, documentation gaps, and suspicious activity.
Digital banking adoption and customer protectionPrepare a digital adoption plan that includes customer education and support arrangements.
3Day 3: Leadership, execution, and performance improvement
Day 3: Leadership, execution, and performance improvementConduct a coaching conversation with an underperforming staff member.
Managing capacity and productivityRedesign a branch work schedule using a simulated demand profile.
Managing performance constructivelyDevelop a staff performance improvement plan with measurable milestones.
Change management and executionDevelop a change plan for a new branch process or product launch.
Management reporting and review meetingsPresent a branch performance review to a simulated retail banking management panel.
Integrated branch management simulationTeams make management decisions and explain their commercial, customer, and risk implications.
90-day branch and product action planningProduce a practical 90-day improvement plan for implementation after training.

Prerequisites / requirements

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The programme will strengthen participants\u2019 ability to manage profitable branches, lead teams, improve customer experience, and coordinate branch execution with product strategy while maintaining effective operational controls.

Target participants: Branch Managers and Product Managers in the Retail Banking Department

Proposed duration: Three days

Delivery approach: Interactive workshops, banking case studies, role plays, performance analysis, and branch action planning."]

Practical outputs

  • A branch business planning template.
  • A balanced branch performance scorecard.
  • A sales pipeline and customer engagement tracker.
  • A product rollout and branch readiness checklist.
  • A customer complaint and service recovery action log.
  • A staff coaching and performance review template.
  • A branch exception and audit-action tracker.
  • A 90-day branch and product improvement plan.

Expected outcomes

  • Develop branch plans aligned with the Bank’s retail banking priorities.
  • Interpret branch performance reports and identify corrective actions.
  • Grow deposits, lending, and fee income through responsible sales practices.
  • Improve collaboration between Branch Managers and Product Managers.
  • Strengthen customer service, complaint resolution, and retention.
  • Manage operational risks, staff performance, and service delivery.
  • Translate training into a measurable 90-day improvement plan.

Detailed programme information

Training content, practical exercises and delivery arrangements

Programme OverviewPurpose and target participants

The programme will strengthen participants’ ability to manage profitable branches, lead teams, improve customer experience, and coordinate branch execution with product strategy while maintaining effective operational controls.

Target participants: Branch Managers and Product Managers in the Retail Banking Department

Proposed duration: Three days

Learning OutcomesCapabilities participants will develop
1

Develop branch plans aligned with the Bank’s retail banking priorities.

2

Interpret branch performance reports and identify corrective actions.

3

Grow deposits, lending, and fee income through responsible sales practices.

4

Improve collaboration between Branch Managers and Product Managers.

5

Strengthen customer service, complaint resolution, and retention.

6

Manage operational risks, staff performance, and service delivery.

7

Translate training into a measurable 90-day improvement plan.

Detailed Training ProgrammeDaily modules, training content and practical application
Day 1: Branch strategy, profitability, and business growth
1Day 1: Branch strategy, profitability, and business growth
  • The branch as a business unit: the Branch Manager’s responsibilities across business development, service, people, operations, and controls. The Product Manager’s role in proposition design, pricing, product performance, and branch support.
Practical application

Map responsibilities and decision boundaries between branches, product teams, and support functions.

2Branch planning and local market analysis
  • Understanding the branch catchment area; identifying customer segments, employers, merchants, and business clusters; assessing competitors; identifying growth opportunities; translating strategy into branch targets.
Practical application

Develop a branch opportunity map and prioritise customer segments.

3Understanding branch financial performance
  • Reading branch income and expense reports; interest and fee income; funding costs; operating expenses; credit-related costs; contribution and profitability. Understanding centrally allocated costs and internal funding charges where used by the Bank.
Practical application

Analyse a simulated branch performance report and identify the drivers of underperformance.

4Performance indicators and target setting
  • Deposit growth and stability, lending activity, portfolio quality, customer acquisition, account activation, fee income, customer retention, service measures, and staff productivity. Balancing growth with risk and customer outcomes.
Practical application

Build a balanced branch scorecard with clear definitions, owners, and review frequencies.

5Sales planning and pipeline management
  • Customer needs analysis, lead generation, referrals, customer visits, pipeline stages, conversion rates, cross-selling, relationship deepening, and sales follow-up. Avoiding unsuitable selling and unnecessary product bundling.
Practical application

Prepare a weekly sales plan and conduct a pipeline review meeting.

6Deposit mobilisation and relationship development
  • Growing transactional and savings relationships; payroll and institutional opportunities; deposit concentration; customer engagement; identifying reasons for inactive accounts and customer attrition.
Practical application

Develop a deposit mobilisation and account activation campaign.

Day 2: Customer experience, product execution, and operational control
7Day 2: Customer experience, product execution, and operational control
  • Customer experience across the branch journey: identifying service expectations, reducing friction, managing queues, improving handovers, supporting customers with different needs, and maintaining service consistency.
Practical application

Map a customer journey and identify practical service improvements.

8Complaint handling and service recovery
  • Listening and acknowledging concerns; identifying root causes; assigning ownership; escalation; keeping customers informed; documenting resolutions; using complaint trends to improve services.
Practical application

Role-play a difficult customer complaint and prepare a service recovery response.

9Branch–product collaboration
  • Turning product features into customer benefits; communicating eligibility, pricing, fees, and terms; equipping branch teams; collecting frontline feedback; resolving process barriers; coordinating product campaigns.
Practical application

Design a branch rollout plan for a retail banking product.

10Product performance and portfolio management
  • Measuring acquisition, activation, utilisation, retention, revenue, and customer outcomes. Distinguishing sales volumes from sustained usage. Reviewing product performance across branches and customer segments.
Practical application

Assess a product with strong acquisition but low usage and propose corrective actions.

11Branch operational controls
  • Opening and closing controls, cash oversight, authorisation limits, reconciliations, account opening quality, record keeping, segregation of duties, exception management, and audit issue follow-up.
Practical application

Review a branch control scenario and prepare an exception-resolution register.

12Risk awareness and escalation
  • Recognising operational, fraud, conduct, credit, compliance, and reputational risks. Identifying warning signs, preserving evidence, reporting incidents, and escalating matters through the Bank’s approved channels.
Practical application

Analyse a case involving sales pressure, documentation gaps, and suspicious activity.

13Digital banking adoption and customer protection
  • Supporting customers to use appropriate digital channels; assisted onboarding; activation and usage; handling failed transactions; fraud awareness; protecting customer information; coordinating branch and digital service support.
Practical application

Prepare a digital adoption plan that includes customer education and support arrangements.

Day 3: Leadership, execution, and performance improvement
14Day 3: Leadership, execution, and performance improvement
  • Leading a high-performing branch team: setting expectations, allocating responsibilities, daily briefings, coaching, feedback, collaboration, recognition, and accountability.
Practical application

Conduct a coaching conversation with an underperforming staff member.

15Managing capacity and productivity
  • Matching staffing to customer demand, organising workflows, reducing avoidable rework, managing peak periods, balancing sales and service responsibilities, and identifying skills gaps.
Practical application

Redesign a branch work schedule using a simulated demand profile.

16Managing performance constructively
  • Setting measurable objectives; reviewing results and behaviours; diagnosing performance gaps; agreeing improvement actions; documenting follow-up; recognising when escalation or specialist support is required.
Practical application

Develop a staff performance improvement plan with measurable milestones.

17Change management and execution
  • Introducing new products, systems, processes, and service standards; communicating the purpose of change; addressing resistance; preparing teams; monitoring adoption; resolving implementation problems.
Practical application

Develop a change plan for a new branch process or product launch.

18Management reporting and review meetings
  • Preparing concise performance reports; explaining variances; identifying root causes; distinguishing symptoms from problems; assigning actions, deadlines, and owners; tracking commitments.
Practical application

Present a branch performance review to a simulated retail banking management panel.

19Integrated branch management simulation
  • Balancing business growth, customer complaints, staff constraints, control exceptions, and portfolio quality under time pressure.
Practical application

Teams make management decisions and explain their commercial, customer, and risk implications.

2090-day branch and product action planning
  • Selecting priorities, establishing baselines, setting targets, defining responsibilities, and agreeing branch–product coordination arrangements.
Practical application

Produce a practical 90-day improvement plan for implementation after training.

Training MethodologyDelivery approach described in the brief

Interactive workshops, banking case studies, role plays, performance analysis, and branch action planning.

Expected Learning OutcomesTraining outcomes as specified in the brief
Develop branch plans aligned with the Bank’s retail banking priorities.
Interpret branch performance reports and identify corrective actions.
Grow deposits, lending, and fee income through responsible sales practices.
Improve collaboration between Branch Managers and Product Managers.
Strengthen customer service, complaint resolution, and retention.
Manage operational risks, staff performance, and service delivery.
Translate training into a measurable 90-day improvement plan.
Practical Case StudiesCase studies and exercises from the training brief
  • Case study 1 — Growing business with declining profitability A branch achieves its deposit and lending targets, but profitability falls. Participants analyse income, funding mix, operating costs, and portfolio quality before recommending corrective actions.
  • Case study 2 — Strong product sales, weak customer usage A product campaign generates many new accounts, but activation and transaction activity remain low. Branch Managers and Product Managers jointly identify the causes and redesign follow-up activities.
  • Case study 3 — Service pressure and control failures A busy branch faces long queues, staff shortages, unresolved complaints, and documentation exceptions. Participants prioritise actions and develop a plan that improves service while maintaining controls.
  • Case study 4 — Recovering an underperforming branch Teams assess a branch with weak sales conversion, customer attrition, overdue audit actions, and low staff morale. They prepare and present a coordinated recovery plan.
Role-specific emphasis
Suggested performance measures

Participants will learn to select and interpret a balanced set of measures:

Definitions and targets will be aligned with I&M Bank Rwanda’s internal scorecards, policies, and operating model.

Training Materials and DeliverablesParticipant deliverables described in the training brief

Training materials and participant deliverables

1A branch business planning template.
2A balanced branch performance scorecard.
3A sales pipeline and customer engagement tracker.
4A product rollout and branch readiness checklist.
5A customer complaint and service recovery action log.
6A staff coaching and performance review template.
7A branch exception and audit-action tracker.
8A 90-day branch and product improvement plan.
Assessment and preparationAssessment and follow-up guidance

Learning will be assessed through a short pre-training assessment, practical group exercises, an integrated branch simulation, and presentation of the 90-day action plans.

Before delivery, the Academy training team will agree with the Retail Banking Department on priority challenges and review suitable anonymised branch reports, product information, service standards, and performance scorecards to customise the exercises.

Participant group / Training emphasis
  • Branch Managers — Branch profitability, local business development, customer relationships, staff leadership, service delivery, operational oversight, and escalation.
  • Product Managers — Product propositions, branch readiness, campaign execution, product performance, frontline feedback, customer adoption, and process improvement.
  • Joint responsibilities — Target setting, responsible selling, product activation, customer retention, performance reviews, and resolution of implementation barriers.
Area / Illustrative measures
  • Business growth — Deposit growth, new active customers, lending activity, pipeline conversion, and fee income.
  • Profitability — Branch contribution, income against budget, operating costs, and product contribution where reliable allocation data is available.
  • Customer experience — Waiting time, complaint resolution time, repeat complaints, retention, and customer feedback.
  • Product performance — Activation, utilisation, retention, product penetration, and campaign conversion.
  • Risk and controls — Unresolved exceptions, overdue audit actions, documentation gaps, operational incidents, and relevant portfolio quality measures.
  • People and productivity — Coaching completion, performance against objectives, service productivity, and closure of identified skills gaps.

Assessments

Assessment requirements are provided with your learning materials.

Group activities

Activities and collaboration opportunities are available to enrolled employees where applicable.

Resources

Course materials are available through your learning account once access is granted.

I&M Rwanda Academy certificate

Certificate eligibility is subject to the course's completion and assessment requirements.