ATU |Council for Professional Accreditation and Certification

1. Document Control

Document Title: ATU-CPAC Financial Oversight and Fees Policy
Document Owner: ATU-CPAC Finance, Audit, and Resource Oversight Committee
Issuing Authority: Arab Trainers Union
Policy Authority: ATU-CPAC Governing Council
Approval Authority: Arab Trainers Union Board of Directors
Effective Date: 1 June 2026
Review Date: Every three years, or earlier where required
Applicability: ATU-CPAC, Arab Trainers Union officers, approved providers, accredited providers, authorized assessment centers, candidates, certified professionals, partners, contractors, committees, and all persons involved in ATU-CPAC financial transactions or fee-related activities

2. Introduction

The Arab Trainers Union Council for Professional Accreditation and Certification, referred to as ATU-CPAC, is a specialized council operating within the Arab Trainers Union.

ATU-CPAC regulates, monitors, quality assures, and verifies professional accreditation, professional certification, assessment, registry, renewal, and compliance activities under the authority of the Arab Trainers Union.

Financial oversight is required to ensure that all ATU-CPAC fees, income, expenditure, budgets, provider charges, partner payments, refunds, and financial records are managed transparently, responsibly, and in accordance with the Arab Trainers Union’s financial procedures.

All certificates, professional certifications, accreditation certificates, assessed certificates, registry confirmations, and verification records governed by ATU-CPAC are issued in the name and under the authority of the Arab Trainers Union.

3. Purpose

This policy sets out how ATU-CPAC shall manage financial oversight, fee approval, fee publication, invoicing, payments, refunds, financial records, budgeting, expenditure, financial reporting, and financial risk.

The policy aims to:

1. Protect the financial integrity of ATU and ATU-CPAC activities.
2. Ensure fees are approved, transparent, and consistently applied.
3. Ensure financial decisions are properly authorized and documented.
4. Prevent unauthorized charges, payments, discounts, or financial commitments.
5. Support accountability, auditability, and internal control.
6. Ensure providers and candidates receive clear information about fees.
7. Protect the credibility of ATU-issued credentials.
8. Support sustainable operation of accreditation, certification, assessment, registry, and quality assurance services.

4. Scope

This policy applies to financial oversight and fee activities related to:

1. Provider accreditation.
2. Provider renewal.
3. Provider scope expansion.
4. Authorized assessment centers.
5. Accredited training programs.
6. Accredited professional programs.
7. Professional certification.
8. Assessment and examination fees.
9. Reassessment and retake fees.
10. CPD and renewal fees.
11. Registry and verification fees.
12. Certificate issue, replacement, correction, or attestation-related service fees.
13. Partner recognition and external relations fees.
14. EQA, audit, site visit, and monitoring fees.
15. Appeals, complaints, reinstatement, and investigation fees where approved.
16. Digital badges and verification services.
17. Provider and partner financial obligations.
18. ATU-CPAC budgeting, reporting, and expenditure.

5. Policy Principles

ATU-CPAC financial oversight and fees shall be guided by the following principles.

5.1 ATU Financial Authority

All ATU-CPAC financial activity shall operate under the financial authority, accounting procedures, approved budget, and internal controls of the Arab Trainers Union.

5.2 Transparency

Approved fees shall be communicated clearly before application, registration, assessment, renewal, or service delivery.

5.3 Accountability

All financial decisions, fee approvals, payments, discounts, refunds, and expenditure must be documented and traceable.

5.4 Consistency

Fees shall be applied consistently according to the approved fee schedule, unless an approved discount, waiver, partnership arrangement, or Board-approved decision applies.

5.5 Segregation of Duties

Where possible, fee approval, invoicing, payment receipt, service approval, certificate release, and financial reporting shall be performed by different authorized persons.

5.6 Fairness

Candidates, providers, and partners shall receive clear information about fee obligations, refund conditions, expiry rules, retake fees, renewal fees, and non-payment consequences.

5.7 Financial Sustainability

Fees shall support sustainable delivery of accreditation, certification, assessment, quality assurance, registry, verification, and administrative services.

5.8 Internal Control

Financial activities shall be subject to approved controls, review, reporting, audit, and risk management.

6. Financial Authority and Governance

ATU-CPAC shall not operate as a financially independent body unless expressly approved by the Arab Trainers Union Board of Directors.

ATU-CPAC financial activity shall be managed through:

1. ATU financial procedures.
2. ATU-approved budget.
3. ATU accounting code or cost center where approved.
4. Approved fee schedule.
5. Approved delegation of authority.
6. Approved procurement and payment procedures.
7. Internal financial controls.
8. Financial reporting to ATU leadership.
9. Audit and review where required.

A separate ATU-CPAC bank account may only be opened if expressly approved by the Arab Trainers Union Board of Directors and allowed under applicable procedures.

7. Budgeting

ATU-CPAC shall prepare an annual budget proposal for review and approval through ATU procedures.

The budget may include:

1. Standards development.
2. Provider accreditation operations.
3. Professional certification operations.
4. Assessment development and administration.
5. IQA and EQA activities.
6. Site visits and remote reviews.
7. Registry and digital verification systems.
8. Digital badges and certificate control.
9. Committee operations.
10. Partner recognition and compliance.
11. Communications and publications.
12. Professional and technical services.
13. Training of reviewers, assessors, IQAs, and EQAs.
14. Legal, data protection, and audit support where required.
15. General administration.

Expenditure outside the approved budget shall require approval according to ATU financial procedures and the Delegation of Authority Policy.

8. Fee Schedule

ATU-CPAC shall maintain an approved fee schedule.

The fee schedule may include:

1. Application fees.
2. Provider accreditation fees.
3. Provider renewal fees.
4. Scope expansion fees.
5. Program approval fees.
6. Authorized assessment center fees.
7. Professional certification fees.
8. Assessment or examination fees.
9. Reassessment, resubmission, or retake fees.
10. CPD and renewal fees.
11. Certificate issue fees.
12. Certificate replacement or correction fees.
13. Registry and verification fees.
14. Digital badge fees.
15. EQA, audit, or site visit fees.
16. Recognition agreement or partner review fees.
17. Appeal or reinstatement fees where approved.
18. Late renewal or late submission fees where approved.

No person, provider, partner, or committee may create, change, waive, or collect ATU-CPAC fees unless authorized.

9. Fee Approval and Change Control

Fees shall be approved according to ATU procedures and delegated authority.

Fee changes shall consider:

1. Cost of service delivery.
2. Administrative requirements.
3. Quality assurance requirements.
4. Assessment and certification costs.
5. Registry and verification costs.
6. Provider monitoring costs.
7. Partner requirements.
8. Market and stakeholder considerations.
9. Sustainability of ATU-CPAC operations.
10. Fairness and transparency.

Fee changes shall be documented, approved, version-controlled, and communicated before implementation.

10. Fee Publication and Communication

ATU-CPAC and approved providers shall ensure that fee information is clear, accurate, and not misleading.

Fee information should include:

1. Fee amount.
2. Currency.
3. What the fee includes.
4. What the fee does not include.
5. Payment deadline.
6. Refund conditions.
7. Retake or resubmission fees where applicable.
8. Renewal fees where applicable.
9. Late fees where applicable.
10. Certificate issue or replacement fees where applicable.
11. Partner or attestation-related costs where applicable.
12. Consequences of non-payment.

Providers must not charge learners or candidates misleading or unauthorized fees for ATU-CPAC-governed activities.

11. Invoicing and Payment

Invoices, receipts, or payment records shall be issued according to ATU financial procedures.

Payment records should include:

1. Payer name.
2. Provider or candidate reference.
3. Service or fee type.
4. Amount.
5. Currency.
6. Payment date.
7. Payment method.
8. Invoice or receipt number.
9. Program, certification, or accreditation reference where applicable.
10. Outstanding balance where applicable.

Payments shall be recorded accurately and reconciled according to ATU financial controls.

12. Refunds

Refunds shall be managed according to the approved refund rules and ATU financial procedures.

Refund eligibility may depend on:

1. Type of service.
2. Stage of application or assessment.
3. Administrative work already completed.
4. Assessment or examination participation.
5. Provider accreditation review stage.
6. Cancellation by ATU-CPAC.
7. Candidate or provider withdrawal.
8. Duplicate payment.
9. Administrative error.
10. Force majeure or exceptional circumstances.
11. Partner terms where applicable.

Application screening fees, assessment fees, site visit fees, and completed service fees shall be non-refundable unless approved rules state otherwise.

Refund decisions shall be documented and communicated clearly.

13. Discounts, Waivers, and Scholarships

Discounts, waivers, scholarships, or fee reductions may only be granted where approved by ATU or delegated authority.

Approval shall define:

1. Eligible category.
2. Fee affected.
3. Amount or percentage.
4. Validity period.
5. Reason for approval.
6. Funding source where applicable.
7. Documentation required.
8. Approval authority.
9. Record-keeping requirement.

No informal discount or waiver may be offered by staff, providers, partners, trainers, assessors, or committees without authorization.

14. Non-Payment

Failure to pay approved fees may result in appropriate action.

Possible actions include:

1. Application hold.
2. Assessment registration hold.
3. Result hold where permitted.
4. Certificate release hold.
5. Registry update hold.
6. Renewal hold.
7. Suspension of provider services.
8. Suspension of provider or partner account.
9. Late fee where approved.
10. Cancellation of application.
11. Withdrawal of service after notice.

Non-payment action shall be applied fairly and according to approved procedures. It shall not be used to hide or alter valid assessment outcomes.

15. Provider Fee Responsibilities

Approved and accredited providers shall:

1. Publish accurate fee information.
2. Charge only authorized ATU-CPAC-related fees where applicable.
3. Clearly distinguish provider training fees from ATU certification, assessment, registry, or accreditation fees.
4. Avoid misleading learners about what fees include.
5. Issue receipts or payment records according to their procedures.
6. Submit ATU-CPAC fees where required.
7. Avoid withholding candidate records improperly.
8. Inform candidates of retake, reassessment, certificate, and renewal fees.
9. Cooperate with fee audits or financial reviews.
10. Report fee disputes or payment irregularities to ATU-CPAC where relevant.

Providers must not represent their own training fee as an ATU fee unless formally authorized.

16. Candidate and Certified Professional Fee Responsibilities

Candidates and certified professionals shall:

1. Review fee information before registration or application.
2. Pay approved fees by required deadlines.
3. Provide accurate payment information.
4. Keep payment receipts.
5. Understand refund, retake, renewal, and expiry rules.
6. Avoid submitting false payment evidence.
7. Pay retake, reassessment, renewal, replacement, or reinstatement fees where applicable.
8. Contact ATU-CPAC or the approved provider if payment records are incorrect.

False payment evidence may be treated as malpractice.

17. Procurement and Expenditure

ATU-CPAC expenditure shall follow ATU procurement and financial procedures.

Expenditure may include:

1. Committee costs.
2. Reviewer and expert fees.
3. EQA and audit costs.
4. Digital registry and verification systems.
5. Certificate printing or digital certificate services.
6. Website and technology systems.
7. Professional services.
8. Translation, design, publication, or communication services.
9. Training and capacity building.
10. Partner-related implementation costs.

No expenditure may be committed without proper authorization and available budget or approved exception.

18. Partner Financial Arrangements

Partner agreements may include financial terms.

Partner financial arrangements shall define:

1. Fees or revenue share where applicable.
2. Payment schedule.
3. Currency.
4. Invoicing process.
5. Refund responsibility.
6. Tax or deduction responsibility where applicable.
7. Cost of quality assurance or site visits.
8. Certificate or registry fees.
9. Data or platform service fees.
10. Termination and outstanding payment rules.
11. Financial reporting requirements.

No partner financial arrangement may be implemented without written approval and authorized agreement signature.

19. Financial Records

ATU-CPAC shall maintain accurate financial records.

Records may include:

1. Approved fee schedules.
2. Budget documents.
3. Invoices.
4. Receipts.
5. Payment confirmations.
6. Refund records.
7. Discount or waiver approvals.
8. Provider payment records.
9. Partner financial records.
10. Procurement records.
11. Expense approvals.
12. Reconciliation records.
13. Financial reports.
14. Audit records.

Records shall be retained according to ATU policy, applicable laws, accounting requirements, and partner agreement requirements.

20. Financial Reporting

ATU-CPAC financial activity shall be reported according to ATU procedures.

Reports may include:

1. Budget performance.
2. Fee income.
3. Provider accreditation income.
4. Certification and assessment income.
5. Registry and verification income.
6. Partner-related income or expenditure.
7. Outstanding receivables.
8. Refunds.
9. Discounts and waivers.
10. Major expenditure.
11. Financial risks.
12. Variance from budget.
13. Recommendations for improvement.

Financial reports shall be reviewed by the competent ATU or ATU-CPAC authority.

21. Financial Risk and Internal Control

ATU-CPAC shall manage financial risk through internal controls.

Financial risks may include:

1. Unauthorized fees.
2. Unrecorded payments.
3. Incorrect invoices.
4. Duplicate payments.
5. Unapproved refunds.
6. Misleading provider charges.
7. Unapproved discounts.
8. Late payments.
9. Currency fluctuation.
10. Partner payment disputes.
11. Weak segregation of duties.
12. Fraud or false payment evidence.
13. Expenditure outside budget.
14. Certificate release without payment where payment is required.

Controls may include approval limits, segregation of duties, reconciliation, audit trail, receipt control, fee schedule review, and financial reporting.

22. Financial Audit and Review

ATU-CPAC financial activity may be subject to internal or external review according to ATU procedures.

Audit or review may examine:

1. Fee approvals.
2. Fee schedule version control.
3. Invoices and receipts.
4. Payment records.
5. Refunds.
6. Discounts and waivers.
7. Provider payments.
8. Partner financial arrangements.
9. Procurement and expenditure.
10. Budget performance.
11. Certificate release controls linked to payment.
12. Financial risk management.

Findings shall be addressed through corrective action.

23. Conflict of Interest and Financial Integrity

Persons involved in financial decisions shall declare conflicts of interest.

Conflicts may include:

1. Personal financial benefit.
2. Provider ownership or employment.
3. Partner relationship.
4. Supplier relationship.
5. Family or personal relationship.
6. Commission or referral benefit.
7. Gifts or improper influence.

No person may approve a financial decision where they have an unmanaged conflict of interest.

24. Prohibited Financial Conduct

The following conduct is prohibited:

1. Charging unauthorized fees.
2. Collecting money without approved authority.
3. Issuing false receipts.
4. Submitting false payment evidence.
5. Offering unauthorized discounts or waivers.
6. Creating unapproved financial commitments.
7. Receiving improper commissions or benefits.
8. Linking certification decisions to improper payment.
9. Misrepresenting provider fees as ATU fees.
10. Withholding candidate results or certificates improperly.
11. Using ATU or ATU-CPAC funds for unauthorized purposes.
12. Concealing financial records.
13. Altering invoices, receipts, or payment records.

Prohibited financial conduct may be treated as malpractice or misconduct.

25. Complaints and Appeals

Fee-related complaints or appeals shall be handled according to the ATU-CPAC Complaints and Appeals Policy.

Complaints or appeals may relate to:

1. Incorrect fee information.
2. Duplicate payment.
3. Refund decision.
4. Unauthorized provider fee.
5. Payment record error.
6. Certificate release hold due to payment issue.
7. Discount or waiver decision.
8. Renewal or late fee dispute.
9. Partner-related fee dispute.

Appeals should be submitted within 15 days from notification of the financial decision unless another approved procedure applies.

26. Responsibilities of ATU-CPAC

ATU-CPAC shall:

1. Maintain this policy and related procedures.
2. Propose and review fee schedules.
3. Follow ATU financial procedures.
4. Maintain financial records.
5. Communicate fees clearly.
6. Apply fees consistently.
7. Monitor payment-related risks.
8. Review provider fee compliance.
9. Report financial activity according to ATU procedures.
10. Investigate unauthorized fees or payment irregularities.
11. Escalate serious financial risks to ATU leadership.
12. Use financial findings for continuous improvement.

27. Responsibilities of ATU Finance or Authorized Financial Function

The authorized ATU financial function shall:

1. Maintain accounting records.
2. Issue or control invoices and receipts where applicable.
3. Record payments.
4. Process refunds where approved.
5. Support budget monitoring.
6. Support reconciliation.
7. Maintain financial audit trails.
8. Prepare financial reports.
9. Support compliance with ATU financial rules.
10. Report irregularities to the competent authority.

28. Responsibilities of Providers and Partners

Providers and partners shall:

1. Follow approved fee rules.
2. Communicate fees accurately.
3. Avoid unauthorized charges.
4. Maintain payment records.
5. Submit required payments to ATU or ATU-CPAC where applicable.
6. Cooperate with financial review.
7. Protect candidate and learner interests.
8. Report financial disputes or irregularities.
9. Avoid misleading public claims about fees.
10. Comply with agreement terms.

29. Continuous Improvement

ATU-CPAC shall use financial data and fee-related feedback to improve:

1. Fee schedules.
2. Fee communication.
3. Refund procedures.
4. Provider guidance.
5. Partner agreements.
6. Payment systems.
7. Certificate release controls.
8. Financial reporting.
9. Budget planning.
10. Risk management.

Trends shall be reviewed by the Finance, Audit, and Resource Oversight Committee and reported to the ATU-CPAC Governing Council where required.

30. Review of Policy

This policy shall be reviewed every three years or earlier where required due to:

1. ATU Board decision.
2. Financial procedure changes.
3. Legal or regulatory change.
4. Fee schedule changes.
5. Audit findings.
6. Provider or partner fee concerns.
7. Refund or payment disputes.
8. Certificate release incidents.
9. Budget or sustainability concerns.
10. Operational need.

31. Definitions

Final Policy Statement

ATU-CPAC Financial Oversight and Fees Policy exists to ensure that all financial and fee-related activities under the Arab Trainers Union framework are transparent, accountable, authorized, properly recorded, and fairly applied.

Through approved fee schedules, controlled payments, refund rules, budget oversight, financial reporting, provider fee monitoring, internal controls, and audit trails, ATU-CPAC protects financial integrity and supports sustainable accreditation, certification, assessment, registry, and quality assurance services across Arab countries.