If you are a compliance officer, risk manager, or internal auditor at a UEMOA financial institution, this playbook was built for you.
Operating within the West African Economic and Monetary Union means navigating a complex and rapidly evolving anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) landscape. You are under growing pressure to demonstrate adherence to both regional mandates from COBAC and international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying, audit cycles are shortening, and the cost of non-compliance, including reputational damage and financial penalties, is rising. With limited internal resources and fragmented documentation, building a cohesive, auditable compliance program that satisfies multiple stakeholders remains a persistent challenge.
Engaging a Big-4 consultancy to develop a compliant AML/CFT framework typically costs between EUR 80,000 and EUR 250,000. Alternatively, dedicating an internal team of 3 to 5 full-time compliance professionals for 4 to 6 months to build the necessary documentation and controls from scratch diverts critical resources from ongoing monitoring and risk mitigation. This playbook delivers the same structural rigor and audit-ready outputs at a fraction of the cost, just $395.
What you get
| Phase | File Type | Description | Count |
| Risk Assessment | Domain Assessment Workbook | 30-question evaluation covering governance, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, STR processes, PEP screening, correspondent banking, and cash handling | 7 |
| Evidence Collection | Evidence Runbook | Step-by-step guide to gathering, labeling, storing, and presenting audit evidence in alignment with COBAC and FATF documentation requirements | 1 |
| Audit Preparation | Audit Prep Playbook | Checklist-driven process for internal and external audit readiness, including mock audit scenarios, response templates, and issue tracking | 1 |
| Program Design | RACI Matrix Template | Pre-built responsibility assignment matrix for AML/CFT roles across legal, compliance, operations, IT, and senior management | 1 |
| Program Design | Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) | Hierarchical decomposition of compliance activities into actionable tasks with estimated timelines and dependencies | 1 |
| Cross-Referencing | Cross-Framework Mapping Matrix | Comprehensive table linking each control requirement across FATF, COBAC, UEMOA/2018/024, and ISO 37001 | 1 |
| Implementation Support | Sample Chapter: AML/CFT Risk Assessment Workbook | 30-question risk assessment module tailored to UEMOA banks, including scoring methodology and risk rating guidance | 1 |
| Total Files Included | 64 | ||
Domain assessments
Each of the seven domain assessments contains 30 targeted questions with scoring rubrics and evidence references:
- Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Know Your Customer (KYC): Evaluates the institution's ability to verify customer identity, assess risk profiles, and apply enhanced due diligence where required.
- Transaction Monitoring and Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR): Assesses the effectiveness of monitoring systems, alert investigation processes, and timely submission of suspicious transaction reports.
- Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) and High-Risk Customer Management: Reviews policies and controls for identifying, approving, and ongoing monitoring of PEPs and other high-risk clients.
- Correspondent Banking and Cross-Border Relationships: Examines due diligence on foreign banks, contractual safeguards, and ongoing oversight of correspondent accounts.
- Internal Governance and Compliance Oversight: Measures the strength of the compliance function, board reporting, independence, and resource allocation.
- Recordkeeping and Audit Trail Integrity: Tests adherence to retention periods, data accessibility, and the completeness of transaction and CDD records.
- Cash Handling and Currency Reporting: Evaluates controls over large cash deposits, currency transaction reporting, and physical cash management in branches.
What this saves you
| Activity | Time Required Without Playbook | Time Required With Playbook | Estimated Time Saved |
| Developing risk assessment questionnaires | 120 hours | 8 hours | 112 hours |
| Mapping controls to FATF and COBAC requirements | 160 hours | 20 hours | 140 hours |
| Preparing for internal audit | 80 hours | 15 hours | 65 hours |
| Creating RACI and WBS documentation | 40 hours | 5 hours | 35 hours |
| Evidence collection and organization | 100 hours | 25 hours | 75 hours |
| Total Estimated Time Saved | 500 hours | 73 hours | 427 hours |
Who this is for
- Compliance Officers responsible for maintaining AML/CFT programs in UEMOA member states
- Internal Auditors preparing for or conducting AML/CFT audits under COBAC guidelines
- Risk Managers overseeing financial crime risk frameworks in regional banks
- Legal Counsel advising on regulatory obligations under UEMOA/2018/024
- Chief Compliance Officers (CCOs) seeking to standardize practices across multiple branches
- IT and Data Governance Teams supporting transaction monitoring and recordkeeping systems
- External Consultants supporting financial institutions with regulatory remediation
Cross-framework mappings
This playbook includes full alignment with the following regulatory and standards frameworks:
- FATF Recommendations (2012, as revised)
- COBAC AML/CFT Framework for UEMOA Credit Institutions
- WAEMU Regulation UEMOA/2018/024 on the Prevention and Repression of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (LBC/FT)
- ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems (for integrity controls intersecting with AML)
What is NOT in this product
- This is not a software tool or automated monitoring system
- It does not include custom implementation services or consulting hours
- No third-party data feeds, PEP lists, or transaction monitoring rules are provided
- It does not replace the need for staff training or system configuration
- No legal opinion or regulatory submission is included
- It is not tailored to insurance, microfinance, or non-bank financial institutions outside the UEMOA banking scope
Lifetime access and satisfaction guarantee
You receive lifetime access to the playbook with no subscription and no login portal. The files are delivered as downloadable documents that you own and control. If this playbook does not save your team at least 100 hours of manual compliance work, email us for a full refund. No questions, no friction.
About the seller: With 25 years of experience in regulatory compliance, we have analyzed 692 global and regional frameworks and built 819,000+ cross-framework mappings. Our resources are used by over 40,000 compliance practitioners across 160 countries, supporting institutions in banking, fintech, and financial infrastructure to meet complex regulatory demands with clarity and efficiency.
Need this for your team? We offer site licenses starting at $2,500 for up to 25 users. Reply to this page or DM Gerard directly on LinkedIn.
