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v2.0 · Live course · Circl Academy

T2 Senior Treasurer Certification

Status: v2.0 live. Supersedes course-treasurer-intermediate (v1.0) and course-treasurer-advanced (v1.0).

Course at a glance

| Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Fee | GBP 150 one-time | | Prerequisites | T1 certified, 2 completed cycles as active Treasurer, Standing >= 600 | | Format | Self-paced; 6-8 hours across multiple sessions | | Modules | Five (Modules 7-11) | | Assessment | Simulated multi-circle portfolio over 4 weeks | | Pass mark | 80% | | Retake policy | After 14 days | | On completion | Manage up to 3 circles, up to 25 members each, activate lending pools | | Prerequisite for | T3 Master Treasurer |

Module 7: Advanced Circle Management

7.1 The multi-circle Treasurer

Managing one circle is governance. Managing three circles is operations. The shift is significant — you are no longer responding to one group's rhythm. You are coordinating multiple cycles, multiple member groups, and multiple contribution schedules simultaneously.

Your dashboard now shows multiple circles, each with its own health score, contribution status, and attention items. The temptation is to check each circle individually, scrolling through member lists and hunting for issues. That is the wrong approach. That approach does not scale.

The right approach: use Circa Briefings to surface what needs attention across all your circles in one summary. Clear the attention items. Ignore the healthy circles — they are working. Focus your energy on the circle that needs you.

7.2 Prioritisation

When two circles need attention at the same time, prioritise by urgency:

Red (immediate): A payout is due today and a contribution is missing. The receiving member is counting on the money. This gets handled first.

Gold (today): A member has been late for two days and has not responded to the automated reminder. You need to reach out personally before the third day.

Green (this week): A member asked about changing the contribution amount. This requires a proposal and vote — important but not urgent.

The mistake most multi-circle Treasurers make is treating everything as equally urgent. A member asking a question about their Standing score does not have the same priority as a missing contribution on payout day. Circa Coach helps you see this hierarchy — but the judgement call is yours.

7.3 Cross-circle member management

Some members may be in more than one of your circles. This creates both opportunities and complications.

The opportunity: You already know the member. Their communication preferences, their reliability, their personal circumstances — you have context that makes governance easier.

The complication: If a member defaults in one circle, you must assess whether this affects their participation in your other circles. A member who misses a contribution in Circle A because of a genuine emergency may still be perfectly reliable in Circle B. A member who misses contributions in both circles may have a systemic issue.

The rule: Each circle is governed independently. A default in Circle A does not automatically trigger consequences in Circle B. But the information is available to you, and you should use your judgement. If a member is struggling financially across multiple circles, a private conversation about whether they are overcommitted is better governance than waiting for defaults to accumulate.

7.4 Time management

Three circles means roughly three times the confirmation work, three times the communication, and three times the governance decisions. Your Treasurer subscription includes Circa Briefings, Coach, and Advisor — these exist precisely because multi-circle management without AI assistance is unsustainable.

A well-run multi-circle operation should take 20-30 minutes per day:

If you are spending more than 30 minutes daily, something is inefficient. Either your circles have systemic issues that need addressing, or you are micromanaging healthy circles that do not need attention.

7.5 When to say no to a third circle

Not every Treasurer should run three circles. Before accepting responsibility for a third circle, ask yourself:

The best Treasurers manage fewer circles with higher health, not more circles with lower health. Your TPP earnings reward quality, not quantity — the health multiplier and retention bonus are worth more than the marginal residual from a poorly-managed third circle.

7.6 Check your understanding

  1. You have three circles. Circle A has a payout due today with one missing contribution. Circle B has a member who asked to change the contribution amount. Circle C is fully healthy with all contributions confirmed. What do you do first, second, and third?

  2. A member in two of your circles tells you they lost their job. How do you approach this across both circles?

  3. Your daily operations are taking 90 minutes. What might be wrong and how would you diagnose it?

Module 8: The Lending Pool

8.1 What the lending pool is

The Local Lending Pool (LLP) is a reserve of funds held within the circle, built from a portion of member contributions, that can be used to provide small loans to circle members.

This is not banking. The circle is the lender. The pool is funded by the members' own contributions. The Treasurer governs the process. A partner credit union or regulated lending vehicle makes the formal lending decision for larger amounts.

The LLP exists because the same community that trusts each other enough to save together is a community that can support each other with short-term credit. A member whose washing machine breaks does not need to go to a payday lender — they can access a small loan from their own circle's pool, repay it over the next few cycles, and the money is available for the next member who needs it.

8.2 Activating the lending pool

The lending pool is activated by member vote. You, as Treasurer, propose the activation:

  1. Explain what the LLP is — use clear language. "We can set aside a small portion of our contributions to create a fund that any of us can borrow from in an emergency. The fund is ours. Loans are repaid into the fund so it is always available."

  2. Propose the allocation — how much of each contribution goes to the LLP. Typically 5-10% of each contribution. This is ON TOP of the CPR deduction, not instead of it. Make sure members understand the distinction: CPR protects against defaults. LLP provides loans.

  3. Hold the vote — requires a two-thirds supermajority. Every member must understand what they are agreeing to before they vote.

  4. If approved — the platform creates the LLP sub-fund within the circle. Contributions are automatically split: main pot + CPR + LLP. The pool balance grows with each contribution period.

8.3 How lending works

When a member needs a loan:

  1. The member applies through the platform — they specify the amount and the purpose. The platform checks eligibility: minimum Standing score, minimum contributions, no outstanding defaults.

  2. You review the application — as Treasurer, you see the request, the member's circle history, and the pool balance. You make a recommendation: approve or decline.

  3. For small amounts (within the pool's graduated lending authority): Your recommendation is sufficient. The platform processes the loan.

  4. For larger amounts (above the graduated threshold): The application is forwarded to the partner credit union or regulated lending vehicle for a formal affordability assessment and lending decision. Your recommendation is one input — the institution makes the final call.

  5. Repayment — the member repays over an agreed period, typically through additional deductions from their circle contributions. The repayment flows back into the LLP, making the funds available for the next member.

8.4 Managing the pool balance

You can see the LLP balance on your circle dashboard at all times. Your responsibilities:

8.5 When a borrower defaults

If a member fails to repay their LLP loan:

  1. The member's Standing score is significantly impacted
  2. The CPR may be used to cover the loss to the pool
  3. The default is recorded on their Financial Reliability Record
  4. If the default was governed by a partner institution, their recovery process applies
  5. The circle may vote on consequences, including removal

Your role: Communicate early. If a borrower is struggling with repayment, work with them to adjust the schedule before it becomes a default. A restructured repayment is better than a default for everyone — the member, the pool, and the circle's health.

8.6 The Treasurer's responsibility in lending

You are NOT a lender. You are the governance layer. You:

You do NOT:

8.7 Check your understanding

  1. A member asks: "Can I borrow GBP 500 from the pardna?" The pool has GBP 300. What do you tell them?

  2. The circle has been running for 6 weeks. A member proposes activating the lending pool. Is this appropriate and what is the process?

  3. A borrower tells you they cannot make their next repayment. What do you do?

Module 9: Complex Governance

9.1 Multi-round disputes

Some disputes are not resolved on the first attempt. A member rejects the initial resolution. New evidence emerges. The situation escalates beyond what the Treasurer can handle alone.

Round 1 — Treasurer mediation. You listen to both sides, check the platform data, and propose a resolution. Most disputes end here.

Round 2 — Formal dispute on the platform. If your mediation fails, either party can file a formal dispute. Both sides submit evidence through the platform. Circa analyses the case and produces a recommendation. You review the recommendation and either endorse it or add your own context.

Round 3 — Member vote. For disputes that affect the whole circle, the members vote on the resolution. 60% quorum, two-thirds supermajority to act.

Round 4 — Platform resolution. If the vote is inconclusive or the dispute is between individuals, the platform's resolution team reviews the complete case and issues a binding recommendation.

Your role across all rounds: Stay neutral. Document everything. Do not take sides. The moment you are perceived as favouring one member, you lose the trust of the other — and possibly the trust of the circle.

9.2 Mid-cycle member exits

A member leaving mid-cycle is the most complex governance situation you will face. The financial implications depend on timing:

The member has NOT yet received their hand:

The member HAS received their hand but has not completed their contributions:

The emotional dimension: Leaving a circle can feel like leaving a family. The member may feel shame, guilt, or anger — depending on the circumstances. Handle the exit with the same care you would handle a difficult personal conversation. The process protects the group. Your humanity protects the person.

9.3 Emergency Treasurer absence

What happens if YOU cannot manage the circle? Illness, travel, personal emergency — life happens to Treasurers too.

Temporary absence (less than 2 weeks):

Extended absence (more than 2 weeks):

9.4 Succession planning

Every Treasurer should have a plan for who takes over if they can no longer manage the circle. This is not pessimism — it is professional governance.

Identify one member in each circle who could be your successor. Encourage them to begin T1 certification. If they are already certified, ensure they understand your circle's specific dynamics — the members, the payment patterns, the cultural nuances.

A clean handover includes:

9.5 Check your understanding

  1. A dispute has gone through two rounds and the members are now voting. The vote is 7-5 in favour of the proposed resolution but the quorum requires two-thirds. What happens next?

  2. You need emergency surgery and will be unavailable for three weeks. Your circle is in week 6 of a 12-week cycle. What are your steps before you go to hospital?

  3. A member who received their hand in week 2 wants to leave the circle in week 8. They have contributed for weeks 1-8 but owe contributions for weeks 9-12. What is the situation and how do you handle it?

Module 10: Standing and Circle Health

10.1 How Standing scores work

The Standing score is a number between 0 and 1000 that represents a member's reliability on the platform. It is computed from five factors:

Contribution compliance (40% weight): The percentage of contributions made on time. Every on-time confirmation raises this component. Every late or missed contribution lowers it.

Savings consistency (20% weight): How regularly the member saves. A member who contributes every week for 12 months has higher consistency than a member who contributes for 3 months, stops for 2, and restarts.

Participation tenure (15% weight): How long the member has been active on the platform. Longer tenure means more data and higher confidence in the score.

Governance participation (15% weight): Does the member vote when votes are called? Do they respond to disputes? Do they engage in circle governance? Active participation signals commitment.

Circle health contribution (10% weight): Is the member in healthy circles? Do the circles they join tend to perform well? This factor measures the quality of the member's circle choices and their impact on circle health.

The score updates daily based on the latest contribution data. It does not change dramatically from one day to the next — it is a rolling computation that smooths out short-term fluctuations.

10.2 How YOUR actions affect member Standing

As a Treasurer, your confirmations are the data source for the compliance component. When you confirm a contribution on time, the member's score benefits. When you delay confirmation (even if the member paid on time), the member's record shows a later timestamp.

This means:

10.3 Circle Health Score

The Circle Health Score measures the overall health of the circle, not individual members. It ranges from 0 to 100 and is computed from:

Contribution compliance rate (35%): What percentage of all contributions across all members are confirmed on time?

Member retention (25%): How many members remain active from the start of the cycle to the end? High retention = healthy circle.

Governance activity (20%): Are votes being held? Are disputes being resolved? Is the circle actively governed?

CPR adequacy (10%): Does the circle's protection reserve have sufficient funds to cover potential defaults?

Growth trend (10%): Is the circle stable, growing, or shrinking? Stable or growing circles score higher.

Your direct influence: As Treasurer, you control governance activity (calling votes, resolving disputes, maintaining communication). You influence retention through member relationships. You affect compliance through timely communication about late payments. You do not control individual member behaviour — but you create the conditions where good behaviour is easy and bad behaviour is visible.

10.4 Graduated Lending Authority

The Circle Health Score determines the circle's lending authority tier — how much the circle's LLP can lend and at what speed:

Tier 1 (Health 85+): High-performing circles. Loans up to a defined threshold approved within 24 hours. Treasurer endorsement is sufficient.

Tier 2 (Health 70-84): Established circles. Standard underwriting. 3-5 day processing. Institutional review may be required.

Tier 3 (Health below 70): Developing circles. Full underwriting required for every loan. Limited lending capacity.

Your goal: Keep your circles in Tier 1. This means maintaining high compliance, strong retention, and active governance. A Tier 1 circle offers its members faster, easier access to credit — which is a tangible benefit of being in a well-governed circle.

10.5 Check your understanding

  1. A member's Standing drops from 720 to 680 in one month. What could cause this and how would you investigate?

  2. Your Circle Health Score is 78. What specific actions would you take to push it above 85?

  3. A member asks: "Why is my Standing lower than my friend's? We both contribute the same amount." How do you explain the scoring system?

Module 11: Working with Institutions

This module is required for institutional Treasurers (credit union staff, housing association coordinators) and optional for retail Treasurers.

11.1 The partner dashboard

Institutional Treasurers operate within an organisation that has its own partner dashboard. Your institution's management team sees aggregate data across all circles managed by the institution — total members, total circles, average compliance, average Standing, and Circle Health Scores by circle.

What management sees: Aggregate numbers. Totals. Trends. They do not see individual member data unless the member has explicitly shared it.

What you see: Your circles, your members' contribution statuses, your governance tools. You operate at the circle level. Management operates at the portfolio level.

11.2 Payout instructions

In an institutional setting, payouts may be processed through the institution's own banking infrastructure rather than directly between members. The workflow:

  1. The platform generates a payout instruction when all contributions for a period are confirmed
  2. You review and endorse the instruction
  3. The instruction is sent to the institution's treasury team (or the designated account operator)
  4. The institution processes the payment through their systems
  5. You confirm on the platform that the member has received their funds

Your responsibility: Ensure the instruction is correct before endorsing. Verify the amount, the receiving member, and the account details. An endorsed instruction that is incorrect creates operational problems for the institution and trust issues with the member.

11.3 Reconciliation

At the end of each period (weekly, monthly, or as defined by your institution), you reconcile the platform's records with the institution's records:

The platform provides an export function for reconciliation data. Your institution's finance team can match this against their banking records.

11.4 Board reporting

Your institution's board needs regular reports on the circle programme. The partner dashboard generates these automatically:

Your contribution to reporting: The platform generates the numbers. You provide the narrative. "Three new circles formed this quarter. Compliance is 96%. Two members used their Financial Reliability Record to support credit applications at our lending desk." The story behind the numbers is what the board needs to understand impact.

11.5 Representing your institution

As an institutional Treasurer, you represent both Circlworld and your institution. Your members see you as a representative of their credit union, housing association, or church — not as a Circlworld employee.

This means:

11.6 Check your understanding

  1. Your institution's finance team reports that the bank account shows 14 deposits this week but the platform shows 15 confirmed contributions. What do you do?

  2. A board member asks: "How many of our circle members have used their Financial Reliability Record for a credit application?" Where do you find this data?

  3. A member asks you whether they should switch their savings account to your credit union. How do you handle this given your dual role?

T2 Assessment

The T2 assessment is a practical simulation. You manage a portfolio of three circles over a simulated four-week period. Each week, the simulation presents events that require your response.

Week 1: Normal operations across all three circles. Confirm contributions. Process one payout. Review circle health.

Week 2: A member in Circle A is two days late. A member in Circle B asks about activating the lending pool. Circle C has a new member application.

Week 3: The late member in Circle A has now missed the contribution. Circle B votes on lending pool activation. A dispute is raised in Circle C between two members.

Week 4: Circle A needs a payout processed with a missing contribution (CPR covers the shortfall). Circle B's lending pool receives its first loan application. The dispute in Circle C requires your mediation.

You are assessed on:

Pass threshold: 80%. Retake after 14 days.

On passing: Your T2 Senior Treasurer certification is issued. You can manage up to 3 circles with up to 25 members each. Lending pool access is unlocked. Your TPP base rate adjusts according to your member count.

End of T2 Curriculum — Senior Treasurer Circlworld Treasurer Certification Programme