New Accreditation for Public Sector Accountants

The Association, represented by Merdon Hosking and Jonathan Hood, met with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and Certified Management Accountants (CMA) Canada in London, England on June 20th to discuss the establishment of an accreditation for public service accountants in Canada. Merdon and Jonathan also attended the CIPFA Annual Conference to meet CIPFA members and learn more about this respected accountancy body.

Established in 1885, CIPFA is the leading professional accountancy body that trains accountants for the public services in the United Kingdom. Its unique final test of professional competence makes CIPFA accountants the natural choice for the highest level jobs in the public services, and also makes them very attractive to private sector employers. The Chartered Public Finance Accountant (CPFA) is quite distinct from other accountancy qualifications, as it enables financial managers of the future to understand public finance and to clearly demonstrate their ability to manage public money.

The program includes all of the basic accounting functions plus a blend of sector-specific training, workplace training, assignments and a final year project. These provide a unique blend of technical, business and financial management skills. That is why CIPFA's is the only recognized qualification across the public services in the United Kingdom. In order to consistently meet the needs of employers throughout the public services, the qualification is monitored and updated to reflect the changing and developing demands of the workplace. Research shows that public service employers want a relevant qualification that is delivered cost effectively and CIPFA takes pains to achieve both.

An accreditation similar to the CPFA is needed in Canada to recognize the unique qualifications needed for financial management professionals in the public sector. This program may be what we need to finally have our profession acknowledged as a speciality within the accounting profession. Also, the new accreditation may finally force our employer to acknowledge the level of expertise and professionalism that our members require.

A joint study sponsored by the Treasury Board, CMA Canada and APSFA will be initiated shortly to examine the feasibility of establishing a sister organization to CIPFA in Canada. With close ties to CIPFA in the United Kingdom, this project could be the catalyst for the inception of an international standard for the training of financial managers for public services. Our association is proud to be part of this new initiative which has the potential to be of great benefit to all levels of government in Canada.

You are encouraged to visit the CIPFA Web site at www.cipfa.org.uk.

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