Public Sector Accounting, Reporting, and Assurance

Scope

The project will initially focus on an in-depth analysis, including reviewing relevant academic research literature, engaging with relevant stakeholder organizations and coordinating with other standards setting boards especially the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board. Other activities under consideration include:

• Exploring the functions and duties of public sector accountants and assurance providers and their impact on learning and development needs;
• Establishing whether accounting methods and approaches exist in public sector accounting and assurance that might lead to additional or distinctive skills;
• Examining public sector accounting competency frameworks, curricula and content covered within relevant qualifications;
• Performing a gap analysis between extant IESs and identified public sector accounting and assurance skills and knowledge requirements. 
• Analysis of the findings will inform what standards’ development activities (if any) are needed to support professional accountants and auditors working in the public sector skills development. The deliverables of this project are expected to include implementation guidance that supports the development of public sector accountancy curricula by:
• Identifying key concepts that are core to understanding the public sector role and provides enhancements to the competence areas of IES 2 needed to demonstrate technical competence in the public sector area; and
• Identifying relevant learning outcomes from IES 2 and suggests additional non-authoritative learning outcomes necessary in a program aimed at the development of professional accountants in the public sector.