Earlier today the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) released updates to two previously published international standard support resources:

• Agreed-Upon Procedures (AUP) Engagements: A Growth and Value Opportunity (the AUP Publication): Describes AUP engagements, when they are appropriate, and identifies key client benefits. It also covers AUP engagements on financial and non-financial subject matters, provides six short case studies with example procedures that might be applied and two illustration AUP reports from ISRS 4400 (Revised).
• Choosing the Right Service: Comparing Audit, Review, Compilation, and Agreed-Upon Procedures Services (the Brochure): Explains and differentiates the range of audit, review, compilation, and agreed-upon procedures services which practitioners can provide in accordance with relevant international standards. It can help current and prospective clients understand the range of services available, when they are appropriate, as well as their benefits.

Both resources have been updated to reflect International Standard on Related Services 4400 (Revised), Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements, which was approved by the International Auditing and Assurance Board (IAASB) earlier this year and is effective for agreed-upon procedures engagements for which the terms of engagement are agreed on or after January 1, 2022.

The demand for AUP engagements continues to grow as a broad range of stakeholders, such as regulators, funding bodies, and creditors use agreed-upon procedures reports for a variety reasons. Flexibility is a key benefit of AUP engagements, as they can be tailored to different circumstances and focused on individual items of financial or non-financial subject matters.

One of IFAC’s three strategic objectives is contributing to and promoting the development, adoption, and implementation of high-quality international standards. There are numerous additional guidance and support resources available on the dedicated ‘Supporting International Standards’ section of the IFAC Knowledge Gateway.

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The Staff of CPA Canada and IESBA jointly released this publication, which highlights the heightened risks of money laundering, terrorist financing and cybercrime in the COVID-19 environment. It describes the implications for both professional accountants in business and public practice. 

Focusing on the effective and consistent application of our standards, the IAASB is addressing issues and challenges related to complexity, understandability, scalability and proportionality. This communique details development plans for a separate standard for audits of less complex entities.

Professional accountancy organizations are witnessing several trends placing new demands on professional accountants’ skillset and roles. The accountancy profession will need to adapt in a meaningful way to tackle the future needs of the profession but how? Where do professional accountancy organizations fit in?

Preparing the accountancy profession for the future requires a comprehensive, integrated approach to international accountancy education. Our profession needs to ensure current and future professional accountants are equipped with the skills, capabilities, and ethical behavior required for a rapidly changing environment. On December 19, IFAC will host a one-hour webinar on a future model for advancing international accountancy education in the public interest. The webinar will preview planning to date and provide an outline of the model prior to approval and implementation in 2019.