The Compliance Advisory Panel oversees the implementation and operation of the IFAC Compliance Program, which is the responsibility of the IFAC staff and operates in accordance with this agreed upon Strategy and SMO Revision Due Process.
While in Kigali, Rwanda, for the CAP, which was hosted by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (currently applying for IFAC membership), IFAC member body development staff and CAP members met with attendees of the East Africa Community Institutes of Accountants Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Strategy Meeting. The meeting brought together leaders of the East African PAOs to discuss the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) signed in September 2011.
The executives discussed developments and challenges within the accountancy profession and their organizations, including their IFAC Compliance Program Action Plan priorities. Members of the CAP noted the signing of the MRA between the five countries—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda—represents a unique and positive step toward enhanced knowledge sharing and collaboration in the region, which has three IFAC members and one organization applying for associate status.
The meeting included a presentation from Vickson Ncube, CEO of the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA), on the development of PAFA strategy and confirmation of its intention to apply for IFAC Recognized Regional Organization status in 2012.
The plan outlines the link between IFAC's activities and services in 2013 and its mission and strategies articulated in the strategic plan. It details the services planned to be delivered during 2013, the estimated costs of delivery of those services, the specific organizational and staffing matters to be addressed during 2013, and the 2013 budget to support the operations.
The PAIB Committee submitted its Comment Letter for the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)'s Internal Control - Integrated Framework. The PAIB Committee provides the perspective of professional accountants in business. Among other recommendations, the Committee suggests broadening the scope of the Framework and the definition of internal control as well as including a strategic objective and an objective setting component.
Members of the IFAC Member Body Development team were recently invited to present at a World Bank Financial Management Team of the Africa Region meeting, held in Washington, D.C. in Feburary 2012. The meeting gathered 45 members of the World Bank staff who work across the African continent. This presentation was given by Szymon Radziszewicz, IFAC Senior Technical Manager, on the IFAC Compliance Program, the Statements of Membership Obligations (SMOs) as a framework for a high-quality accountancy profession, and the current status of the profession thought-out Africa. In response to a request from the World Bank, IFAC staff highlighted the key themes in each SMO and the action plan process as well as support tools available from IFAC staff. The World Bank expressed their interest in how they could support the implementation of IFAC SMOs and action plans on the ground in individual nations. The meeting also included an open discussion that focused on the different ways the Compliance Program and the World Bank Financial Management team can increase collaboration.
