The International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®) and its Chief Operating Officer, Alta Prinsloo, were honored to receive the Accountancy Capacity Building Champion of the Year Award at the 2016 The Accountant & International Accounting Bulletin awards.

IFAC’s Professional Accountancy Organization (PAO) Capacity Building Program supports the profession’s growth in the developing world, where the profession’s skills are vital to embedding transparency, credibility, and good governance into national economies.

IFAC CEO Fayez Choudhury said IFAC is delighted to receive the award on behalf of PAOs and their members in emerging economies. “Their passion to grow and support their economies—and become sustainable, self-supporting PAOs—is an inspiration,” he said.

“Led by Alta and her team, IFAC’s capacity building work is made possible by local PAO enthusiasm, visionary funding provided by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and our delivery partners—highly experienced PAOs from the UK, Ireland, and Kenya—whose on-the-ground experience makes them invaluable assets in helping grow our global profession.”

DFID-funded projects are currently operating in Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, with additional projects under active consideration. These projects are delivered in-country by a wide range of PAOs, including: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland, and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.

IFAC’s capacity building award was collected by President Olivia Kirtley, who was separately honored with the The Accountant and International Accounting Bulletin’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

“With Olivia concluding her two-year term as IFAC president in November, her Lifetime Achievement award is a symbol of the remarkable career that preceded her presidency. As our president, she is an especially effective global ambassador for the profession. And at a time when the accountancy profession is making great progress in promoting women into leadership, Olivia has spent her career shattering glass ceilings and—most importantly—reaching back to help and encourage women following behind her,” Mr. Choudhury said.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of more than 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

In the ongoing effort to decrease the gap between the global need for accountancy talent and available, high-quality professional accountants, the International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®) today issued its annual Call for Expressions of Interest for organizations wishing to partner in professional accountancy organization (PAO) capacity-building efforts. This Call for Expressions builds on IFAC’s commitment to strengthen the accountancy profession and PAOs.

IFAC invites organizations to indicate their interest in providing PAO capacity-building services under a UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded program. In 2014, IFAC and DFID, which leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, entered into an agreement to strengthen PAOs in emerging economies. Under the agreement, DFID is providing £4.935 million over seven years to strengthen PAOs in at least 10 DFID focal countries to play a greater role in furthering economic development. Projects are currently underway in Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. IFAC facilitates, coordinates, and supervises these projects to strengthen developing PAOs.

Interested organizations need to demonstrate that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to execute projects and perform the needed services. Based on information in the Expressions of Interest, the PAO Capacity Building Program’s Independent Selection Panel will evaluate interested organizations and select eligible organizations for the database. In the future, eligible organizations may be invited to bid on specific projects.

All types of organizations are welcome to express interest, but please note that the majority of projects under the PAO Capacity Building Program require establishing ongoing peer-to-peer partnerships between the delivery partner and the beneficiary organization. Individual consultants may also express interest, but will not be included in the database of potential partner organizations and will only receive information relating to smaller, specific projects fitting with their particular expertise.

To submit an Expression of Interest, please click on one of the following links.

• Interested organizations, including PAOs and firms: 2016 Expressions of Interest—Potential Partner Organizations.
• Interested individual consultants: 2016 Expressions of Interest—Interested Consultants.

For additional information, please see the online questions & answers or email DanaJensen@ifac.org.

The Expressions of Interest submission deadline is November 21, 2016.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of more than 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

About DFID
The Department for International Development (DFID) leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty. We're ending the need for aid by creating jobs, unlocking the potential of girls and women and helping to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. For more information visit www.gov.uk/dfid.