عرض العناصر حسب علامة : اصحاب المصالح
الخميس, 22 سبتمبر 2022 08:23
5 تحديات أخلاقية ستشتد مع زوال الوباء
لأكثر من عام، تم اختبار العالم من خلال التحديات الناتجة عن جائحة COVID-19. ردا على ذلك، أظهر المحاسبون مرونة هائلة
معلومات إضافية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
5 Ethics Challenges that Will Intensify as the Pandemic Wanes
For more than a year, the world has been duly tested by the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, professional accountants have shown tremendous resilience. However, as jurisdictions around the world progress toward a more hopeful future, the ethics challenges the accountancy profession and stakeholders face are far from over.
In fact, they might intensify.
As the pandemic fades, many entities will be eager to demonstrate their potential by posting quick wins and an accelerating recovery. Others will continue to navigate the intricacies of government support schemes, and, as those taper, some entities will find themselves on the brink of insolvency. Just as the economic impacts of this crisis unfolded in an uneven and unpredictable manner around the world, so too will recovery efforts. Professional accountants must anticipate a continued period of heightened uncertainty and prioritize their ethics responsibilities all the more.
Since Q2 of 2020, members of a Working Group formed by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) and National Standard Setters (NSS) from Australia, Canada, China, South Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. have been meeting regularly to discuss the key ethics issues exacerbated by COVID-19. The Working Group’s charge is to develop implementation support to assist professional accountants in effectively applying the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code) when facing circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below is an examination of several ethics considerations that will be especially pressure tested during this period of recovery. Facing these conditions simultaneously demands renewed focus on the dynamics that exist in the relationship between professional accountants and entities as they face extraordinary circumstances for at least the next few years.
1. Pressures from an Uneven Economic Recovery: Accountants Must Be Agile Yet Resolutely Committed to the Code of Ethics
Every entity, sector, and jurisdiction will emerge from this global crisis differently. While at least one dose of the vaccine has been administered to approximately 60% of people in Israel, 52% in the U.K., 43% in Chile and the 45% in U.S. as of early May 2021, other countries do not anticipate vaccine availability increasing until at least the second half of the year. For professional accountants, that might mean working within employer organizations and serving client entities that are in vastly different stages of recovery. The truth of the matter is even when an economy fully reopens, there is likely to be at least 12-18 months more of rebuilding and playing catch-up that still has to occur. During this time of profoundly uneven progression, professional accountants will be under huge strain.
We all face a new reality ahead. The pandemic created myriad opportunities for unethical behaviour. The uneven recovery might breed more of these opportunities. These might arise, for example, from increased estimation uncertainty because previous estimations established during the pandemic will be based on facts or assumptions that might no longer apply. In the context of audits of financial statements, pressures from the client and from the rapidly shifting landscape during the recovery might weigh on judgments and decisions regarding the use of non-traditional audit procedures without proper regard for the fundamental principles of objectivity, and professional competence and due care.
Agility will be a critical skillset in navigating the uncertain months and even years ahead. Importantly, while remaining nimble, professional accountants must continue to adhere to the Code, including applying its conceptual framework in these atypical situations.
2. Demands for Greater Support and Efficiency: Auditors of Financial Statements Must Carefully Consider Independence and Familiarity Issues
In the coming months, auditors of financial statements must balance a multitude of unexpected variables. Client demands will likely increase and fluctuate widely. Audit firms will be asked to do things, formally and informally, to support and advise their clients. It’s imperative that auditors continue to acknowledge that the provision of a non-assurance service to an audit client, including advice or recommendations, might create independence issues and heighten ethics pressures. For example, auditors must be cognizant of the pressure to turn a blind eye, act without due care, inadvertently take on a management responsibility for an audit client, or provide inappropriate opinions on the viability of business operations and assets that have likely fluctuated tremendously. In some jurisdictions, such as the U.K., missed filing deadlines and the failure on some companies’ part to apply for extensions have led to automatically downgraded credit ratings. As a result, companies are pressured to have their audits completed quickly at any cost. The ethical responsibility to comply with the Code’s fundamental principles of integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, as well as professional behavior must remain top of mind.
In the wake of particularly challenging financial periods, some entities – especially those that are small and less complex – might want to avoid the additional complications and costs of engaging more advisors and feel inclined to streamline professional support by turning to their auditors. Auditors that provide such non-assurance services (NAS) to audit clients must continue to comply with the Code’s NAS and Fee-related provisions. In particular, auditors should be on the lookout for changes that might affect an audit client’s ability to make all judgments and decisions that are the proper responsibility of management. Further, it is important that the pressures of the pandemic do not undermine the auditor’s obligation to identify, evaluate and address threats to independence that might arise from the provision of such NAS.
The business environment in which the broader accountancy profession operates has gone through unprecedented changes. Such changes have implications on employing organizations, the internal operations of firms, the clients they serve, as well as the nature of certain client interactions and relationships. For professional accountants to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct, and where applicable, be independent, they must remain alert to new information and changes in facts and circumstances. For example, think about public companies that link the finance team’s compensation to the organization’s performance. In such instances—especially at a time when these companies might be struggling financially—professional accountants (both in business and in public practice) must be keenly attuned to what motivates management, and how these motivations might bias key performance factors or indicators such as revenue forecasting, assumptions and estimates.
3. Risks Regarding Rapid Digitalization: Accountants Must Be Alert to Cyber Crimes
The rapid speed of digitalization and tech adoption has raised questions about how accountants and firms are to identify, evaluate and address threats to compliance with the fundamental principles and independence that might be created by the development, use and implementation of technology. In Australia alone, 79% of small and medium businesses say they are expanding software purchases for a more digital future, according to a Gartner study. Nearly half say digital solutions upgrades are happening as a direct result of the pandemic. Even under the best circumstances, the acceleration of digital transformation presents risks. In crisis circumstances, those risks increase exponentially.
For example, the pandemic saw cybercrimes and fraud increase globally as unusual and remote circumstances were taken advantage of and new ways to exploit a broader and deeper range of organizations and individuals were found. In the U.S., cybercrime reports nearly doubled in 2020, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.K. saw at least a 30% increase. In parts of Latin America, cybercrimes spiked 60% in the early months of COVID when compared to the same period in 2019. This stark trend is unlikely to abate during the recovery phase, highlighting the continuing challenges to adhering to the fundamental principles of integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care and confidentiality, especially as companies might have skipped steps or cut corners on cyber security and related measures to keep doing business in the remote environment. Professional accountants and firms should consider whether circumstances may warrant the use of specialists during this time to assist in identifying, evaluating and addressing new risks, such as cyber threats.
Moreover, as jurisdictions see some return to pre-pandemic norms, many entities will likely choose not to return to fully in-person workplaces, and many professionals, including accountants will elect to continue working remotely where possible to preserve the flexibility afforded to them during COVID. Employing organizations must become ever more diligent and innovative in transitioning back to in-person work. It is critical to consider architecting hybrid or virtual protocols that consider best practices, including for example, data hosting and management functions while faithfully abiding by ethical obligations. The risks of complacency are far too great. Professional accountants must apply a deeper understanding of data analytics and technology to their work while being fully attuned to the ethical risks in order to uphold the profession’s good reputation.
As professional accountants continue to evolve ways of working in a world that is more hybridized, with companies operating from both offices and employees’ homes, several personnel factors should be considered. First are concerns about the skills required to operate effectively and ethically in a more digital environment. The profession will need to further invest in professional competencies regarding technology and information systems. Related to that are concerns around capabilities and learning for new talent, who might be at a disadvantage stemming from a lack of in-person interaction with more senior colleagues.
4. Burnout and Mental Health of Teams and Talent: Accountants Must Strive for Resiliency and Solutions
There is growing concern around mental wellness and the state of mind that is required to think critically, rather than just accept information at face value. More than a year into the pandemic, individuals are under immense stress and many are suffering emotionally. In 2020, various studies showed that many adults in jobs that did not normally require them to work outside of their homes reported symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The accountancy profession must be cognizant of the mindfulness required to act competently, with integrity and due care, and to be objective in exercising judgments without being compromised by bias. As such, professional accountants must be conscious of issues colleagues could be facing—and not talking about—that might impact judgments and ethical decision making.
The need for strong organizational culture, with established and open communication channels, as well as protocols for how to address circumstances where staff might not be able to bring their full mental acuity to a particular task or job, is essential as complexities and stressors proliferate.
5. Predisposition to Focus on the Past: Accountants Must Recognize the Shift and Focus on the Future
One of the biggest challenges professional accountants face amidst the pandemic recovery will be continuing to seek out a better understanding of the issues that still lie ahead and what the ethics consequences of them might be. For example, the pace of digital transformation and use of technology such as machine learning automation in products and services has been unprecedented. In addition to the challenges related to cyber security and fraud mentioned above, it is imperative the profession stay on top of responsible automation.
As trusted advisors, it is the duty of professional accountants to be competent in these advancements where they are involved in their development and implementation. This involves attaining and maintaining the knowledge and skill required for the job. In the context of today’s world, this means learning how to properly understand threats to the fundamental principles of ethics from the technology. As new or unresolved issues from the pandemic emerge, it will result in higher degrees of uncertainty which will make it increasingly difficult to keep a focus on evolving the profession for the future, but this will be a necessity. Together, professional accountants must acknowledge how the pandemic changed companies and social norms and strive to be a step ahead.
Professional accountants, like others in the workforce, are operating within an unusual context right now. Around the world, corporate priorities and public expectations are changing rapidly. These changes will have implications on the accountant’s role. For example, the rise in stakeholder capitalism and subsequent call for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting are leading investors to not only seek more reliable and comparable information in the area of ESG reporting, but also obtain assurance on such information. Professional accountants must answer that call.
While we begin to realize life beyond COVID-19, we must all be increasingly thorough in assessing the impact these changes are having on views and perceptions about ethics requirements, especially as it relates to the relationship between the accountant and the entity. Just as the pandemic increased risks of unethical behaviour, efforts to rebuild will equally increase opportunities to evolve for the better.
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موضوعات متنوعة
موسومة تحت
الخميس, 26 أغسطس 2021 14:03
تسريع تأكيد الإبلاغ المتكامل في المصلحة العامة
معلومات إضافية
- المحتوى بالإنجليزية A global pathway to integrated reporting assurance needs to develop to reinforce both advancements in integrated reporting and in global standard setting for corporate reporting and assurance. The International Integrated Reporting Council and IFAC’s initial thinking, outlined here, is aimed at starting a discussion with the accountancy profession and its key stakeholders on further progressing integrated reporting assurance, with the goal of enhancing confidence in integrated reporting and integrated thinking, and ultimately business resilience and sustainability.
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محاسبة و مراجعة
موسومة تحت
الأربعاء, 25 أغسطس 2021 17:57
التوظيف من أجل النجاح
حفز الدور الرئيسي للتدقيق الداخلي في معالجة التهديدات الرقمية الحاجة إلى خبرة في مجال الأمن السيبراني في فريق التدقيق.
معلومات إضافية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
Internal audit's key role in addressing digital threats has spurred the need for cybersecurity expertise on the audit team.
Geoffrey NordhoffAugust 24, 2021Comments
Organizations are moving gingerly into the post-pandemic world with a heightened focus on cybersecurity, with overall cybersecurity spending projected to grow as much as 10% this year, according to IT research firm Canalys. Regulators — already concerned about cybersecurity — have ratcheted up their oversight, vividly illustrated by the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's $80 million fine against Capital One last year (see "Capital One Data Breach" below). In fact, cybersecurity was one of the top-ranked risks identified by board members, management, and chief audit executives (CAEs) in The IIA's OnRisk 2021 report.
In this environment, internal audit, as part of its oversight function, has a critical role of helping organizations manage cyber threats by evaluating risks and providing an independent assessment of controls. In turn, this role has spurred the need for cybersecurity skills in internal audit functions.
The heightened concern around cybersecurity has inevitably increased the demand for suitably experienced auditors, says Jamie Burbidge, founder of Bickham Montgomery, a London-based internal audit recruiting firm. "Due to cybersecurity being a relatively recent concern for business leaders, the number of internal auditors at the senior level with relevant experience is quite small," he noted. At present, potential internal audit hires who have the experience and a good grasp of cybersecurity likely are coming from the Big Four accounting firms at slightly more junior levels.
Regardless of the talent source, experts point to several skills and qualifications to look for when hiring. They also cite the importance of soft competencies, the need to plan ahead for resource needs, and the advantages of developing skills internally.
The Right Expertise
Shawna Flanders, director, IT Curriculum Development, at The IIA, says two general skills are important for internal auditors who will be involved in cybersecurity audits: data analysis capabilities and critical thinking. "Deploying critical thinking skills gives auditors the ability to determine how a cyber threat in the wild could impact their organization," Flanders says. Plus, they need to be able to use data to discover unusual activity, inappropriate access, and fraud, and possess a broad understanding of IT general controls as well as application, network, and information security controls, she adds.
In addition, practitioners need to have a deep understanding of relevant threats, such as malware, ransomware or spyware, denials of service, phishing, and password attacks. Given the demands, internal audit functions should consider building dedicated expertise on their team, says Jim Enstrom, senior vice president and CAE at Cboe Global Markets of Chicago. The type of person who can fill this role probably has come up through a technology, cybersecurity, or consulting background, rather than internal audit, he adds.
Ongoing training and an emphasis on more technical cybersecurity-related certifications should also be a focus area, Enstrom says. Certifications demonstrate a basic level of aptitude and indicate that a person is motivated for self-improvement and self-learning. The IIA offers several seminars on IT topics, including cybersecurity, as well as more than a dozen IT courses on-demand. In mid-July, The Institute launched its IT General Controls Certificate, demonstrating the certificate holder's ability to assess IT risks and controls.
In addition, more universities are offering advanced degrees in cybersecurity, in which students also are learning the principles of assurance, as well as how to evaluate controls and risk. For example, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, which offers a certificate in cybersecurity, will begin offering a master's degree in cybersecurity and privacy this fall that will include a technical track covering topics such as hardware, software, and security, and an interdisciplinary track that addresses the human aspects of cyberattacks. These types of programs are an opportunity for recruiting, Enstrom says.
Robert Berry, former executive director of internal audit at the University of South Alabama and now president of consulting firm That Audit Guy, says hands-on experience in cybersecurity is important in considering a hire. Berry says he would look for someone experienced in technology, especially with experience in how networks operate and are secured. "You want to look for somebody who is actively engaged and involved in the craft," he adds — the kind of person who builds his or her own network and tinkers with it, and who is active in chat rooms and forums.
Capital One Data Breach
The U.S. federal government's enforcement actions against Capital One in August 2020, which included an $80 million fine from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), illustrates its increased oversight of cybersecurity issues. The actions stemmed from a 2019 cyberattack that stole the personal information of about 100 million individuals. The OCC fine was the first significant penalty against a bank in connection with a data breach or alleged failure to comply with OCC guidelines. The OCC specifically called out Capitol One's internal audit function, saying it failed to identify numerous control weaknesses and gaps and did not effectively report them to the audit committee.
Training, Sourcing, and Collaboration
Rather than hiring from outside, developing skills internally is sometimes a better option, especially in small- to moderate-size departments, Berry says. That way, the auditor is already familiar with the organization and with the procedures involved in conducting engagements, he explains. This approach also might be advantageous for a small department in an industry that does not pay well, which likely will have a hard time recruiting cybersecurity expertise, Berry adds.
In a midsize department or a midsize organization with a small audit department, audit staff might not have the necessary IT knowledge. Keeping in mind The IIA's International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, the organization might consider a co-source provider, Enstrom says, adding that training, skill building, and certifications also are important for these departments. In addition, where the Standards allow, internal audit should consider collaboration with the organization's information security department, he says. Standard 1210: Proficiency, and Standard 2050: Coordination and Reliance, provide guidance in these areas.
Seek Out Soft Skills
"Curiosity is the cornerstone of internal audit," Berry says. "If you can't be curious and ask really good questions, you will fail in your career in audit." Soft skills are probably the most important skills, he says, because a person who possesses them can be taught audit skills. Critical thinking and other soft skills give internal auditors, especially those dealing in a technical area such as cybersecurity, the ability to communicate outside their area and to understand how a cyber threat could affect the organization.
When he started Bickham Montgomery about 10 years ago, Burbidge found that technical proficiency was by far the most sought-after trait for companies when hiring internal auditors. Now, he sees more emphasis on communication skills as part of an internal auditor's role. "You need to be able to communicate, need to be able to persuade, need to be able to partner with the business," he says.
Jeannie Alday, director of Internal Audit for Chatham County, Ga., says in hiring someone with an IT background, she wants to determine whether the candidate will be able to communicate with IT staff, and IT management, but also with county management and others who may have limited background in IT. "Those soft skills are huge, and they're not always easy to spot in the limited interview process," Alday says.
Looking Ahead on Hiring
Given the rapidly changing environment, cyber awareness is fundamental to the execution of an organization's strategy. "In any organization today, cybersecurity is one of the top risks," Enstrom says. In the present environment, boards, management, and other stakeholders need to focus continually on cyber risk and whether their organization has the right skills and resource strategy, he says. Importantly, organizations need to make necessary investments in skills and resources.
Post-pandemic, hiring likely will become more challenging because of pent-up demand, Enstrom says, and demand already exceeds the number of candidates. As a result, audit hiring managers should think more creatively about compensation and other job benefits. He also notes that many cybersecurity professional have had limited exposure to internal auditing and assurance, may see auditing as having limited opportunity for advancement, and might not consider going into the field.
This perception underscores the necessity of selling the opportunities and value proposition of the profession to prospective job candidates. Compared with going directly into information security, internal audit offers the potential for greater diversity of experience and breadth of opportunity — working with senior executives and board members — and exposure to different projects, Enstrom says. Moreover, because of the importance of good communication skills, time spent in internal audit can be a great learning opportunity for someone who is less comfortable in this area.
"Early in a person's career, working in internal audit really represents a great learning opportunity because you have so many different projects you can work on," Enstrom says. "I think we don't sell that enough as a profession."
As another area of focus for hiring, Enstrom emphasized the importance of partnering with outside firms, or organizations that can help with the candidate sourcing process. He highlights one example — the Greenwood Project. "The Greenwood Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing Black and Latinx students to careers within the financial industry," he says. "We've had success working with Greenwood Project and we continue to look for ways to strengthen our relationship and promote the profession of internal auditing to Greenwood students and diversity candidates. In addition to accounting and business students interested in financial services, we have been working with Greenwood to promote an interest in IT audit, data analytics, and cybersecurity roles in the internal audit profession."
Meanwhile, when recruiting through universities, internal audit functions need to look beyond the accounting and finance departments and build relationships with computer science and cybersecurity programs. "In my experience, many students in computer science or other IT disciplines are unaware of job opportunities in the internal audit profession," Enstrom says. "Given this, it's really important for the company and recruiter to understand and have relationships with faculty and staff in these colleges, not just the business schools."
The bottom line? "You have to offer competitive salaries, and you have to be very clear and crisp in your value proposition — how internal audit will benefit them in their career," Enstrom says. Moreover, companies recruiting in the post-COVID-19 marketplace will need to think more broadly and consider hiring candidates from outside their geographic area.
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تكنولوجيا المعلومات
الإثنين, 16 أغسطس 2021 14:55
ما هي عوامل النجاح الحاسمة للتحولات الرقمية لمنظمات المحاسبة المهنية؟
تقدم أسماء الرسموقي مستشار البنك الدولي 5 ركائز أساسية يجب أن تضعها منظمات المحاسبة المهنية لإحراز تقدم ناجح في التحول الرقمي.
معلومات إضافية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
What Are Critical Success Factors for PAO Digital Transformations?
ASMÂA RESMOUKI, WORLD BANK CONSULTANT | AUGUST 12, 2021
There is a significant opportunity for Professional Accountancy Organizations (PAOs) to accelerate digital transformation to improve the delivery of their mandate. This was evident through a recent World Bank project that engaged with Board members and senior management of 20 PAOs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa (MENA), Latin America, and the Caribbean regions regarding their digital transformation journeys.
“We need to accelerate adoption of digital transformation to enhance services to our members and public”
“We need to design a digital transformation strategy supported by financial and human resources to leapfrog our service offering during the COVID 19 period”
“Digital transformation will assist us to support prospective accountants in rural areas”.
These were some of the sentiments that were expressed by Board members, and by speakers and participants during the knowledge event hosted by IFAC and the World Bank on PAO digital transformation (available in English and French).
Based on the conversations, the following are 5 key pillars that PAOs should put in place to successfully progress their digital transformation.
1. Governance: Tone at the top should set direction
Throughout the project, it was noticeable that when the PAO President and Board members had a clear vision and were committed to the digital transformation reform, there was commendable and concrete progress. The opposite was also true: i.e., minimal digital transformation among PAOs where leadership did not show enough enthusiasm for the reform or consider it a priority. Therefore, it is important for the Board to take the leading role in setting direction and really driving the necessary changes.
2. Design and implement a user-centric digital transformation strategy
Digital transformation requires a clearly articulated strategy that defines strategic objectives, implementation plans, and performance targets with timelines (Key Performance Indicators).
When designing the strategy, the Board should engage with the membership and all relevant stakeholders to ensure their needs and expectations are incorporated. The final strategy should then be shared and communicated with them. Subsequently, the PAO leadership should regularly request feedback from members and stakeholders on any new digital tools and request suggestions to improve the user-experience. This would create a virtuous circle between the PAO and its stakeholders.
Ideally, the digital strategy should be linked to the overall strategy of the PAO, since digitalization serves as a tool to execute the overall strategy. The Ordre National des Experts Comptables et des Comptables Agréés du Burkina Faso is a good example of a small PAO which has designed its digital transformation strategy using guidance from IFAC’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Guide.
3. Be connected and benefit from the country digital economy eco-system
PAOs should be aware of digital transformation reforms in their country and maintain close working relationships with the governmental departments and officials driving the reform. Government reforms seem to be focused on strengthening national infrastructure to improve access and reduce cost, enhancing digital skills, offering digital public and business platforms to accelerate the use of e-services, and strengthening digital enablers like cybersecurity and data protection. These initiatives can have a direct impact on PAOs’ digitalizlation initiatives.
Therefore, it is crucial for PAOs to follow and engage with the right stakeholders regarding national digital transformation reforms to determine they can benefit from such a reform and related activities. This could include empowering their members with greater digital skills by including technology skills in the accounting qualification curriculum and offering regular digital courses in the CPD program.
4. Adequate human and financial resources
Without dedicated human and financial resources, it is a challenge to implement a successful digital transformation reform. This does not necessarily mean having massive and seemingly unlimited resources. It means making smart investments now for better returns and savings in the future. Therefore, PAOs might need to be creative in securing the financial and human resources required to implement their digital transformation strategy.
Securing funding could mean re-prioritizing the available budget to focus on digitalization activities which will add value to members and save costs in future, requesting members to contribute to a special fund for the reform, securing sponsorship, and/or applying for government funding or donor funding, etc.
For example, the Ordre des Experts-Comptables de Côte d’Ivoire partnered with the national tax authority to support taxpayers in filing their financial statements on an online platform. Whenever a member does an online filing, a specific fee is submitted to the PAO, in turn, creating a new alternative revenue stream.
Human resources are also essential. Depending on the financial resources available, PAOs could either designate someone from their secretariat to lead the initiative, engage a consultant, outsource the function or set up a special Digital Transformation Committee with a clear terms of reference.
5. Partnering with others
PAOs should explore partnerships and leverage their IFAC membership and IFAC’s Network Partners. Such partnerships would enable them to benefit from global and regional resources and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
Similarly, PAOs should partner with other PAOs, especially those who have progressed with digitalization reforms already. Such PAOs can serve as mentors: sharing experiences on how they have walked the transformation journey, provide advice and guidance on when and where to purchase new softwares or technologies, and/or provide input to a PAO that is developing its digital strategy, etc. PAOs are encouraged to raise their hands and seek help and support whenever needed.
In closing, while the level of progress varies from PAO to PAO, the challenges for smaller PAOs oftentimes remain greater given their limited resources. Yet, “small streams make big rivers” — starting with small actions and building on them with regularity and consistency should allow PAOs to be successful in achieving their digital transformation goals. All PAOs are invited to consider the above pillars to start or accelerate their digital transformation to efficiently and effectively deliver on their mandates.
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تكنولوجيا المعلومات
الإثنين, 02 أغسطس 2021 15:09
معيار جديد لمراجعات المنشآت الأقل تعقيدًا
تقدم المنشآت الأصغر والأقل تعقيدًا (LCEs) مساهمات حاسمة في الاقتصاد العالمي وتمثل الغالبية العظمى من المنشآت على مستوى العالم. في الوقت نفسه، هناك حاجة إلى معالجة الهياكل والمعاملات المتزايدة التعقيد في المعايير الدولية للتدقيق (ISAs). يمكن أن يشكل هذا التعقيد في معايير التدقيق الدولية تحديات أمام عمليات تدقيق المنشآت الأقل تعقيدًا.
معلومات إضافية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
Smaller, less complex entities (LCEs) make crucial contributions to the world economy and account for the great majority of entities globally. At the same time, increasingly complex structures and transactions need to be addressed in the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). This complexity in the ISAs can pose challenges for audits of less complex entities.
Based on the feedback from a discussion paper and outreach, the IAASB has developed a draft standard that is proportionate to the typical nature and circumstance of an audit of a less complex entity and is responsive to those stakeholders challenges and is a global solution.
The public consultation on this draft new standard is open until January 31, 2022. When final, the standard will meet the growing global need while reducing the emerging risk of jurisdictional divergence. This landmark new draft standard represents a new era for the IAASB and stakeholder feedback is now needed.
The Exposure Draft will also be available in French and Spanish in September 2021.
The Proposed Supplement Guide: Auditor Reporting will be available in August 2021.
The Mapping Documents, ISAs to Proposed ISA for LCE, will be available in August 2021.
The IAASB will also publish an outreach plan in August 2021.
The New Proposed Standard
The new stand-alone standard for audits of less complex entities:
Is designed specifically for audits of a less complex entities
Is based on the underlying concepts from International Standards on Auditing
Was developed to be understandable, clear and concise
Reduces the risk of jurisdictional divergence by driving consistency and comparability globally
Will achieve a quality audit engagement
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محاسبة و مراجعة
الأربعاء, 14 يوليو 2021 12:49
كي بي ام جي KPMG توسع الخدمات البيئية والاجتماعية والحوكمة
تعمل KPMG على زيادة جهودها لتوفير الخدمات البيئية والاجتماعية والحوكمة للعملاء من خلال مبادرة جديدة تسمى KPMG Impact.
معلومات إضافية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
KPMG has been increasing its efforts to provide environmental, social and governance services to clients through a new initiative called KPMG Impact.
The team will help clients improve their ESG performance while also carrying out KPMG’s own ESG commitments. Last year, KPMG U.S. worked with other businesses, investors, standard-setters, non-governmental organizations and international organizations through the World Economic Forum to create a set of 21 core metrics for companies to disclose their progress in the ESG areas of people, planet, prosperity and governance. KPMG has adopted those same metrics to guide its actions and measure and report its progress.
The move comes as more accounting firms wade into providing ESG reporting and assurance services for clients. ESG funds have become a popular vehicle for investors, and the Securities and Exchange Commission is weighing requirements for climate risk disclosures by companies. At the same time, at the global level, securities regulators around the world are pushing for greater consistency in reporting ESG metrics, encouraging standard-setters to align their various standards and frameworks more closely together. The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation has been working on creating a proposed International Sustainability Standards Board that it would oversee alongside the International Accounting Standards Board. IFRS Foundation trustees explained how the structure would work during a webinar Wednesday.
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This move toward greater sustainability reporting and assurance is one that KPMG has already been working on for years, but it’s taken on greater urgency as climate change risks appear to have grown with rising temperatures seen in the U.S. and across the globe.
The offices of KPMG in ChicagoTANNEN MAURY`/BLOOMBERG NEWS
“At the highest level for us, the backdrop for the rise of ESG is it’s all about trust,” said KPMG Impact leader Rob Fisher. “You see people looking to business as an ethical and effective leader to bring ESG aspirations to life, and the recent decline in trust that we see across institutions like government and media and so on affects our ability to come together and solve problems. That’s why a focus on organizations doing well across environmental, social and governance dimensions can really build trust with customers, employees, investors, regulators and really all stakeholders. We think ESG engagement will make businesses better by unlocking new value, building resilience and driving profitable and measurable growth both today and tomorrow.”
He has been working with clients on taking individual approaches to ESG reporting. “As I think about specific client conversations that I’m having, it’s that every business across all industries is on a unique ESG journey that reflects its stakeholders, challenges and opportunities,” said Fisher. “Effective engagement really has to be embedded throughout a company’s entire strategy and operations. Many of the clients we are working with are actually the leaders in their industries in areas like climate, the environment, social justice and so on, but they’re still looking for our help in how they bring it all together and figuring out the opportunities to improve.”
ESG encompasses not only the environment, but also social initiatives like diversity, equity and inclusion, and the firm is helping clients with those efforts as well. That includes providing assurance services.
“There are four big buckets of work that we’re doing for clients,” said Fisher. “One, we’re helping clients develop a broader ESG strategy, and then the second part is how do you operationalize that strategy. We’re seeing a lot of interesting opportunities around transformational opportunities and the ability to create some value, and we’re really seeing financial institutions and private equity leaning in because of that. There’s a ton of investor demand in that regard. The fourth bucket is around helping companies figure out how to measure it, report it, and assure it. Certainly there are a number of different standards and different frameworks and metrics for reporting ESG data, and we’re really working with clients to help them understand, based on perhaps the specific interests of particular investors or the industry that they’re in, what frameworks are going to make the most sense to help them develop capabilities to measure their return on their ESG [efforts]. You want it to be accurate and fit for purpose disclosure type of reporting.”
Last month, KPMG submitted a comment letter to the SEC in response to the SEC’s request for public input on climate change disclosures. “Ours is really about a building block approach at a high level,” said Fisher. “We support a global baseline. Then there would be supplemental standards to serve specific jurisdictional needs. I think the importance of some sort of consistency at the global level is that, if we don’t have that, disclosures will be less consistent and comparable. Registrants are operating across multiple jurisdictions and their supply chains and their customer base are certainly going to be global. We really think it has to start with a baseline and then additional disclosures that would be necessary in the context of the U.S.”
Becker Professional Education has been seeing growing demand for its Continuing Professional Education courses on ESG, with Tim Gearty, national director and editor-in-chief at Becker, conducting 40 to 50 sessions per month on ESG for companies across industries.
“Europe seems to be taking the lead on this,” said Gearty. “We in the United States are catching up quickly, but the European Union clearly took the lead on this, and they’re pushing ahead. We’re still in a catchup mode, but we have a lot of great thought leaders that are working very diligently to make sure that our standards are ultimately measurable and that assurance can be given to them. One of the critical items is we have to be able to measure those standards both qualitatively and quantitatively before assurance can be given.”
Groups like the American Institute of CPAs, the Institute of Management Accountants, the International Federation of Accountants, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants have been encouraging members to get involved in ESG reporting. The ACCA published a new report Wednesday, “Rethinking Risk for the Future,” examining the role of the accounting profession in effective risk management amid the crises presented by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting economic turbulence. The report discusses how accountants can help organizations not only detect and better understand the emerging risks and opportunities facing them, but also cultivate the mindsets needed to think in more of a long-term perspective.
The IFRS Foundation is aiming to establish the proposed International Sustainability Standards Board by November in time for the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference in Scotland, after recently receiving endorsements from the G-7 finance ministers and the International Organization of Securities Commissions. “There is a timeline we are working toward,” said IFRS Foundation vice-chair Larry Leva during Wednesday’s webinar. “There are now less than four months until the COP26 conference in November. ... We still have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, but we remain on track to make a final decision in advance of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow. We have received a great deal of support and goodwill for this work, and there is a real determination to make this happen.”
“This is an area that our profession is best positioned to be working, whether it’s internally reporting on it or working externally to give assurance on it,” said Gearty. “We’re understanding the demand because the demand for ESG is coming from the SEC, national business councils, the World Economic Forum, the AICPA, the Global Reporting Initiative, the European Union, and of course asset managers for these funds. They’re all demanding standards, so whether it’s a sustainability fund or just a report that’s being issued by a company, they can be ultimately verifiable so the individuals in the public can rest assured that the information is accurate and not manipulated.”
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الإثنين, 05 يوليو 2021 18:43
ندوة عبر الإنترنت قادمة حول مشاورة جدول الأعمال الثالث
معلومات إضافية
- البلد عالمي
- نوع الفعالية مجانا
- بداية الفعالية الأربعاء, 14 يوليو 2021
- نهاية الفعالية الأربعاء, 14 يوليو 2021
- التخصص محاسبة ومراجعة
- مكان الفعالية أونلاين
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فعاليات مهنية
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الخميس, 25 فبراير 2021 13:47
القيادة الأخلاقية في عصر التعقيد والتغيير الرقمي
تضافرت جهود كل من معهد المحاسبين القانونيين في اسكتلندا ICAS والاتحاد الدولي للمحاسبين IFAC ومحاسبون قانونيون معتمدون في كندا CPA Canada لتقديم ورشة عمل افتراضية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
Ethical Leadership in an Era of Complexity and Digital Change
Date: Tuesday February 2, 2021 | Time: 9:00AM – 11:00AM EST (COMPLETED)
ICAS, IFAC and CPA Canada joined forces to deliver an exciting virtual workshop exploring how professional accountants (PAs) continue to add value in the digital world. The event was based around an exploratory paper that seeks to drive conversations about:
The shifting landscape resulting from disruptive technologies and societal changes, and the skills that will cement the profession’s value proposition going forward.
The importance of identifying and mitigating bias to maintain objectivity and produce trustworthy information.
The need for the profession to prioritise the development of professional values, ethics and attitudes.
The potential re-focusing needed for PAs to add value in times of increased uncertainty and complexity.
The focus of the event was a series of breakout sessions to explore these themes in greater detail. These sessions were preceded by a number of brief, thought-provoking presentations to prime the conversations.
Speakers:
Charles-Antoine St-Jean, FCPA, FCA, President and CEO, CPA Canada
J Bruce Cartwright CA, CEO, ICAS
Kevin Dancey, CM, FCPA, FCA, CEO, IFAC
Peter Tingling, PhD, CPA, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Beedie School of Business, SFU
Anne-Marie Vitale, MBA, CPA, CGMA, Chair, IFAC International Panel on Accountancy Education
Brian Friedrich, LL.M, MEd, C.Dir, FCPA, FCCA and Laura Friedrich, MSc, CIA, FCPA, FCCA, Principals, friedrich & friedrich corp.
John C. Havens, Executive Director, IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
Building on the outputs of this event, the team will develop a thought-leadership paper to provide recommendations and guidance for key stakeholders, including implications for the profession and strategic changes that can be considered by professional accountancy organisations and national standards setters.
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الإثنين, 03 أكتوبر 2022 12:51
إعلان مؤسسة المعايير الدولية لإعداد التقارير المالية عن الخطوة الأولى لتجربتها الرقمية المستقبلية
تعلن مؤسسة المعايير الدولية لإعداد التقارير المالية (IFRS) عن الخطوة الأولى في إصلاح التجربة الرقمية المستقبلية
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
25 January 2021
IFRS Foundation announces first step in overhaul of future digital experience
The IFRS Foundation today announced plans to move the Foundation’s three existing websites into a single, unified platform. The new platform will launch in April 2021 and represents the first step in the Foundation’s multi-year programme to enhance the digital experience it offers its stakeholders.
In 2019, the Foundation began to transition its technology infrastructure to modern, cloud-based systems that facilitate more efficient internal working practices while also permitting the Foundation to deliver over time an enhanced digital experience to its stakeholders around the world. As part of that programme, the Foundation is nearing completion of its work to consolidate three of its existing websites (public website, eIFRS and archive) into a single, unified online presence.
The new website will look familiar, but we have responded to feedback from website users by introducing new innovations, such as a new Standards navigator, enhanced personalisation options and an improved search facility. There are also further updates planned. These innovations have required a move to a new content management system, which will result in some actions for existing users. Therefore, the Foundation is providing advance notification to users of its websites of the following changes from April 2021:
Existing public website (www.ifrs.org): Most users of the public website will be able to access content as before. The web addresses for the main website sections, including the work plan and active projects, will remain as is, but links to other content may require updating. Those users that login to the public website using a username and password (to submit comment letters and manage ‘follows’) will be required to update their information and preferences on initial login.
eIFRS (eifrs.ifrs.org): The content of eIFRS, which includes IFRS Standards and related information, will be incorporated into the new public website, accessible via a new Standards navigator. If you are an existing subscriber to either eIFRS Basic (the free-of-charge subscription offering access to core IFRS Standards) or eIFRS Professional (the paid-for service to access all current and historic content related to IFRS Standards), you will get automatic access to the equivalent new service. You will also be able to access the old eIFRS platform until it is decommissioned at the end of December 2021. Upon first logging in to the new system, you will be asked to update your registration details. If you currently access eIFRS Professional without having to sign in with a username and password, it means you have direct access through a third party that has a licence agreement with the Foundation. The Foundation is working with all licence holders to provide you with access to the new service. Please liaise directly with your licence holder. All eIFRS Professional users will continue to have access to the legacy eIFRS platform until the end of 2021.
Archive (archive.ifrs.org): A previous version of the Foundation’s website has been available since 2017, hosting content that was not migrated to the current platform. Guided by data on traffic to the archive, the Foundation has now completed migration of most of the content from the archive to its public website. As a result, the archive site will be decommissioned once the new public website is launched. Any remaining content will be preserved and accessible on request.
Commenting on the announcement, Lee White, Executive Director of the IFRS Foundation, said:
Our new online platform presents one of the first tangible opportunities our stakeholders will have to benefit from the work that has been ongoing to modernise the Foundation’s digital infrastructure. We have exciting plans for our digital future, but also recognise the need to help minimise the burden on stakeholders as we transition to these new platforms.
Further details can be found within our frequently asked questions section.
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الأحد, 24 يناير 2021 14:16
المجلس الدولي للإبلاغ المتكامل يراجع إطار الإبلاغ المتكامل
نشر المجلس الدولي لإعداد التقارير المتكاملة إطار عمل الإبلاغ المتكامل
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المحتوى بالإنجليزية
IIRC revises integrated reporting framework
By Michael Cohn
The International Integrated Reporting Council has published its revised Integrated Reporting Framework, incorporating some major changes since the IR Framework was first published in 2013.
The new version aims to clarify concepts and simplify guidance in the framework for report preparers and produce integrated reports with better quality. Integrated reporting aims to unite financial reporting with reporting on other aspects of an organization, including its environmental, social, governance, strategic and human capital aspects. Approximately 2,500 organizations in more than 70 countries now use the current IR Framework.
Publication of the revised framework comes at a time of transition for the IIRC, which announced plans last fall to merge with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board this year to form a group called the Value Reporting Foundation (see story). They are also in talks with the Climate Disclosure Standards Board to join them in the merger
Last year, the three groups, along with the Global Reporting Initiative and the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced plans to harmonize their sometimes conflicting standards to meet the needs of investors who are increasingly looking to invest in companies based on their environmental, social and governance, or ESG, measures. International financial regulators have been pushing the groups to align their standards better to make the disclosures easier to compare and discourage “greenwashing” by companies that choose to emphasize whatever environmental claims they like. The International Financial Standards Foundation has floated a proposal to set up an International Sustainability Standards Board that it would oversee alongside the International Accounting Standards Board, and has been gaining positive comments on that proposal from groups like the International Federation of Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants.
The newly revised IR Framework may therefore give way eventually to whatever standards the Value Reporting Foundation or a potential International Sustainability Standards Board promulgate, but it will probably be used to help build those future standards too.
The revisions focus on a simplification of the required statement of responsibility for the integrated report, and aim to provide improved insight into the quality and integrity of the underlying reporting process. The revised framework offers a clearer distinction between outputs and outcomes and places greater emphasis on the balanced reporting of outcomes and value preservation and erosion scenarios.
“Since 2013, the Framework has progressed the quality of reporting around the world,” said IRC CEO Charles Tilley in a statement Tuesday. “It has enabled businesses to assess their ability to create value in the short, medium and long term, to improve their communication with investors and key stakeholders, and driven a more cohesive and efficient approach to reporting that enhances accountability and stewardship across financial, natural, manufactured, human, intellectual, and social and relationship capital. As business resilience is tested so severely in the wake of the global pandemic, climate change and growing inequality, effective integrated thinking and reporting is more important than ever.”
The IIRC consulted with 1,470 experts in 55 jurisdictions before publishing the revised framework. “This revised IR Framework is the culmination of invaluable feedback we received from our stakeholders globally and the tireless efforts of our dedicated and expert IR Framework Panel to identify key areas for clarity and simplification,” said IIRC chief technical officer Lisa French, who oversaw the consultation and revision process, in a statement. “As a market-led movement, the input of business, investors, the accountancy profession and experts in the field is essential. As a result, the revised IR Framework is now in an even better position to support the journey to integrated reporting.”
The London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants welcomed the revised framework, saying it would provide organizations across the world with a more valuable mechanism to improve their corporate reporting, focus on long-term value creation and increase stakeholder trust.
“The coronavirus pandemic has made abundantly clear that organisations cannot continue to solely base their corporate reporting and decision-making on past financial performance,” said
Andrew Harding, chief executive of management accounting at CIMA, in a statement. “They must now focus on a broad range of resources and relationships to provide a comprehensive, forward-looking picture of the organisation’s performance and its value-creation potential, particularly in an uncertain world. The revised IR Framework will provide organizations with high-quality standards to create relevant, reliable and comparable corporate reporting across the world.”
Barry Melancon, president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs and the Association of Certified Professional Accountants, and global chairman of the IIRC, explained some of the changes going on with the IIRC, SASB and other groups during a virtual meeting Tuesday of the Accountants Club of America. He predicted that the CDSB would be likely to join SASB and the IIRC in their merger.
“There is discussion about how we create a rationalization of the standards and metrics that are in play globally, not just in the U.S., but globally, for businesses to comply with,” he said. “It is my impression that businesses, boards, employees, shareholders and investors all understand the need for businesses to report and be more consistent in these areas. But there are some 200 different models around the world. That does not comport with how this can actually evolve. If you are a CEO of a company, you might say, ‘Yes, I want to do the right thing. Tell me the definition of the right thing.’ That's not an unreasonable response from the leaders or boards. There are just too many things that have sort of evolved over the last four or five years that have not been rationalized. Our emphasis in 2020 at the IIRC was to have a rationalization process that hopefully will come to fruition in 2021.”
He pointed out that accounting standards also evolved in the 20th century from competing rules into a set of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Melancon acknowledged that it may take a while longer for all the international groups to come together around standards, and the U.S. has moved more slowly on integrated reporting than Europe, the U.K. and parts of Asia. But he believes the Biden administration will be putting more emphasis on ESG requirements, and the SEC may be backing that effort as well. “I think it's important that we have a global answer,” he said.
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