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Professional Accountancy Organization Development Committee
The PAO Development Committee’s focus is on addressing the challenges facing the development of strong professional accountancy organizations (PAOs) in emerging and developing countries. It brings together individuals from both developed and developing nations, who drive an agenda to raise awareness of accountancy, bring attention to the need for a formal profession, and highlight the economic and social benefits that a formal profession can bring.
Recent Developments
Tunisia: A PAO Development Committee meeting took place on May 1-2, 2012 in Tunis, Tunisia, coinciding with a conference on governance and transparency in the public sector, co-hosted by the Ordre des Experts Comptables de Tunisie (OECT) and the Pan-African Federation of Accountants (PAFA), and a meeting of the Arab Federation of Accounting and Auditing (AFAA). IFAC President Göran Tidström, PAO Development Committee Chair Deborah Williams, and other members of IFAC leadership gave presentations at the PAFA meeting along with key regional and national stakeholders (for more information on PAFA, please see the PAFA launch press release). Attendees at the OECT-PAFA conference and the AFAA meeting also participated in breakout sessions during the PAO Development Committee meeting to discuss aspects of the development of the profession and PAOs in Africa and other regions.
- Russia: In April 2012, Daria Koukhar, IFAC technical manager with the Member Body Development Team, undertook an outreach trip to Russia to meet with professional accountancy organizations (IFAC members and organizations working toward IFAC membership) to discuss their implementation of Compliance Program Action Plans and provide an update on the SMO revision project.
- Italy: In April 2012, Gabriella Kusz, IFAC technical manager with the Member Body Development Team, presented at the board meeting of the Fédération des Experts Comptables Méditerranéens (Federation of Mediterranean Accountants, or FCM) regarding the work of the PAO Development Committee and the strategy for the Europe and Central Asia region. Meetings with individual FCM member PAOs to discuss development and the importance of Compliance Program Action Plans were also held scheduled.
PAO Development Committee Resources
- Establishing and Developing a Professional Accountancy Body
This Good Practice Guidance covers the roles and responsibilities of a PAO, education and examinations structures, and capacity development.
- Tools and Resources to Support the Development of the Accounting Profession
Supplementary Good Practice Guidance for PAOs, including case studies and practical illustrations.
Key Contacts
- Gabriella Kusz, Technical Manager, Member Body Development
GabriellaKusz@ifac.org - Marta Russell, Technical Manager, Member Body Development MartaRussell@ifac.org
External Resources
- CReCER Community of Practice
- The World Bank Centre for Financial Reporting Reform (CFRR), Vienna, Austria
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR)
