The IFAC Board has named Prof. Dr. Arnold Schilder Chair of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2009. The Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the IAASB’s activities, approved the appointment at its meeting in Madrid, Spain in early July.

Prof. Schilder currently serves as Executive Director of De Nederlandsche Bank NV. He is also a member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and a part-time professor of auditing at the University of Amsterdam.

COMPLIANCE PROGRAM LAUNCHES PART 3;

MEMBER BODIES RELEASE FIRST ACTION PLANS

The IFAC Member Body Compliance Program reached a milestone in July with the release of the first six member body action plans. Developed as part of the third phase of the Compliance Program, the action plans identify tools, resources, and regulatory changes needed to address areas identified through the self-assessment of compliance with IFAC’s membership requirements. The six members that have completed their action plans are:

· Federación Argentina de Consejos Profesionales de Ciencias Económicas;

· Botswana Institute of Accountants;

· Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants;

· Chamber of Auditors of the Czech Republic;

· Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya; and

· Corpul Expertilor Contabili si Contabililor Autorizati din Romania.

To view member body action plans, as well as the responses to Parts 1 and 2 of the Compliance Program, visit: http://www.ifac.org/ComplianceAssessment/published.php.

2008 IFAC GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SURVEY

IFAC is currently in the process of developing its 2008 Global Leadership Survey on issues impacting the global accountancy profession. We would like to thank those member bodies that have suggested topics for the survey, and we are in the process of considering these ideas. If you have not yet suggested a topic, but would like to do so, please email Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesita tener Javascript activado para poder verla by Friday, July 18. Our goal is to finalize the focus of the survey in early August and to notify member bodies shortly thereafter.


EDUCATION BOARD ISSUES INFORMATION PAPER ON CPD MEASUREMENT

A new information paper issued by the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB), Approaches to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Measurement, assists IFAC member bodies and others in developing effective CPD programs for professional accountants. The information paper explains the elements of an effective CPD program, examines current practices by accountancy and other professional associations, and discusses approaches to measure a program’s effectiveness. The information paper may be downloaded free-of-charge from the IFAC online bookstore at http://www.ifac.org/store.


PAIB Committee proposes guidance on governance and costing

As part of IFAC’s ongoing commitment to support professional accountants in business in helping to strengthen governance and enhance organizational performance, its Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee has released two proposed International Good Practice Guidance documents for public comment.

Evaluating and Improving Governance in Organizations sets out a framework and provides guidance for evaluating and improving an organization’s governance structures.

Costing to Drive Organizational Performance establishes a benchmark for good practice guidance to assist accountants in business in providing useful cost information to support effective decision making in organizations.

Comments on the exposure drafts, which can be viewed at http://www.ifac.org/EDs, are requested by September 23, 2008. Comments may be emailed to Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra los robots de spam, necesita tener Javascript activado para poder verla .


2008 SMP FORUM TO BE HELD IN NIGERIA ON OCTOBER 13

IFAC members, associates, regional accountancy organizations, and other groups are invited to participate in the 2008 IFAC Small and Medium Practices (SMP) Forum in Abuja, Nigeria on October 13. The one-day forum will seek to identify and address issues facing SMPs and small-and medium-sized entities (SMEs), particularly those in Africa. Forum participants will be provided with an update on progress made in achieving the recommendations from the 2007 SMP Forum and will have an opportunity to provide input on the SMP Committee’s strategy and work program. Further information about the forum, including the forum brochure, will be available on the SMP Committee’s web page, http://www.ifac.org/smp, in the coming weeks.


IFAC APPOINTS ALTA PRINSLOO DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Alta Prinsloo, CA (SA), has been appointed IFAC Director of Operations effective January 1, 2009. Ms. Prinsloo is currently Deputy Director of the IAASB. As Director of Operations, Ms. Prinsloo will be responsible for, among other things, IFAC’s planning, budgeting and financial management; human resources and information technology; and managing preparations for IFAC Council and Board meetings. She will take over from Stephen Walker, who has served as Director of Operations since September 2002 and who is leaving at the end of the year to return to his home country of New Zealand.