Southwest University of Finance & Economics (SWUFE)

Introduction to “Professionalism” & CGA-Canada’s Competency Framework

Barbara KoExecutive Director, CGA-Canada International, China

April 11, 2011

AGENDAProfession, Professional, and Professionalism

Academic versus Professional Qualifications

Professional versus Technician

Professionalism

Competency Framework for Professional Accountants

Structure of CGA-Canada Professional Program

Profession, Professional, & Professionalism

What is a profession? What does it represent?

什么是 “专业”？或 “行业”？或 “职业”？或 “执业”？

Profession, Professional, & Professionalism

What is a “Professional”? What does it represent?

Examples: Accountant, Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Architect, etc.

What is professionalism?

Example:

Your client requires some information about the results of a survey.

Example “A”

Your reply will be:

“To: XXXXX

Total no. of questionnaires distributed: 500

Total no. of responses we obtained is 206.

Yours truly,

xxxxxx”

Example “B”

CGA-Year 3 Survey Response Rate - China

City Universities

Number of StudentsDistribut

edReceive

dResponse RateMal

eFemal

eTota

l

Beijing Tsinghua University 12 25 37 37 37 100.00%

ShanghaiShanghai University of Finance &

Economics15 26 41 41 38 92.68%

GuangzhouSun Yat-sen University 5 20 25 21 21 100.00%

Jinan University 5 20 25 25 25 100.00%

Tianjin Nankai University 29 21 50 33 33 100.00%

Changchun Jilin University 9 9 18 18 18 100.00%

ChengduSouthwest University of Finance &

Economics12 39 51 51 34 66.67%

HangzhouZhejiang University of Finance &

Economics5 28 33 33 24 72.73%

Total 92 188 280 235 206 87.66%

Professionalism

How will you assess Example A and Example B? Which is better, more informative?

Why are the two responses different?

“Professionally trained”

“Competency”

“Answers to users’ needs”

Academic vs. Professional Qualifications

Qualifications process

Academic Undergraduate Bachelor Degree

Conventional classroom lectures Post-graduate Master Degree, Ph.D.

Strategic thinkingResearch basedCase studiesApplication of technical knowledge and specialized knowledge

Professionals

How do I become a professional?

Choose the discipline or trade

4 “E’s”Education

Examination

Experience

Ethical Standards

Professional vs. Technician

Professional vs. Technician

西方国家的概念

Professional

Education

Examination

Experience

What is a “professional”?

Western culture

A “Professional” implies

Education

Examination

Experience

Ethics

Professional Designations 专衔Representing Individuals

with : Strong technical

knowledge

Expertise and mastery of the technical skills

Credibility

Practising Right

Specialists 　

Respectable

High income

Examples: Accountant, Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer,

Architect, etc.

(CGA), (MD), (Attorney at Law),

(P.Eng),

(AIA)

Professional vs. Technical

TechnicianTechnical training

Working mechanically

Skilful and experienced

Professional vs. TechnicalProfessionals 职业人员

Technical Knowledge专业的知识Continuous research and enhancement持续研究与优化Exercise Judgement职业判断Decision Making 决策者Not working mechanically 非机械化地工作The “Brains” 首脑人物

Competency Framework for Professional Accountants

All-rounded competencies

Leadership

Professionalism

Professional Knowledge

CGA –Competency Framework

Professional knowledge (71 competencies)

Financial Accounting & Reporting

Management Accounting Assurance & Other Related Services

Finance & Financial Planning

Business Environment

Information Technology

Taxation

CGA –Competency Framework

Leadership (24 competencies) Strategic and Organizational Leadership Organizational Effectiveness Individual and Team Leadership Individual and Team Development

CGA –Competency Framework

Professionalism (35 competencies) Ethics & Trust Stakeholder Focus Communication Integrative Approach Problem Solving Professional Development Professional Self-evaluation

Structure of CGA-Canada’s Professional Program

What are students being trained for?

Technical knowledge and its applications

Analytical skills

Judgmental skills

Organizational skills

Communications skills

Professionalism, answering to users’ needs

CGA Training

Path to Certification – Education

24

Competency-based program CGA Program of Professional Studies or equivalent

studies Career option at certification level

Corporate / SME Information Technology Government / Not-for-profit Public Practice Degree required prior to certification level

MBA for CGA’s

Laurentian UniversityProvides academic programs leading to recognized Bachelor, Master, and PhD degreesSWUFE-CGA undergraduates may be admitted to the 1-year full-time MBA (on-campus) program

Today’s Professional Accountant

Today’s Professional Accountant

Control & Management

Professional Judgement

High ethical standards

Lifelong learning =Continuous Professional Development

Traditional Accountant

Bookkeeping

Follow instructions and routine

No emphasis on ethical standards

No requirement for high technical standards

Types of Accountants– Private accountants normally work for one employer and offer

services such as general accounting, cost accounting, budgeting, and internal auditing.

– Public accountants work for many clients and offer auditing,

management advisory, and tax services.

– Government accountants audit tax returns and accumulate financial information for federal, provincial, and municipal agencies.

–Fields in Accounting–Fields in Accounting

Financial AccountingFinancial Accounting

Managerial Accounting

Managerial Accounting

TaxationTaxationAccounting-relatedAccounting-related

General General AccountingAccounting

Cost AccountingCost Accounting

BudgetingBudgeting

Internal AuditingInternal Auditing

Management Management ConsultingConsulting

PreparationPreparation

PlanningPlanning

RegulatoryRegulatory

InvestigationsInvestigations

ConsultingConsulting

LendersLenders

ConsultantsConsultants

AnalystsAnalysts

TradersTraders

ManagersManagers

DirectorsDirectors

UnderwritersUnderwriters

PlannersPlanners

appraisersappraisers

Statement Statement PreparationPreparation

Statement Statement analysisanalysis

AuditingAuditing

RegulatoryRegulatory

ConsultingConsulting

PlanningPlanning

Forensic Forensic AccountingAccounting

CGA – Professional Program

HOW TO STUDY?

HOW TO LEARN?

How to Use Course Materials

Lesson Notes (LN)-pay attention to the Level of Competence

-Level 1-Master the knowledge -Level 2-Comprehensive -Level 3-General Why do we categorize the levels of competence?

Training for exercising professional judgementTextbooks and Selected readings

-Follow the Instructions on LN

Learning “How to Learn”

What are students being trained (examined) for?Technical knowledge and its applications

Analytical skills

Judgmental skills

Organizational skills

Communications skills

Professionalism, answering to users’ needs, and caring for the others

How to learn?Know your objectives for each lesson

know your objectives as you cover the course contents

Read the course contents and focus on “KEYWORDS”, e.g. matching principle, conservatism, substance over form, etc.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!! You must apply what you have learned by working with problems. Do not just keep reading and looking up the dictionary. (use an English-English dictionary, not English-Chinese)

After studying all the material, review the objectives and make sure that you have grasped them well.

How to learn?

Read Lesson Notes Read Text bookaccording to LN

Go through thereview questions

Finish theassignments

Review the markedassignments

Review the lessonagain

Communication

How do we communicate?

Communication is a “2-way traffic”, whether it is oral or written

Language is the “means” to communicate with others

We have to speak the same language

We have to “listen” to the others and to “answer” others’ questions, not only to express our own opinion! This is why we have to write exams.

Conclusion

Fun of Accounting 会计的乐趣

Balance your life well:

Learning, Working, Playing

Good health, happiness, & a bright future!