PUBLIC SECTOR NETWORK
NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS –
GOVERNMENT, NOT FOR PROFIT, COMMUNITY / MEMBER VOLUNTEERING
This update provides you with the latest news and developments in the Government, Not for Profit,
Community / Member Volunteering space, including key dates for your diaries.
October, 2015
Accountability of public financial management
CPA Australia Singapore has published a landmark study, in conjunction with KPMG and NUS
Business School, which provides interesting insights into trends raised in the annual Singapore
Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) Reports dating back 25 years from 1990 to 2015.
The study aims to contribute discussion points for policy and key decision-making in the public sector in
an impactful way. Understanding the root causes of the issues highlighted is critical to raising awareness of the
AGO’s focus areas in its reviews, and what this means for finance and internal audit executives in the Singapore
public sector. This will be particularly important as public sector entities strive to balance resources with managing
reputational risk.
Reflecting CPA Australia's commitment to protect the public interest, the team in Singapore, in conjunction with
the National University of Singapore, also recently released the 2015 Governance and Transparency Index,
benchmarking standards of corporate governance among Singapore-listed companies
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/~/media/corporate/allfiles/document/professional-resources/financialplanning/singapore-gti-2015-media-release.pdf
CIPFA Financial Management self-assessment tool exclusive
to CPA Australia
CPA Australia has obtained the exclusive Australian and New Zealand licence to distribute a highly-regarded selfassessment product of the British Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) – the CIPFA
Financial Management tool.
This is a powerful public sector self-assessment tool with global recognition. Its scope extends beyond the
Finance function and exposes issues that are difficult to establish through conventional enquiry, such as cultural
positioning.
Measuring total Financial Management Capability, the tool offers a robust evidential platform to address
development needs and improve efficiencies. It provides tailored support options – from a self-assessment to a
fully facilitated implementation by CPA Australia experts. This includes use of the online self-assessment tool,
project management, facilitating interviews, consulting and writing a comprehensive client report.
CPA Australia launched the CIPFA Financial Management Tool last week during an exclusive Public Sector
lunch, hosted by Des Pearson, former Victorian and Western Australian Auditor-General and holder of the Order
of Australia, together with Neil Vincent, Head of Training and Consultancy of CIPFA.
For more information on the CIPFA FM model contact the Corporate Learning Solutions Manager - Fiona Moore –
at [email protected]
CPA Congress
CPA Congress is now available for booking in 14 locations around the world. The Public Sector is
always a key stream for training and development at CPA Congress. The below events outline just a
few examples of key speakers directly addressing Public Sector topics:
Canberra – Thursday 19th of November, 2015 - What the CFO wants from the finance team
The skill set and personal attributes that once made you a valuable member of the finance team 10 or even five
years ago are not necessarily those the CFO needs to deliver outcomes for the business today. Technical skills
are progressively becoming replicable and redundant. How developed are your soft skills – communication,
interpretation, judgement and risk assessment? Do you really understand the drivers of financial performance in
your business and are you alert to the signs of risk?
Speakers
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Lily Viertmann FCPA - Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Environment

Steven Groves FCPA - Chief Finance Officer, Department of Immigration and Border Protection
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events/cpa-congress/canberra/program
London
- Saturday 14 November - Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS)
The OECD BEPS Action Plan is an ambitious international effort to reform the international tax system as part of
a global fight against tax avoidance.
Join David as he discusses some of the key principles behind the OECD BEPS strategy and provides insights
into the next steps in the global effort to create a fairer international tax system.
Speaker
 David Bradbury - Head of Tax Policy and Statistics Division, OECD
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events/cpa-congress/london/program
Sydney - Monday 19 October - Mergers – building your impact as a NFP
With Australia’s NFP sector becoming increasingly overcrowded, mergers will become more and more critical for
the ongoing success of the sector.
Having recently been involved in the successful merger of Save the Children and Good Beginnings, Alistair will
provide some first-hand observations on the role of a CFO in facilitating a merger in the sector.
Speaker
 Alistair Brown - Chief Financial Officer, Save the Children
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events/cpa-congress/sydney/program
Melbourne - Monday 12th of October, 2015
"More tears than new ideas" How to achieve savings and make cost effective change in the Public Sector
Cost management is a key component of the finance manager's role in any organisation. This session will work
through the challenges of achieving sustainable savings and cost management, and how you can practically
implement measures that will impact your financial and overall business performance. In this session you will
learn the changing requirements on today’s finance functions in the public sector, cost management and savings
approaches that will enable more effective and informed decision-making, and balancing the day-to-day
accounting and compliance needs with value-adding decision support.
Speaker
 Greg Stenton - Chief Finance Officer, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events/cpa-congress/melbourne/program
If you are making a booking for three or more people, or would like a CPA Australia staff member to visit your
office, we can assist with selection of sessions and complete the booking form with you.
Call 1300 73 73 73 or email [email protected] to find out more or visit the website at:
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events/cpa-congress
Public Sector Leaders Series
The second round of the Public Sector Leaders Series events have commenced, organised by Public Sector
Engagement and sponsored by Grant Thornton. Some of the activities for the second half of the year include:
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Melbourne - Ethical culture and conflicts of interest in public sector organisations with Dr Eva Tsahuridu,
Manager Accounting Policy, External Positioning.
Queensland - Leading transformation in your organisation: Is it an art or science? with Dr Ruth Knight,
Director, Zark Consultancy.
Northern Territory - Transforming the public sector with Andrew Trnacek - Senior Partner in the
Operational Advisory Practice at Grant Thornton & Jodie Ryan, Under Treasurer NT Government.
Healthcare Leaders Roundtable
With industries facing different challenges, CPA Australia developed a Healthcare Leaders Roundtable working
with Leaders to identify the unique complexities and priorities this industry is facing. This quarterly Roundtable is
a platform that explores how CPA Australia can assist our health partners to help transform the health sector and
enhance employer engagement and advocacy.
September’s roundtable was presented by Stephen Payne, FCPA, CEO, from the National Disability Insurance
Agency who presented on National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) - Scheme overview and implementation
update. The next Healthcare leader’s roundtable will be in November with exciting topics to be covered.
Honouring the memory of a trail blazer
Today more than 47% of CPA members are female, as are 66% of CPA Australia’s employees. The groundwork
for this was laid by people like former South Australian State Registrar and Divisional Director, Barbara Pimlott,
who passed away late August. One of CPA Australia’s first senior, female leaders, she was a major trailblazer for
women in accounting and her significant contribution to the profession won her a Medal of the Order of Australia.
‘Miss Pimlott’, as she was known to staff, retired from the Australian Society of Accountants (as CPA Australia
was formerly known) in 1981 after 40 years with the Society and, prior to the Society’s formation in 1952, the
Federal Institute of Accountants.
Extracts about Barbara from the book ‘Power, Progress and Profit’, the history of the Australian accounting
profession commissioned by CPA Australia and published in 1996, give us some insights into the history of CPA
Australia, the nature of employment in the 1930s and 1940s, and the changing role of women in the workforce:
There was no doubt that the influence (of women) within the profession was growing… This movement had
begun during the war (that is, 1939-45). Barbara Pimlott recalls that her career path quickened as young men left
accounting firms for the armed forces. In 1941, she became an audit clerk in an Adelaide practice. She said that
the clients whom the firm served used to get an enormous surprise when the revered partner turned up with a
young female in tow ‘because the idea of a female audit clerk was unheard of’. Women, at the time, were either in
the home or working in munitions factories or serving in the forces. And their entry into new fields of employment
was not always appreciated…
When at the end of 1969, the position of State Registrar fell vacant…Barbara was encouraged to apply… When
she was offered the position, she heard the news with disbelief. The role of women had changed greatly in the
short space of thirty years. (from Power, Progress and Profit, pp173-4)
Barbara was an Honorary FCPA, and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1982 Australia Day
Honours list, for services to the accounting profession.
Annual report available in Chinese on our website
Our latest annual report is now available in simplified Chinese on the CPA Australia website. It is the fourth year
that CPA Australia has published a Chinese version of the annual report. This can be located at:
https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/about-us/our-organisation
Contributions to this report circulated every 8-10 weeks are welcome.
Email: [email protected]