Information Technology in the Accounting Curriculum

UWCISA SymposiumOctober 13, 2007

Tim Forristal, CAVice President, Education CICA

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Scope of Paper

• To consider the state of the accounting curricula in Canada

• To make recommendations as to its content

• Includes some analysis of the pros and cons of the CICA Competency Map

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My Remarks•Is the profession “in a state of disarray”?

•Clarification of today’s accounting curricula

•Recommendations as to content

•How best to deliver IT education

•Some concluding thoughts

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• “The profession finds itself in disarray...”

• ”Not yet clearly positioned as mastering information technology competencies”

• “CAs do not demonstrate an adequate level of understanding of IT”

IT in the CA Profession

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IT in the CA Profession• Post-qualification is when competence becomes second

nature

• Pre-qualification whatever its’ content, is only the foundation

• CA profession IT post-qualification professional development:

• CAIT• CACISA

• CACIA

• CAAudit(?)

• Need for additional competency requirements and additional (mandatory) post-graduate education

• IEPS 2 IT for Professional Accountants soon to be released by IFAC’s IAESB

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Pre-Qualification

“Curriculum does not support the development of the competencies” as stated in the Competency Map

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How best to deliver•Two broad approaches – the integrative

approach and the discrete subject approach

•Combined?

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CA Professional Education Program•“Provincial” comments

•National CA program

•CA Competency Map – developed by the CA profession including practitioners

•National Board of Evaluators

•Accreditation of delivery systems

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Current Requirements

•A single introductory course?

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CA Ontario CMA

Management Accounting 6 9

Finance 3(Additional course recommended)

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Financial Accounting 15 9

Information Technology 3 6

Internal Control 0 3

Auditing 9 0

Taxation 6 3

Strategy Management Not mentioned 3

Economics 3 3

Law 3 3

Statistics Recommended 3

Operations Management Recommended 3

International Business 3

Human Resources Recommended 3

Marketing Recommended 3

Subtotal 51 60

General Education 69 60

Total 120 120

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Development

Learning

Education(i.e., systematic learning)

Training

On the job Off the job

Subsets of the development processInternational Education Standards Framework, IFAC

Academic Study and Professional Competency Development ?

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CA Professional Education Accreditation

•Specifics looked at include:

•Professor/instructor/facilitator profile

•Program design – structure and content

•Teaching and learning methodologies

•Evaluation methodologies

•Employer involvement

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Is it enough?

•Its understated but its happening

•Its cumulative (academic study, professional education, practical experience and examination)

•Demonstration of IT competence on the UFE has been increasing over the past four years

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Recommendations re: content•Business strategy and

policy

•General MIS course

•AIS course or IT Controls

•Business process change

•The use of personal productivity software

•The use of accounting software

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•In pre-qualification in IT as well as other subject areas, we need to build in:

•Basic knowledge and framework for thinking about IT issues and concepts

•Research skills

•The future

•Lifelong learning

Concluding thoughts

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Concluding thoughts•Pre-qualification is a foundation

•IT in accounting curricula would be advanced with further research:

•Role of professional accountants in IT / competency requirements

•Delivery of prequalification education

•Competency development and measurement