The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) is a key transparency document, communicating a government’s health, efficiency and effectiveness in providing services to the public. This course provides an overview of the governmental accounting and auditing function for managers, strategies for internal controls, as well as best practices in developing the ACFR. Experts in the field will share key insights on the value of understanding and improving your organization’s financial statements and long-term health. No advance preparation is needed, but knowledge of Excel is recommended. *
Learning objectives:
- Understand the major differences between governmental and private sector accounting
- Be aware of recent and upcoming GASB statements and how it impacts management
- Understand how managers use financial statements and key metrics to evaluate the organization’s financial condition
- Understand the ACFR, its major portions, and its use as a tool of transparency
- Develop and understand important internal controls
- Understand how to evaluate and explain audit results
Past Course Faculty
Amanda Beck
Assistant Professor, Accounting, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University
• Member, Audit Committee for the City of Atlanta
• Ad hoc reviewer, Journal of Public Budgeting and Finance
Usha Rackliffe
Assistant Professor, Accounting, Goizueta Business School,
Emory University
• Former Chief Financial Officer, Board of Regents, University System of Georgia
• Published in Journal of Accounting Education
Past Guest Speakers
Paul Nolan
Head of Municipal Research, Asset Preservation Advisors
Alan Skelton
State Accounting Officer, State (Ga.) Accounting Office/Topic: Putting Together a State’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)
Panelists
Rachael Krizanek
Internal Controls and Policy Manager, State (Ga.) Accounting Office
Jackie Neubert
Manager, Financial Audits (Nonprofit and Local Government Audit Section), Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts
Ron Shelby
Chief Financial Officer, City of Woodstock (Ga.)
This course covers key content tested by GFOA’s Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting exam, one of the five exams required for the CPFO certification. Additionally, participants can earn up to 32 CPE credits (28 in government accounting and four in government auditing) for this course through the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). For NASBA purposes, it is categorized as an intermediate-level, “group-live” course. At the end of this course, students will receive a certificate of completion for the Government Financial Statements and Accounting course. All six courses are required to receive the Center for State and Local Finance’s Certificate in Public Financial Management.