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21st Century Federal Financial Managers - A New Mix of Skills and
Educational Levels? Federal government agencies face a serious
human capital and leadership challenge. Recognizing the human
capital challenges facing government agencies, the Association of
Government Accountants (AGA), with support from its Corporate
Partner Advisory Group partner Management Concepts, decided to
conduct a study to provide a snapshot in the year 2007 of how
federal financial management leaders and mid-level professionals are
framing the challenges facing them. The study identifies the skills
federal financial managers need to do the work of the government in
the 21st century, discusses the research findings, and makes
recommendations for action to improve the capacity and capability of
the federal financial management workforce for the next century.
Read
the report. |
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AGA Annual CFO Survey - Scoring: Financial Management & Oversight
Efforts: Since 1996, the Association of Government Accountants
(AGA), in partnership with Grant Thornton, has sponsored an annual
survey of federal CFOs and other financial executives. In 2007, 132
executives and managers took part in the 11th annual survey, which
looked at financial management priorities, barriers to progress, the
Financial Management Line of Business initiative and oversight
groups.
Read the
report. |
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The Federal Travel Card - Uses, Policies and Best Practices -
This report presents the findings of an AGA study and survey of
travel card use by federal government departments and agencies. It
is the fourth and final in a series of AGA reports on the use of
purchase and travel cards by federal and state governments. It is
the first research effort to address use of the travel card in the
federal government. The AGA series is designed to provide a
comprehensive review of the current policies and procedures
regarding the use of purchase and travel cards.
Read the
report. |
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Trends in Technology - 2007 Review - As the world becomes
more deeply interconnected, what new demands will be placed on
public sector financial executives? What tools and techniques will
they possess for meeting those demands? The 2007 review of Trends
in Technology examines developments in six key technology areas
that are expected to make a significant contribution to future
public and private sector financial planning and management.
Read the
report. |
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The State Travel Card - Uses, Policies and Best
Practices - This report summarizes the findings of an AGA study
of travel card use by state government departments and agencies. It
is the third in a series of AGA reports on the use of purchase and
travel cards by federal and state governments and the first to focus
solely on use of the travel card in state government. The AGA series
is designed to provide a comprehensive review of the current
policies and procedures regarding the use of purchase and travel
cards, to assess the financial implications of purchase and travel
card use and to identify policies, practices and innovative
management actions that can be transferred between and among the
levels of government to maximize the benefits of this payment
option.
Read the
report. |
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Process-Based Financial Reporting - AGA,
with funding from Grant Thornton LLP, initiated this research study
in 2006 to determine the applicability of process-based accounting
to federal agencies. Process-based accounting was first proposed by
James A. Brimson in his book The Handbook of Process-Based
Accounting: Leveraging Processes to Predict Results (American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 2002). The study included
interviews with 28 federal CFOs and other top government executives
involved in financial management. These executives gave their views
on the current and potential value of financial reporting, internal
controls, performance measurement and related topics. Some agencies
provided financial data to use in constructing conceptual models of
process-based financial statements.
Read the
report. |
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Should State and Local Governments
Strengthen Internal Controls by Applying SOX-Like Requirements?
- This research study explores the current state of internal
controls in state and
local governmental entities. The project was undertaken because, in
the aftermath of the 2002 passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX or
the Act), there was considerable concern that its requirements would
be extended beyond the private sector. State and local governments
were concerned that even though there was nothing to equal the level
of scandal that had plagued the private sector, legislators might be
tempted to mandate similar requirements for state and local
governmental entities.
Read the
report. |
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Federal Real Property Asset Management - AGA engaged
Gail Young and Eugene Kaczkowski to research the best practices used
by federal, state and private sector entities in managing their real
property assets. Anna Miller, AGA’s Director of Research, researched
the state entities surveyed. The research was conducted in support
of the Real Property Asset Management initiative within the
President’s Management Agenda (PMA). An important facet of this
effort is to improve real property asset management practices across
the federal government.
Read the report. |
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The State Purchase Card: Uses, Policies and Best Practices -
This report focuses on the use of the purchase card by state
governments and is the second in a series of AGA
reports on the use of purchase and travel cards by federal, state
and local governments. The AGA series is designed to provide a
comprehensive review of the current government
policies and procedures regarding the use of these cards, to assess
the financial implications of purchase and travel card use, and to
identify policies, practices and innovative management actions that
can be transferred between and among
the levels of government to maximize the benefit of this payment
option.
Access the report. |
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PAR - The Report We Hate to Love- In December of 2004
AGA and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) undertook a cooperative
research project to determine the usefulness of Performance and
Accountability Reports (PARs) for their intended audiences, and how
that usefulness can be improved.
Click here
to access the report. |
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Challenges in Performance Auditing: How a State Auditor
with Intriguing New Performance Auditing Authority is Meeting Them
—The
objective of this research study is to document the initial actions
taken by Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag to implement the
provisions of the initiative and prepare to conduct performance
audits.
Click here
to access the report. |
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2006 Federal Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Survey - Advancing
Federal Financial Management. Click here to access the
report. |
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The Federal Purchase Card: Use, Policy & Practice
—This report summarizes the
findings of an AGA CPAG Research Program study of purchase
card (government issued charge cards used for purchases) use
by federal government agencies. The subsequent three phases
of this AGA study series will provide similar reviews of
purchase card use by state and local governments; the travel
card—government issued charge cards used for travel—by
federal government agencies; and the travel card used by
state and local governments.
Click here to read
further. |
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Trends in Technology,
is the third in a planned
series of studies covering areas of interest to our members.
Trends in Technology is an annual report on emerging
issues in information technology and financial management.
The study covers compliance management, business process
management, project portfolio management, RFID and wireless
communications. It analyzes each topic area and discusses
its implications for functional management. Click
here to access the report. |
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IBM sponsored this project to
identify best practices in shared services of federal agency
financial management operations. The project identifies best
practices in selecting services to share, managing the
transition, setting up service arrangements, governance,
service level agreements, and other aspects of the business
arrangement. The project had three phases: research of
existing literature; interviews with selected subject matter
experts and surveys sent out to other interested parties;
and finally, a report summarizing recommendations and
containing suggestions as to best practice. The research was
conducted by Irwin T. (Ted) David, CGFM, with the aid of
AGA’s Director of Research.
Click here to view the report. |
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The
2005 CFO Survey Integrating Internal Control with
Performance Management, sponsored by AGA
Professional Corporate Partner Grant Thornton, explores the
impact of emerging issues on CFO operations, discusses
issues candidly with peers and related functional
communities and shares findings within the federal
community. This year’s survey focuses on internal controls
and performance measurement including integration with other
management improvement initiatives within agencies.
Click here to view the report. |
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Audit Federal Financial
Controls: Sooner Rather Than Later? -
This report is the product of a research project, sponsored
by AGA Professional Corporate Partner Kearney & Company,
aimed at evaluating and assessing current internal control
procedures and reporting in the federal community, and the
potential impact of Sarbanes Oxley on the government
community. The research, primarily carried out by Cornelius
Tierney, author of the Federal Accounting Handbook,
included identifying internal control reporting
alternatives, existing standards, guidance, and current
practices, and providing recommendations on reporting on
internal controls. The report provides recommendations on
internal control reports, applicable standards, and timing.
We hope you find it a useful contribution to the debate
about internal controls.
Click here to view the report. |