Standards & Guidance
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Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting

Important Dates

  • Aug. 17, 2022
  • Nov. 15, 2022
    • ​Auditor's report must have this date
    • Agency applications due
  • Dec. 6, 2022
  • Dec. 16, 2022
    • ​Reviewer applications due
    • CEAR Program agency packet and filing fees due
  • Dec. 31, 2022
    • ​SPFI (optional)
FY2022 CEAR Guidelines
(MS-Word)
FY2022 CEAR
Guidelines (PDF)
FY2021 CEAR
Guidelines (PDF)

AGA's Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR)® Program has helped many federal agencies improve their Agency Financial Reports (AFRs) and Performance and Accountability Reports (PARs).

The CEAR program was established in 1997 in collaboration with the U.S. Office of  Management and Budget (OMB) and the Chief Financial Officers Council (CFOC) to improve accountability through streamlined, effective reporting that clearly demonstrates to taxpayers the federal agency accomplishments and challenges that remain. The CEAR program reviews, with their detailed critiques and recommendations, are a significant factor in the steady improvement of federal government annual reports.

Agencies
& Preparers CEAR
Reviewers

CEAR Awards Ceremony photos

Download and share all photos from FY2021 CEAR Award dinner and previous CEAR Award dinners, including the 2019 (FY 2018) event on Flickr. 

Thank you to our sponsors KPMG and Kearney & Co.

Congratulations to the FY 2021 CEAR Award Recipients! 

The FY 2021 CEAR Award ceremony was held  at the Marriott Marquis.  Download the virtual ceremony program. 

FY 2021 Awardees

Here are some comments from agencies representatives that have participated in the CEAR Program:

  • "We participate in the CEAR program because we believe it is essential to present the most informative, interesting, useful, and readable financial and performance information possible.  And we believe in continuous improvement."
     
  • "The CEAR program provides our team with inspiration and motivation to prepare the very best document that they can. Otherwise, the summary of best practices is very beneficial.  The summaries of Best-in-Class awards across all winning agencies are also very helpful."
     
  • "We always read those award descriptions and review those other agency documents to see their best practices and thus what we can do better."
     
  • "We participate to demonstrate our commitment to excellence and to challenge ourselves to improve our AFR continuously. The review comments are helpful (suggestions for improvement) and encouraging (highlighting we did well). It is also a pleasure to celebrate excellence during the Awards Dinner." 

Questions?
Email cear@agacgfm.org or call 800.242.7211 ext: 322.

Here are some comments from agencies representatives that have participated in the CEAR Program:

  • "We participate in the CEAR program because we believe it is essential to present the most informative, interesting, useful, and readable financial and performance information possible. And we believe in continuous improvement."
  • "The CEAR program provides our team with inspiration and motivation to prepare the very best document that they can. Otherwise, the summary of best practices is very beneficial. The summaries of Best-in-Class awards across all winning agencies are also very helpful."
  • "We always read those award descriptions and review those other agency documents to see their best practices and thus what we can do better."
  • "We participate to demonstrate our commitment to excellence and to challenge ourselves to improve our AFR continuously. The review comments are helpful (suggestions for improvement) and encouraging (highlighting we did well). It is also a pleasure to celebrate excellence during the Awards Dinner."
Questions?

Email cear@agacgfm.org or call 800.242.7211 ext: 322.

KPMG Logo
Thank you to our sponsors KPMG and Kearney & Co.