The API hosts an interactive information session to explain the Call for Expression of Interest

The African Professionalisation Initiative (API) hosted a multi-stakeholder information session on 4 August 2021, to issue out its Call for Expression of Interest. This call enables countries to indicate their interest to be the first implementers of the API’s capacity building approach. This is a crucial step towards the API’s long-term goal, to build and enhance accounting and auditing capacity across the African public sector.

Professor Rashied Small, an Executive at the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) and Chairman of the API’s Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) gave the opening address. He spoke about the pressing need for such an initiative, especially considering Africa’s abundance of natural resources. These resources, if used effectively, can place Africa on a firm path to reduce and eliminate poverty, and achieve the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. However, the lack of service delivery has become a perennial challenge for Africa. This is largely due to shortcomings in the management of the same resources, for the benefit of citizens. The API intends to be part of the solution by prioritising effective management of resources with its strategic goal, to promote public value management through the implementation of professionalisation and capacity building programmes.

In speaking about the need for capacity Professor Small said that the professionalisation of staff contributes to the value that a government can render to its citizens by, amongst other benefits, ensuring that:

• Staff are competent to perform their responsibilities in changing environments, particularly because of technological changes as well as varying citizen expectations and demands.
• Professionals are held accountable for the work they perform, by their employers, the government, and the profession at large.
• Professionals understand the importance of high-quality information in the decision-making processes of government, leading to government being able to fulfil its service delivery mandate.

The API aims to implement high-quality learning programmes that address the needs of the identified target audiences in the public sector. These include professional accountants and auditors wanting to specialise in the public sector, students, non-finance officials overseeing finance processes and incumbents in the public sector without a professional accounting or auditing certification or designation.

The API also aims to provide professional capacity building support to countries that express such an interest, to adopt and implement a path towards the professionalisation of its accounting and auditing sector.

Interested countries can formally apply to implement the API capacity building methodology, by completing and submitting a Call for Expression of Interest by 30 September 2021. The applications will be reviewed by the API secretariat in line with set criteria.

 

During the interactive information session, participants asked several questions. Click here to see the answers to these questions, as well as more information on the initiative, the API learning resources and the available capacity building support.

The API secretariat is organising for another session that will focus on technical matters related to the initiative. Please let us know of any matters of interest that need to be covered in the upcoming session by completing a short survey here.

For any queries, please send an email to: info@professionalisation.africa