Exciting Leadership Roles <strong>for</strong> <strong>Chartered</strong> Accountants<strong>Institute</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chartered</strong> Accountants <strong>of</strong> British ColumbiaVancouver, BCJoin a progressive team <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals in beautiful Vancouver! The <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Chartered</strong> Accountants <strong>of</strong> BC wishes to attract experienced <strong>Chartered</strong> Accountantswith leadership acumen and an interest in pr<strong>of</strong>essional oversight to join the RegulatoryAffairs team. If you are a technically pr<strong>of</strong>icient <strong>Chartered</strong> Accountant with a passion<strong>for</strong> excellence in pr<strong>of</strong>essional practice, these positions will provide uniqueopportunities <strong>for</strong> you to shape and deliver programs that foster BC members’ andfirms’ compliance with high standards <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional conduct.Ideally, you are a CA with several years <strong>of</strong> substantive experience in progressivelymore senior roles, preferably in public practice or a regulatory environment. You havea reputation <strong>for</strong> ethics and excellence in practice. A team player with a positive,proactive style, you have an active interest in the changes occurring to accountingstandards and wish to preserve the public trust in the pr<strong>of</strong>ession by assisting membersto stay relevant and current in their accounting practices. Organized, <strong>for</strong>ward thinking,and flexible, you possess a facilitative style and the ability to engage in creativeproblem-solving. With an unfailing commitment to ongoing learning, you have a knack<strong>for</strong> anticipating and leading change.The <strong>ICABC</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers competitive compensation and benefits, and a progressive,collaborative work environment that promotes growth and balance. All qualifiedcandidates are encouraged to reply, in confidence, quoting file #14306, tosearch@janetdavid.com. We thank and acknowledge all candidates, and willproactively contact those selected <strong>for</strong> interviews.30 ica.bc.ca June/Summer ’09
Demystifying ContinuingPr<strong>of</strong>essional DevelopmentBy Stella Lam-Leung, CA, Associate Director <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional DevelopmentTime certainly flies by—we’re alreadyhalfway through the current continuingpr<strong>of</strong>essional development (CPD) cycle!It has been a very busy season, during which mycolleagues and I have answered many questionsabout the new CPD program. With that inmind, now seems like a good time to dispelsome common CPD myths, gleaned from ourconversations with members. We hope this willhelp you plan your CPD activities <strong>for</strong> the remainder<strong>of</strong> the year and the triennial cycle.Minimum CPD Requirements*Minimum TotalVerifiable CPDHours HoursAnnual 10 20Triennial cycle* 60 120*Beginning January 1, 2008Myth #1: Only accounting,auditing, and tax coursescount toward CPDFalse. The CA designation signifies more thanjust accounting acumen. As the pr<strong>of</strong>ession’snational marketing slogan, “Decisions Matter,”suggests, CAs are respected decision makers,strategic thinkers, and advisors.As a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Institute</strong>, you are encouragedto take CPD that is relevant to yourpr<strong>of</strong>essional role—whether you work in atraditional accounting role or not. Take aninventory <strong>of</strong> your skills and consider whetheryou allocate sufficient time to building orrefreshing the various skills needed to do yourjob well. These skills will likely involve more thanaccounting, auditing, or tax courses. Consider,<strong>for</strong> example, whether you have the range <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tskills needed <strong>for</strong> your role, such as negotiation,presentation, and leadership skills. Also, considerexpanding your knowledge in your particularindustry.The CA pr<strong>of</strong>ession has taken a detailed analysis<strong>of</strong> the core knowledge and skills expected <strong>of</strong> CAsby business, government and the public, andconsulted with members, clients, and employersto develop the CA Competency Map, which liststhe competencies expected <strong>of</strong> our members. TheCA Competency Map is now used as the basis <strong>for</strong>our CA qualification process, and it is also anextremely useful tool to shape our post-qualificationPD opportunities. More in<strong>for</strong>mation about theCA Competency Map can be found at www.cica.ca/competencymap.Myth #2: Only <strong>ICABC</strong> coursescount toward verifiable CPDFalse. Verifiable CPD includes any learningactivity that can be objectively verified by acompetent source. Although the <strong>ICABC</strong>’s PDdepartment <strong>of</strong>fers more than 500 unique coursetitles each year, the <strong>Institute</strong> isn’t the only source<strong>of</strong> qualifying verifiable CPD. Everyone’s CPDneeds are different, and we recognize that it’s notpossible to <strong>of</strong>fer all <strong>of</strong> the courses that would berelevant to members. Accordingly, we encourageyou to also consider taking courses fromuniversities, colleges, associations, and privateeducational providers, along with conductingother qualifying types <strong>of</strong> verifiable CPD activities.As part <strong>of</strong> our commitment to member service,we’ve compiled a list <strong>of</strong> the many CPD sourcesavailable, and posted it <strong>for</strong> your referral at www.icabc-pd.com/cpd. An abridged version <strong>of</strong> thislist appears on pages 32 and 33.Myth #3: The cost <strong>of</strong> complyingwith CPD is expensiveFalse. There are many economical sources <strong>of</strong>learning. In fact, you can even compliment yourincome and earn CPD credits at the same timeby instructing courses <strong>for</strong> <strong>ICABC</strong> or facilitatingmodules <strong>for</strong> the CA School <strong>of</strong> Business! Thea<strong>for</strong>ementioned list <strong>of</strong> CPD sources on ourwebsite (shortened on pages 32 and 33) indicateswhere you can find economical sources <strong>of</strong> CPD.Committed to assisting members with theirpr<strong>of</strong>essional development, the <strong>ICABC</strong>’s PDdepartment <strong>of</strong>fers free PD sessions to memberswhenever possible. A number <strong>of</strong> free sessionshave already taken place this year, and severalmore are available this month, including tw<strong>of</strong>ree sessions be<strong>for</strong>e the <strong>ICABC</strong>’s annual generalmeeting on June 23rd. These free events arealways well attended.PD Passports are also very popular, as they cansave holders up to 40% <strong>of</strong>f seminar prices. Sales<strong>of</strong> the 2009/10 passports began this month. Forfurther savings, members can take advantage <strong>of</strong>the early-bird pricing <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>for</strong> the passportsuntil September 9, 2009.Myth #4: CPD record-keepingand reporting are a hassle atthe end <strong>of</strong> the yearFalse. Record-keeping and reporting don’t haveto be a hassle—not if you use the <strong>ICABC</strong>’s CPDonline reporting system, which we launched in2008. Based on your feedback thus far, thelaunch <strong>of</strong> the online reporting system was anunqualified success. In fact, over 50% <strong>of</strong> themembership reported their CPD activities <strong>for</strong>2008 online. Since the launch, we’ve upgradedthe system so that you can now log your CPDactivities throughout the year at www.ica.bc.ca/secure whenever you take them. You can evenretrieve all your <strong>ICABC</strong> course registrationsyourself. Then, at the end <strong>of</strong> the year, all you’llneed to do is click “submit” to confirm that yourrecords are complete and accurate, and voilà:Your CPD reporting will be complete!Myth #5: You can lose yourCA designation if you failto comply with the CPDrequirementsTrue. Thankfully, excellent CPD compliancerates mean that this is a rare occurrence. However,the <strong>Institute</strong>’s Council may take such action as itdeems appropriate against members who eitherfail to file a CPD report or otherwise fail tocomply with the CPD Bylaws and/or Regulations.Such action may eventually include suspensionor cancellation <strong>of</strong> <strong>ICABC</strong> membership. Thesesteps ensure that our members are competentand up to date in per<strong>for</strong>ming their duties, andthereby uphold the reputation <strong>of</strong> our pr<strong>of</strong>ession.Contact usIf you have any questions regarding CPD,please contact me at lam-leung@ica.bc.ca or604-631-2570, or contact Lisa Murray, assistantto the PD department, at murray@ica.bc.ca or604-488-2614. (Toll free in BC: 1-800-663-2677.)June/Summer ’09 ica.bc.ca 31
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