OVERVIEW
In January 2012, UNICEF adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Given the rigors that IPSAS requires of our offices, and the need for UNICEF staff to be trained in Public Financial Management, UNICEF entered an accounting certification partnership with CIPFA – the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. CIPFA is a UK-based chartered accountancy, member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) that specializes in the public sector, offering internationally-recognized qualifications, which require the same amount of dedication one would afford a formal university master’s programme.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGIES
The International Public Financial Management (IPFM) training and certification programme aims to strengthen UNICEF’s financial management. It consists of an integrated suite of four (4) progressive public financial management qualifications: 1) Certificate - 2 courses, 2) Diploma - 4 courses, 3) Advanced Diploma - 4 courses, and 4) Strategic - 2 courses. Progressive means that you must achieve the Certificate qualification before you can start the Diploma qualification, and so forth. Each qualification (made up of multiple courses) provides a specific range of knowledge, skills and competences which will help UNICEF staff who manage an accounting, budget and/or finance portfolio. Here is a link to course syllabi. Students are expected to complete each qualification before moving onto the next one, but it is not expected that all students will complete all four qualifications. Most students will likely complete one-two qualifications.
CIPFA classes are live “virtual”, over the internet. Web classes are scheduled in two semesters per year, with individual classes held 1-2 days per week starting at 1:30 BST (London) for 2-3 hour sessions (approximately 6 hours of web classes a week). This will require supporting UNICEF offices to provide the student with a study day out of the office. The scheduled class dates are located here. As soon as each live class is completed a full recording will be made available to study off line. If due to time zone, the student is not able to attend the live class, the office should provide the study day the following day when the recording is available. The complete programme description can be found on CIPFA’s website.
These courses are primarily in English and thus given the highly technical nature of the programme, it is recommended you be fully proficient in English. However, the Certificate qualification (first one) made up of Management and Financial Accounting can be opted for in French or Spanish. If opting for the French or Spanish versions, kindly note that English competency is still required. While the course materials are in French or Spanish, the site navigation is still in English.
CIPFA QUALIFICATIONS Available to UNICEF staff
1. The Certificate in International Public Financial Management (Cert IPFM)
The entry point for many students, this qualification provides an introduction to two of the fundamentals of public financial management: Financial Accounting and Management Accounting. Successful completion of this qualification will equip staff with the skills to prepare accounting records per international standards, to draw up simple financial statements, record data relating to costs and use costing and budgeting techniques to help non-financial managers to make decisions and manage finances effectively.
2.The Diploma in International Public Financial Management (Dip IPFM)
In the Diploma qualification, knowledge of public financial management will really start to take off. In four courses, students will learn about Audit and Assurance, Business & Change Management, Financial Management, and Public Sector Financial Reporting (PSFR).
3.The Advanced Diploma in International Public Financial Management (Adv Dip IPFM)
For the Advanced Diploma, in four classes, students explore what governance means for a public-sector organization (GPPE); how it is related to public policy, and how public policy drives public financial management (PF); where government gets its money from; and the ways in which strategy in the public sector is different from (and in some cases similar to) strategy in the private sector (SPD). Staff will also learn how to prepare financial statements for single private sector entities (CFR).
4.The Strategic Qualification in International Public Financial Management (SQ IPFM)
This is the highest, professional level qualification in the suite. With it, students can apply to become a full member of CIPFA, receiving full accreditation as a chartered accountant. The testing at this stage is demanding, to match the quality of the award. There is no higher qualification in Public Financial Management available from any Professional Accountancy Organization in the world.
Additional details of the courses that make up the programme and the syllabus for each course can be found on CIPFA's website, or see above links.
EXAMS
Exams are computer based and online. In general they last 2-3 hours. Some of the questions will be multiple choice; others will be essay-type, or will require you to produce accounting statements or perform costing and budgeting calculations. See the IPFM site for the exam schedules and exam rubrics charts. Exam schedule 2023. Exams will be marked and results determined following the same high standards that CIPFA applies to all its accredited qualifications. Results will usually be available within four to eight weeks after the exam date.
The exam location will most likely be in your UNICEF office if you sit for a paper or downloaded exam, or could be away from the office (such as home) for an online exam. Offices will be asked to provide an invigilator and location for each paper and downloaded exam where staff members are enrolled in that office. Remote invigilation is provided by ProctorU. For security reasons, exam dates cannot be moved. The exams are given on the same date globally. Should your exam be scheduled on a national holiday, please contact CIPFA at unsupport@cipfa.org.
ELIGIBLE STAFF
The IPFM Programme is best suited for DFAM staff serving in accounting, finance and grant management roles and staff serving in finance and budget roles who have solid academic credentials in business management, time, genuine Office support, and grit to meet the demanding course class and homework schedule. Potential students may not have formal accounting training, but must have demonstrated outstanding accounting acumen, or their training is dated and/or not centered around an internationally recognized set of accounting principles. It is also for staff whose job responsibilities require an understanding of accounting and finance, who lack formal accounting and financial training, or other staff who are looking to move to the area of finance/accounting. Others may apply, subject to vetting, support and funding from their office. This is not a finance-for-non-finance-managers type of training. It is a time intensive and challenging accounting and finance programme.
Staff who already hold internationally-recognized, professional accountancy qualifications, such as a Chartered Accountant license, would not be candidates. The CIPFA qualification would be a duplicative degree.
PREREQUISITES
n.b. - Only Certificate level courses are available in French and Spanish.
STAFF CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN CIPFA
Staff who are currently enroled in CIPFA IPFM program must register their intent on continuing with CIPFA for the next semester, irrespective of having passed or failed the most recent exam. If you successfully passed your most recent exam and it means completion of your Qualification, then if you wish to enrol in the next Qualification, you must obtain written support using the Management Endorsement Form (MEF) and provide a unique student ID number (i.e., Purchase Order number + line number/student) from your office. It is not expected that UNICEF would fund more than one to two Qualifications. If staff want to obtain full CIPFA credentials by achieving all four Qualifications, we do expect staff to invest in themselves. Instructions for self-financing are at the bottom of this page.
COURSE DURATION:
Each course is approximately 3-4 months. Each qualification has 2 or 4 courses. Students may take one (1) course per semester. There are two semesters per year. The semesters begin in March and September, with exams in early June and December. (Web class schedule is here and the link to the exam schedule is in the exam section above.) If students pass their exams on the first attempt, they will finish the qualifications that have 2 courses in one year and two years for the qualifications that are 4 courses.
Management Guidelines
This is an external, highly rigorous professional programme for which each course requires approximately 6 hours for each class. Study/homework time is expected to equal class time meaning a weekly commitment of 12 hours. Supervising managers are expected to support staff members enroled in this programme by ensuring they have a study day for the class and have sufficient ‘off-duty’ time to study on their own. Students are expected to manage their time well.
Country Offices provide funds for their staff members study. See the fee structure below. Staff members should not expect their offices to fund achievement of all four qualifications. Funds are limited and offices are tasked with ensuring funds spent on training benefit as many of the offices as possible. Staff members are expected to invest out of their pocket if they want to achieve full accreditation as a chartered accountant (achievement of all four qualifications). We expect most interested staff will conclude after the Certificate and Diploma qualifications. For those interested in achievement of a full chartered accountancy license and are ready to self-finance the latter qualifications of the programme, instructions for self-financing registration are at the bottom of this page.
Guidelines
1) Students will self-enrol on the CIPFA website and concurrently communication with DFAM CIPFA Coordination to ensure the timely submission of a complete and correct Management Endorsement Form (MEF), or Self-Financing Form (SFF).
2) CIPFA will only finalize registration of students approved by UNICEF. UNICEF DFAM Coordination provides participant list of students and unique student ID numbers (PO numbers to be used in processing payments). This will allow alignment between students, funding sources (PO numbers), semester activity/results, and CIPFA invoices.
3) Students will be required to register for exams (they will not be automatically enroled).
4) UNICEF will only support one (1) course per student per semester.
5) UNICEF Offices will support only one Tuition and Exam fee (1st attempt). If a CIPFA student fails an exam, they must register for the course as a self-financing student for attempts 2 – 6 until passing the exam. For the 2nd and 3rd attempts at a course, once enroled students will have access to live web classes, recordings of the classes, tutor-led forum, practice tests and all course materials, but will be invoiced for the exam fee only. The 4th - 6th attempts at a course, students will have access to practice tests and all course materials.
6) If a student is absent for an exam (i.e. no-show), or they elect to take an exam, but then request a deferral too late, this will be counted an exam attempt and the UNICEF office will be invoiced accordingly.
7) If a CIPFA student fails to pass a course, they will be withdrawn from the CIPFA IFPM Programme. Once having started a CIPFA course, a student must sit the exam within one year.
8) If a student is unable to pass a course within 6 semesters and within 3 years (n.b. UNICEF Offices will fund 1 tuition and 1 exam), they must withdraw from the Programme.
9) Country Offices must raise a Purchase Order linked to the CIPFA LTA Ref. 42106394. Each student must have a separate PO number, or UNICEF provided unique student ID number that will be used to both confirm enrolment and invoice for tuition and exam fees for one (1) qualification. Students will work with their Head of Operations to determine the appropriate amount.
a. For example, if Ali wishes to enrol in the Certificate qualification, his office must raise a PO that is linked to the CIPFA LTAS in VISION, line by line (for each qualification tuition and exam fee). Ali must submit the Management Endorsement Form (MEF) to DFAM CIPFA Coordination.
b. Here is an example of how to correctly link the PO.
c. Given that the Programme takes multiple years to complete for many students, Offices/students may choose to raise funds for 1 qualification (i.e., either 2 or 4 courses depending on the qualification).
10) CIPFA will only complete, or finalize, registration of students with a UNICEF provided approved participant list of self-financing and UNICEF funded students with their unique student ID numbers (PO contracts with numbers to be used in processing payments). This may occur up to two weeks into a semester. This will allow alignment between students, funding sources (PO numbers), semester activity/results, and CIPFA invoices.
11) The MEF and SFF and supporting documentation must be submitted with sufficient time to meet the semester application deadlines.
DATE & LOCATION
The majority of virtual live classes, start the 1st week of March/September, depending on the course. The detailed web class schedule is here.
This is an external programme with set, unmoveable dates. Plan your leave accordingly. Plan for receiving emails form DFAM and CIPFA the weeks before the programme starts. Check your Clutter folder. There will be no exceptions made for any personal commitments, local holidays, etc. If you rely on web class recordings, you are are expected to keep up with your studies.
CIPFA SELF-ENROLMENT
Students self-enrol in CIPFA courses on the CIPFA website and may participate without commitment or cost for two weeks. Interested staff are encouraged to contact DFAM CIPFA coordination to learn of UNICEF's application and registration process. Here is guidance on how to self-enrol. At the two weeks’ mark, DFAM CIPFA Coordination will provide CIPFA with the POs (UNICEF generated unique student ID number) for endorsed students. This means that the student has provided a confirmed 100% complete and correct Management Endorsement Form (MEF). IF DFAM CIPFA Coordination does not provide a PO number for a student, then they will be blocked from continuing studies that semester.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
5 August 2022 at 23:30 EST for Fall classes
REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATIONS
All continuing students must obtain formal endorsement from your Head of Office or Deputy (i.e., Representative or Director), using the Management Endorsement Form (MEF). If your office does not have the funds to support you, but you would like to enrol anyway, you may self-finance and receive all of the benefits due to UNICEF participants. CIPFA will invoice staff directly, but your participation must be approved by UNICEF CIPFA Coordination. You will be required to submit a Self-Financing Form (SFF) which serves as a record of the agreement between you and UNICEF.
CIPFA INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS:
CIPFA Introductory presentation
CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESSES:
To contact DFAM: dfam-cipfa@unicef.org
To contact CIPFA: unsupport@cipfa.org