Upload
franklin-lynch
View
212
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Fellowship of Our Institute
“What, Why, How & When”
Gordon Grant, Deputy PresidentDavid Stanford, Chairman of Membership Board
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Format of this talk
• Facts, Figures & Philosophy
• The Detail Section
• Parting Advice
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Facts and Figures
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
FCMA ACMA Passed Finalist
-5,000
10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00070,00075,000
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
Associates
Fellows
58,000 Associates12,000 Fellows
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Organisation Chart
Council
Policy CommitteeLife Long Learning
Other PolicyCommittees
AppointmentsCommittee
Support Committees
MembershipBoard
ExecutiveCommittee
EducationBoard
ExamOversight
MembershipPanel Of
Assessors
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
The Philosophy
• Fellowship is not “a given” thing - it is awarded only when someone has appropriate experience and therefore reflects tangible achievement
• CIMA does not automatically upgrade Associate Membership
• It is earned.
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
The Detail Section
Eligibility
Benefits &Opportunities
Processes
Safeguards
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Safeguards
Questions we ask ourselves:
1. What Controls exist?
2. How are assessors chosen?
3. What does Cima’s organisation structure look like?
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 9 NOVEMBER 2006
SafeguardsGeneral
• The process is impartial and fair - if an assessor knows you, they will not assess your application - it will be sent to different people
• The requirements for Fellowship are generic and are applicable to any business sector
• Assessment statistics are regularly monitored by staff and the Membership Board to ensure consistency in the assessment activity
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 9 NOVEMBER 2006
SafeguardsThe Assessment Process
• All assessments are conducted by trained assessors who are FCMA’s
• Applications are assessed by two assessors, one after the other (they need to agree with each other)
• If assessors are in disagreement, applications are sent on for adjudication
• ISO Quality standard process underpins it.
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Benefits &Opportunities
What do I get out of it?
What does CIMA get out of it?
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Benefits and Opportunitiesto the Individual
Formal Recognition of
greater experience
Extra Edge for
Employability
Increased Prestige
Eligibility for higher CIMA
duty
Personal Self Esteem
Employer pride
Only marginal increase in
subs
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Benefits and Opportunitiesto the Institute
Our members reflect upon each other …. therefore the wider the recognition is of each individual’s achievement, the greater the better reflection will be upon us all.
It provides the Institute an opportunity to ‘see’ its membership and to sing our collective praises by way of promoting ourselves.
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Processes
The Application FormThe Body of the CVHow Much should I write?How far back should I go?What do I need to send?
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesThe Application
• All FCMA applications are made in CV format
• Use the first page to provide personal details:– full name and CIMA reference number– home and work addresses– telephone numbers, e-mail, fax etc– date of birth, age– date when you became an ACMA or PF
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesThe Body of the CV
• Organise your jobs in chronological order
• For each job show, as side headings, your title, precise dates (from and to) when you held the post, and the company/division name
• If there are employment gaps, please give details of what you were doing
• Details of CPD activities undertaken
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesHow Much should You write
• 4 pages is probably too little, 12 pages is probably too much… but it really does depend on what you want to say!
• Entries (one for each post containing strategic experience) ….. will vary in length according to the complexity and duration of job
• Describe the whole job, each time (i.e. for each post)
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesHow far back should you go?
• Start with the first post which contained any strategy, and work forward
• Describe all the work involved in each job, but ensure that you carefully explain the strategic work you did in each job
• If there were any jobs which contained no strategic work, just give the side headings (title, company, dates etc)
• Important …….... provide the full picture … ….. start when your ACMA experience left off (concluded)...
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesWhat you need to send
If you are already an Associate:
• your detailed CV (about five pages)
• the application fee
• two references from employer(s), endorsing your application and briefly mentioning your strategic work
• an endorsed organisation chart
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesThe Two References
• Ideally from people for whom you have worked in the more strategic roles (if you are in consultancy, this might be major clients)
• Alternatively from existing FCMAs who have detailed first hand knowledge of your work over a period of years
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesWhat the references should say
• They need to confirm the period of time you have worked for them….plus…. the name of the company and what the relationship between the two roles was at that time
• They need either to confirm the content of your CV, or briefly refer to the senior strategic work you did during that time (……….a few paragraphs are often sufficient)
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
ProcessesThe Organisation Charts
The chart(s) must:
• Graphically show your position in the company
• Show all the levels above your post and at least one level below
• Give titles of all the posts shown and clearly indicate which is yours
• Be signed and dated by your immediate superior/manager
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Eligibility
Gaining Experience StrategyExamples
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
EligibiltyGaining 3 Years Strategic Experience
e
• In larger organisations, roles tend to be more focused upon specific outcomes.
• In smaller organisations, roles tend to be more wide ranging with greater influence.
Therefore it’s perhaps easier to gain the experience
in a small to medium sized company rather than a larger
company.
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
EligibiltyStrategy
What does strategic actually mean?
• Contributing input to original decisions and/or to the plan adopted by the organisation that influences its future direction and success
Or in other words… Making a Difference!
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
EligibilityLevels of Control in Business
Strategy
Tactics
Operations
‘What’ the business is about
‘How’ it manages the business
Actually ‘doing’ things
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
EligibilityExamples of FCMA work that you should have
• Formulation, implementation, control & review of strategic management and financial plans, policies and procedures
• Planning the provision of management information services and systems
• Planning, contributing to, and appraising major projects
• Analysing, interpreting and presenting reports on the performance of your organisation …….. to Board level
• A commitment to continuing professional development, with evidence of courses and activities undertaken to keep up to date with technical developments
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Parting Advice
• Re-cap• Tips• Pitfalls to avoid
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Typical FCMA Qualities
• 3 Years Senior Experience– Broadly drawn strategic experience– Influential
• Strong Personal and Interpersonal Skills– Presentation– Communication– Confidence
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Strong FCMA Applications
• Professional looking layout and presentation.• Good use of examples of senior experience that
combine directional choices and outcomes.• Maturity (unlikely to be aged under 30)• Working at Director or equivalent level• Making a difference
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Poor FCMA Applications
• Solely financial or management accounting experience
• managing a small “support” department, such as Accounts or Finance
• Bullet points used instead of clear explanations• Lack of maturity• Sloppily presented
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
Finally…..
• Your Fellowship certificate will be sent with a confirmatory letter
• If you are deferred, assessors will suggest:
– what needs to be done to meet the requirements
– what period of time might be appropriate before re-submission
TORONTO BRANCH PRESENTATION 11 NOVEMBER 2006
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants26 Chapter StreetLondon SW1P 4NPUnited Kingdom
T. +44 (0)20 849 2251F. +44 (0)20 7663 5442www.cimaglobal.com
Contact Information