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Quest Training

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) Training Course

Covers accrual-basis IPSAS for public entities, from revenue, assets and liabilities to consolidation, budget reporting and transition from cash accounting.

GFBP · Government Finance, Budgeting & Public Financial ManagementAll Levels#2958ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Government & Public SectorCategories:Government Finance, Budgeting & Public Financial Management

Course Overview

The International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) Training Course provides a comprehensive and practical framework for understanding and applying accrual-basis IPSAS in ministries, government agencies, municipalities, and other public entities that prepare general purpose financial statements. The course focuses on the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements that underpin credible public-sector financial reporting. Governments that adopt IPSAS gain a complete picture of the assets they control, the obligations they carry, and the full cost of the services they deliver. Achieving this requires more than new accounting entries; it calls for sound accounting policies, reliable asset and liability data, capable finance teams, and systems able to produce accrual information. The program covers the work of the IPSAS Board and its conceptual framework, the cash-basis IPSAS and its relationship with accrual reporting, presentation of financial statements, revenue from exchange and non-exchange transactions including taxes and transfers, property, plant and equipment, infrastructure and heritage assets, employee benefits, provisions, financial instruments, the public-sector reporting entity and consolidation, and the presentation of budget information. A strong emphasis is placed on first-time adoption and the transition from cash to accrual accounting, including adoption roadmaps, transitional exemptions, opening balances, asset registers, chart of accounts redesign, system requirements, and capacity building. Participants will also examine disclosure quality and the steps needed to achieve audit readiness. Through practical exercises, IPSAS-based case studies, journal entry workshops, and transition planning simulations, participants will develop the capabilities required to prepare IPSAS-compliant financial statements and lead an effective transition to accrual accounting within their institutions.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the role of the IPSAS Board, the structure of the standards, and the public-sector conceptual framework.
  • Distinguish between cash-basis IPSAS and accrual-basis IPSAS and their reporting implications.
  • Apply IPSAS 1 requirements to the presentation of a complete set of financial statements.
  • Account for revenue from exchange and non-exchange transactions, including taxes and transfers.
  • Apply recognition, measurement, and depreciation requirements to property, plant and equipment, infrastructure, and heritage assets.
  • Account for employee benefits, provisions, and contingent liabilities in public-sector entities.
  • Explain the classification and measurement principles for public-sector financial instruments.
  • Determine the boundaries of the public-sector reporting entity and apply the principles of consolidation.
  • Present budget information and budget-to-actual comparisons in line with IPSAS 24.
  • Plan a first-time adoption of accrual IPSAS, including opening balances, transitional exemptions, and system and capacity needs.
  • Strengthen disclosures, supporting documentation, and audit readiness for IPSAS financial statements.

Who Should Attend

This training course is designed for government accountants, chief accountants, financial reporting managers, financial controllers, IPSAS implementation teams, treasury and budget officers responsible for financial statements, internal auditors, and public-sector finance professionals involved in accrual reporting. It is particularly relevant to professionals working in ministries of finance, line ministries, government departments, municipalities, public authorities, social security funds, and international and donor-funded organizations that report under IPSAS. The course is also suitable for staff of supreme audit institutions, external auditors, and advisors supporting public-sector accounting reform. The program will benefit finance directors, reform program leaders, and decision makers who are planning or managing the transition from cash to accrual accounting, as well as professionals seeking a practical, standards-based understanding of how IPSAS improves transparency, accountability, and the quality of public financial information.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the role of the IPSAS Board and the main concepts of the public-sector conceptual framework.
  • Compare financial reporting under cash-basis IPSAS and accrual-basis IPSAS.
  • Prepare the main components of a set of IPSAS financial statements.
  • Recognize and measure revenue from exchange and non-exchange transactions.
  • Account for property, plant and equipment, infrastructure, and heritage assets.
  • Measure and disclose employee benefit obligations and provisions.
  • Explain the accounting treatment of key public-sector financial instruments.
  • Identify controlled entities and apply the principles of consolidation.
  • Present budget information and reconcile it with accrual-basis results.
  • Apply first-time adoption requirements and transitional exemptions.
  • Prepare opening balances and a practical roadmap for the transition to accrual accounting.
  • Improve disclosures and documentation to support an unmodified audit opinion.

Course Outline

Course Outline

Day 1

IPSAS Foundations & the Conceptual Framework

  • Role of the IPSAS Board and its standard-setting process
  • Structure of the IPSAS suite and the conceptual framework
  • Objectives and users of general purpose financial reports
  • Elements of financial statements and recognition criteria
  • Cash-basis IPSAS versus accrual-basis IPSAS
  • Key differences between IPSAS and IFRS
  • Practical application: Assess an entity's current reporting basis against IPSAS requirements
Day 2

Financial Statement Presentation & Revenue

  • Presentation of financial statements under IPSAS 1
  • Statements of financial position and financial performance
  • Cash flow statement, net assets, and notes
  • Revenue from exchange transactions
  • Non-exchange revenue: taxes, transfers, and grants
  • Conditions, binding arrangements, and receivables
  • Practical application: Record tax and transfer revenue in a statement of financial performance
Day 3

Public-Sector Assets, Employee Benefits & Provisions

  • Property, plant and equipment: recognition and measurement
  • Infrastructure assets and component depreciation
  • Heritage assets: recognition and disclosure
  • Impairment of non-cash-generating assets
  • Employee benefits and end-of-service obligations
  • Provisions, contingent liabilities, and contingent assets
  • Practical application: Record infrastructure and heritage assets and related provisions
Day 4

Financial Instruments, Consolidation & Budget Reporting

  • Financial instruments: core classification and measurement concepts
  • Concessionary loans and financial guarantees
  • The public-sector reporting entity and control
  • Consolidation of controlled entities and associates
  • Budget information under IPSAS 24
  • Reconciling budget results with accrual statements
  • Practical application: Define a reporting boundary and prepare a budget-to-actual statement
Day 5

First-Time Adoption, Transition & Audit Readiness

  • First-time adoption under IPSAS 33 and transitional exemptions
  • IPSAS adoption roadmap and governance
  • Opening balances, asset registers, and liability inventories
  • Chart of accounts, systems, and data requirements
  • Capacity building and change management
  • Disclosure quality and audit readiness
  • Final workshop: Develop an integrated IPSAS transition plan covering accounting policies, recognition and measurement, consolidation, budget reporting, opening balances, systems, capacity, disclosures, and audit readiness.

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Geneva · 15 – 19 Mar 2027 · Classroom

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