Professional accounting organizations (PAOs)

This institutional analysis has three main objectives. Firstly, to provide policy options to the Chamber of Auditors of Poland (KIBR) on the areas remarked on and raised in previous analytical reports, notably the Accounting & Auditing (Update) ROSC report of December 2013. Secondly, to provide policy options to KIBR on the areas that it is specifically considering. And thirdly, to assess KIBR’s performance against matters suggested by IFAC as important in the establishment and development of a professional accountancy body.

This report provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the audit market in Poland. It features a range of data, including on the estimated number of companies that require audits, the number and type of auditors and audit firms, leading audit firms, and the auditors of the largest companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Traditional audit methods served auditors for decades but as technology advances and stakeholders’ expectations evolve, so does the need for auditors to innovate and transform their approaches in order to keep pace with demand. This publication describes some of the opportunities that new technologies, especially the use of audit data analytics, can offer for audits of entities of all sizes. It also provides a few tips which might be useful for practitioners, Small and Medium Sized Practices (SMPs) and Professional Accountancy Organizations (PAOs) as they support their members.

The Accounting Market Study has been designed to provide relevant information for multiple uses, including the gathering of statistics for IFAC. It also offers quantitative information and feedback on aspects of the functioning of the accounting market to enable better understanding of the market for regulatory purposes.

Smaller audits are considered “a specialty”, with their own unique set of challenges for practitioners to address when engaging with smaller clients. This publication highlights some of those challenges and provides related insights that might be useful for practitioners, Small and Medium Sized Practices (SMPs) and Professional Accounting Organizations (PAOs) as they support their members.

Professional accountants recognize that achieving and maintaining the highest levels of professional competence help them win business and retain clients. Professional Accountancy Organizations (PAOs) have an important role to play in encouraging, facilitating and monitoring life-long learning. With the support of participating PAOs involved in the EU-REPARIS Audit Training of Trainers program, the World Bank Centre for Financial Reporting Reform has produced a short practical guide on Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The document provides a detailed overview of the Audit Training of Trainers program including the content and composition of the modules and sessions.