Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland

Overview• Background to ICAI• Why accreditation?• Overview of process• Questions

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland

• Who are we?– Professional accountancy body established by Royal Charter in 1888– Recognised in Irish and Northern Ireland/UK law – 15,000+ members, 4,000+ students– Statutory Awarding Body (CA Amendments Act 1966)

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland

• Who are we? – International network of reciprocity agreements– Active involvement with other EU leading institutes– EU impact on auditor qualifications– Regulated by FRC/POB in NI/UK, IAASA, DETE, IFSRA in Republic of Ireland etc.

Why HETAC Accreditation?

• Background• Drivers

– State recognition seen as supportive of our role as educator of members– Recognition of EU developments – ICAI strategic review 2004– Recognition at Level 9 seen as a strategic advantage– Educator demand for recognition

Quality Processes

• ICAI quality processes include: – Quality intake:– 98% of student intake are graduates– 25% of students have completed a post graduate

award– Minimum of 2.2 award to be eligible for exemptions – Exemptions are available and are verified 100%– Recognition of undergraduate and post graduate

programmes for exemption– Comparatively high pass rates and “throughput”

Quality Processes

Quality over education processes: • ICAI is both an educator and examiner: both roles are

separated• Courses operated in multiple centres around the

country including Northern Ireland• Standard course monitoring processes• Annual syllabus update and review

Quality Processes

• All students are educated whilst completing a recognised “training contract” in an authorised training firm

• Students required to achieve defined competencies in the workplace

• On-line web based diary for monitoring by ICAI used to capture experiential learning

• Specific additional requirements for auditors for example

CA Diary of Professional Development

Quality Processes

• Examinations processes– Examiner appointment – Paper setting and review– Post examination feedback from stakeholders– Marking, double marking, moderation and adjudication– Monitoring of results by course centre –4 stage appeals process

HETAC Review

• Pre review preparation: 6 man weeks est.• Appointment of international review panel by HETAC• Review process• Outcome

HETAC Process

• QA processes a key requirement• Presumption of existence of quality processes

– Requirement to have documented these.• Review was a learning process for us• Review panel familiar with accountancy bodies

– Reliance by HETAC on panel’s integrity• HETAC look for learners to have:

– Access to education– Progression beyond– Transfer

Questions?

• Thank you