The Government Finance Officers Association (or GFOA) is a professional association of approximately 19,000 state, provincial, and local government finance officers in the United States and Canada. GFOA is headquartered in downtown Chicago.
The Government Finance Officers Association (or GFOA) is a professional association of approximately 19,000 state, provincial, and local government finance officers in the United States and Canada. GFOA is headquartered in downtown Chicago.
The original predecessor of GFOA was the National Association of Comptrollers and Accounting Officers which was formed in February 1906. Its name was changed in December 1931 to the International Association of Municipal Finance Officers. In June 1932, the name became the Municipal Finance Officers Association (MFOA). In 1973, the GFOA (then MFOA) was instrumental in the creation of the National Council on Governmental Accounting (NCGA). By the late 1970s, it was apparent that the NCGA couldn't fully do its job, due to part-time members and limited resources. Several public interest groups, including the GFOA and the National Association of State Auditors Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), held public hearings to build consensus to create and fund a full-time standards-setting body. In 1984, the GFOA, NASACT, and others signed an agreement with the Financial Accounting Foundation that gave them a voice and appointments in the creation of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board(GASB). The name Government Finance Officers Association was adopted in April 1984.
The Research and Consulting Center also is nationally recognized for its objective and practitioner focused consulting services for state and local governments. GFOA consulting services focus on business process improvement, organizational assessments, long‐term financial planning, budgeting, and planning and procurement assistance for technology projects.
GFOA's technology consulting practice was formed in 1998 to respond to GFOA members need for objective, independent guidance on procurement and implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in advance of Y2K. As a non-profit membership organization, GFOA has no affiliation with any software or hardware vendors, and serves as an independent source of information for local governments.
Over the past 15 years, GFOA's technology consulting practice has become the market leader in assisting local governments through the process of assessing current systems, understanding the vendor marketplace, facilitating procurement of new systems, and providing detailed analysis and contract negotiation assistance to protect the best interests of governments with the purpose of reducing implementation risk. GFOA has assisted over 450 cities, counties, school districts, and special district governments with system selection, contract negotiation, and implementation readiness for ERP and other administrative systems.
GFOA maintains an extensive inventory of books, e-books, manuals, guides, and CDs on government finance topics that are available for purchase, with member discounts. GFOA is best known for its "Blue Book", titled Governmental Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Reporting (GAAFR). The GAAFR incorporates all of the guidance of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). It offers all of the references necessary to ensure easy access to the underlying authoritative standards. Features include: a practical chapter in brief summary for each chapter; a set of exercises for each chapter (with an explanation of correct responses); a detailed index; and a comprehensive glossary.
GFOA also offers publications on budgeting, internal controls, debt management, treasury management, and other financial management topics.
Government Finance Review (GFR): Government Finance Review is the Government Finance Officers Association's bimonthly membership magazine. It publishes articles in the forefront of the public finance profession, touching on topics such as fiscal first aid, performance measurement and management, new accounting and auditing standards, strategic budgeting, groundbreaking technology for government finance, innovations in public investing and debt management, and the expanding role of the government finance officer in areas such as economic development and financial sustainability. With each issue, the magazine explores best practices in the realm of government finance, suggests solutions to questions facing public finance officers, reports the latest news in governmental accounting, examines intergovernmental affairs, and provides the latest information in the field.
The GFOA sponsors award programs designed to encourage sound financial reporting for financial documents including the Comprehensive annual financial report, or CAFR, and the annual budget. The group also awards an award for Excellence in government finance. Governments in both the US and Canada are encouraged to enter. GFOA also sponsors the Frank L. Greathouse Government Scholarship each year for use by a college senior preparing for a career in state or local government finance. Recently, GFOA founded a 1-year Research Fellow program for recent graduates from the University of Chicago with an interest in public finance and small government.
GFOA’s Annual Conference attracts approximately 5,000 government finance professionals and provides a forum to discuss innovative practices, learn from best practice examples, network with peers, and interact with exhibitors.
GFOA provides professional development training opportunities to state, provincial, and local level government officials and other finance practitioners each year. Training courses are presented as basic, intermediate, advanced, update, or overview.
As part of a commitment to professional development, the GFOA offers a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) certification program. To earn the CPFO, candidates must pass seven examinations covering: Accounting and Financial Reporting, Compensation and Benefits, Debt Management, Planning and Budgeting, Treasury and Investment Management, Procurement, and Risk Assessment. Once earned, the CPFO designation requires 30 hours of continuing professional education each year. GFOA consultants are regular trainers at these events. Additionally, GFOA's training curriculum has helped thousands of Government finance workers receive CPE credit in a variety of areas, from accounting to pension management. GFOA plans to expand the service into an online platform to provide more courses to more people.
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Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications that use post-nominal letters are an acknowledgement of educational achievement, or an agency appointed to safeguard the public interest.
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint. These two agencies are responsible for printing all paper currency and coins, while the treasury executes its circulation in the domestic fiscal system. The USDT collects all federal taxes through the Internal Revenue Service; manages U.S. government debt instruments; licenses and supervises banks and thrift institutions; and advises the legislative and executive branches on matters of fiscal policy. The department is administered by the secretary of the treasury, who is a member of the Cabinet. The treasurer of the United States has limited statutory duties, but advises the Secretary on various matters such as coinage and currency production. Signatures of both officials appear on all Federal Reserve notes.
The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financial reporting. In some sectors, the CFO is also responsible for analysis of data. Some CFOs have the title CFOO for chief financial and operating officer. In the majority of countries, finance directors (FD) typically report into the CFO and FD is the level before reaching CFO. The CFO typically reports to the chief executive officer (CEO) and the board of directors and may additionally have a seat on the board. The CFO supervises the finance unit and is the chief financial spokesperson for the organization. The CFO directly assists the chief operating officer (COO) on all business matters relating to budget management, cost–benefit analysis, forecasting needs, and securing of new funding.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles is the accounting standard adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is the default accounting standard used by companies based in the United States.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal government of the United States. It identifies its core "mission values" as: accountability, integrity, and reliability. It is also known as the "congressional watchdog".
An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing also attempts to ensure that the books of accounts are properly maintained by the concern as required by law. Auditors consider the propositions before them, obtain evidence, and evaluate the propositions in their auditing report.
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external advice and accessing consultants' specialized expertise regarding concerns that call for additional oversight.
The National Audit Office (NAO) is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing central government departments, government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. The NAO also carries out value for money (VFM) audits into the administration of public policy.
The Bureau of the Public Debt was an agency within the Fiscal Service of the United States Department of the Treasury. United States Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner issued a directive that the Bureau be combined with the Financial Management Service to form the Bureau of the Fiscal Service in 2012.
The state auditor of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Nineteen individuals have held the office of state auditor since statehood. The incumbent is Julie Blaha, a DFLer.
Government financial statements are annual financial statements or reports for the year. The financial statements, in contrast to budget, present the revenue collected and amounts spent. The government financial statements usually include a statement of activities, a balance sheet and often some type of reconciliation. Cash flow statements are often included to show the sources of the revenue and the destination of the expenses.
The New Zealand Treasury is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the Government on economic policy, assisting with improving the performance of New Zealand's economy, and managing financial resources. The Minister responsible for the Treasury is the Minister of Finance of New Zealand; however, from 1996 to 2002, there existed a more specific position of Treasurer of New Zealand. The role was created for Winston Peters by the Fourth National Government under Jim Bolger after the 1996 election, and abolished by Helen Clark’s government in 2002.
State auditors are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as External auditors, financial controllers, bookkeepers, or inspectors general of public funds. The office of state auditor may be a creature of the state constitution or one created by statutory law.
A Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) is a professional certification issued by the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) in the United States. It was created in 1994 to provide a professional standard of financial expertise and ethics in government and a standard by which government financial management professionals are measured. Its education, experience and ethics requirements have served to elevate the most seasoned financial professionals.
The Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) is located in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States. It was organized in 1972 as a non-stock, Delaware Corporation. It is an independent organization in the private sector, operating with the goal of ensuring objectivity and integrity in financial reporting standards.
The California Society of Municipal Finance Officers is a professional association of state, county, and local government finance officers in California. The California Society of Municipal Finance Officers is the statewide organization serving all California municipal finance professionals, an affiliate of the nationwide Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Membership is open to anyone in the State of California actively engaged in government finance in any city, county, or special district.
The Government Finance Officers Association of Texas is a professional association of state, county, and local government finance officers in Texas. The Government Finance Officers Association of Texas is the statewide organization serving all Texas municipal finance professionals, an affiliate of the nationwide Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Membership is open to anyone in the State of Texas actively engaged in government finance in any city, county, or special district. Its stated mission is to enhance the quality of local government finance, to assist and support local government finance professionals in Texas, and to promote the public service profession. GFOAT members are actively involved in the key issues facing cities, counties, and special districts in the State of Texas.
Elmer Boyd Staats was an American public servant whose career from the late 1930s to the early 1980s was primarily associated with the Bureau of the Budget (BOB) and the GAO. Staats was born to Wesley F. and Maude (Goodall) Staats. Staats received his AB from McPherson College in 1935, his MA from the University of Kansas in 1936, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1939.
David H. Lillard Jr. is an American lawyer, politician and government official. A Republican, he serves as the state treasurer for the state of Tennessee.
At around £290 billion every year, public sector procurement accounts for around a third of all public expenditure in the UK. EU-based laws continue to apply to government procurement: procurement is governed by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Part 3 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, and the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations of 2015 and 2016. These regulations implement EU law, which applied in the UK prior to Brexit, and also contain rules known as the "Lord Young Rules" promoting access for small and medium enterprise (SMEs) to public sector contracts, based on Lord Young's Review Growing Your Business, published in 2013. In November 2016 an advisory panel of 24 entrepreneurs and business figures was formed to advise the government on purchasing goods and services from SMEs, and a campaign was launched to demonstrate that "government is open for business", with a target of increasing government spending with SMEs to 33% of all third-party public expenditure by 2020.
