2022 Presentation Abstracts

ALL TIMES POSTED HERE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH

Sponsor Demos

2:15PM EST – 2:25PM EST

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in the Public Sector: Join ERM expert Ed McCaulley for expert insight into Enterprise Risk Management in the Public Sector.

2:30PM EST – 2:40PM EST

Fraud and employee misconduct impact organizations of all types and sizes, and the public sector is no exception! The costs extend far beyond financial, including reputational risk which is particularly important given the accountability for public monies. With inflation rates hitting a 40-year high earlier this year and a looming economic downturn, employees are feeling more financial pressure than they have in decades. All of this is a perfect storm for fraud. Suzanne Schulz, Partner – Forensic Dispute and Investigations at BDO Canada will speak about the risks and steps that can be taken to protect against losses due to fraud and misconduct.

The Marquee Group – Training Session

15/11/2022 3:00pm – 4:30pm EST

Financial Modeling Best Practices
Dave Thomas, Principal & Co-Head of Training, The Marquee Group

Financial Modeling is a discipline. A good model needs to tell a story and create confidence for the users and decision makers. Unfortunately, many financial models are a mess. Financial modelers are often self-taught and left to figure things out on their own, often wondering if “there’s a better way”.
In this live webinar, Ian Schnoor will review a better way. During the session, he will present and discuss some critical tools and skills required to build a best-in-class financial model that inspires confidence and leads to optimal decision making.

Specific topics will include:

The Discipline of Financial Modeling
Top 10 Modeling Best Practices
Key Modeling Tips
Great Modeling Technical Skills

For more info, please click here.

Sponsor Demos

15/11/2022 5:00pm – 6:45pm EST

5:00PM EST – 5:10 PM EST

Using cost of service to inform pricing and identify financial vulnerabilities for municipal services.

There are substantial costs to deliver municipal services. In many cases these costs are increasing due to pressures associated with:

A demand for increased service levels from residents,
greater regulatory requirements,
inflationary impacts, etc.

While the total costs are known to municipal leaders, what is often NOT known, if the true cost of service delivery – e.g. what does it cost to maintain one km of road, or the cost to review and approve one development permit. Understanding a true cost of service is a prudent step to identify vulnerabilities in pricing and business models used.

Join Ricky Soni, a Director with KPMG’s Government Solutions consulting practice, on November 15 at 2pm PST where he showcases a cost of service model for planning and development services, and how it is an important data point when making pricing decisions for municipal services.

5:15PM EST – 5:25 PM EST

ACCA Careers – Hire future ready global finance talent today!

Let ACCA help you recruit future-ready global talent – for free! Join us to learn more about ACCA Careers, our job board and talent community where you can post jobs, search our extensive CV database, and reach highly sought-after passive candidates.

ACCA can connect you with our vast network of members working in the public sector, so if you’re looking to add to your finance team look for the four letters that stand for global expertise and whose members are at the forefront of public sector finance.

5:30PM EST – 5:40 PM EST

The public sector is a complex work environment where accounting and financial professionals make significant contributions to the success of their clients or organization. Increase your knowledge of public sector finance, deepen your expertise in financial management and keep your career moving forward with the CPA Canada Public Sector Certificate Program. This signature program offers a two-stage curriculum that combines academic rigour with flexible online study and facilitated group sessions. Explore practical real-life applications that bridge theory and practice to produce highly skilled and confident public sector financial professionals.

5:45PM EST – 5:55 PM EST

Visual Lease is a SaaS company that empowers organizations to leverage their leases – one of the largest balance sheet items – as a strategic asset. In just ten minutes, our team will present a systematic way of looking at your lease administration software – including expiration date tracking and user actions – to help you discover an easier way to manage your portfolio.

6:00 PM EST – 6:10 PM EST

Please join us for a quick overview of the Questica Budget Platform, which allows organizations to simplify and modernize their budgeting practices. Questica’s modular and scalable platform allows for our customers to streamline approvals, conduct scenario analysis and forecast all revenues and expenses related to their Operating, Capital and Personnel Budgets.

6:15 PM EST – 6:25 PM EST

6:30 PM EST – 6:40 PM EST

Opening Reception – Timeline Trivia
15/11/2022 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

Step into the Outback Time Machine and take a trip through time, from pre-pandemic 21st century, through the decades all the way to the 60’s. This exciting, fast-paced virtual trivia game, packed with nostalgia and good vibes is guaranteed to produce big laughs, friendly competition, and maybe even some chair-dancing. A virtual game show host will warm up guests with a couple of “table hopper rounds” (breakout room mixers) and split you out into teams. Within minutes, your home or office will be transformed into a game show stage with your very own game show buzzers!

For more info, click here.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH

Yoga Session
Barb Deneka
11/16/2022 from 9:45 AM to 10:15 AM EST

There is no better way to start the day than with yoga! Yoga helps you work out the kinks and lubricates the joints after a nighttime of immobility, re-oxygenates and re-vitalizes all the body’s systems, increases your mobility, gets the blood and lymph moving, and prepares your body for a great day ahead. When you start your day with yoga, you will probably find that you feel more alive, work more efficiently, retain what you’re learning, have better focus and concentration, think more clearly, and come up with better solutions to problems. It feels great to do and leaves you feeling better overall.

Conference Welcome & Opening
Lorrie Schmalenberg, CAGFO President
11/16/2022 from 10:30 AM to 10:45 AM EST

Keynote: Your Stories Are More Powerful Than Your Data
Ron Tite, Purpose-Driven Leadership and Marketing Expert
11/16/2022 from 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM EST

Once upon a time, business was interesting. Then we discovered metrics and spreadsheets. Before you know it, the left brainers took over and we became a legion of data evangelists who let the numbers speak for themselves.

Data can help you make important decisions but it should never speak for you. The stories of your customers, the stories of your brand’s promise, the stories of your experiences, heck, even the stories of your stories are far more interesting than any graph or table. Normally, interesting trumps boring. Emotional beats rational.

Ron’s humorous and interesting sessions will help you and your team collect, curate, tell and share the stories you already have.

1A. Budgeting in a time of High Inflation
Charlie Francis, Government Finance Consultant
Bob Courtland, Senior Solutions Engineer, Questica
Lana Whittaker, Senior Solution Engineer, Questica
Cecilia McCorkell, Consultant, Budgeting and Implementation
11/16/2022 from 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM ET

Inflation is at a 40-year high, meaning the cost for local government routine service delivery and capital projects is going up. The tight labor market means provinces and cities are having to increase salaries, which in turn puts upward pressures on pension costs. Inflation causes pain but it also leads to increases in sales tax revenues. The hot housing market will also pay dividends in increased property taxes, although policymakers will be under a lot of pressure to offer property tax relief as values surge. With all of these uncertainties, how do local governments anticipate inflation and recessions in their annual budgeting process? Questica’s Senior Solutions Engineers will participate in a round table discussion with municipal finance consultants Cecilia McCorkell and Charlie Francis.

1B. Ethical Leadership for Finance Leaders
Jill Inget, PhD Director, Corporate Ethics, Policy and Research Branch, Policy, Innovation and Engagement Division, BC Public Service Agency
11/16/2022 from 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM ET

As a senior leader, your teams look to you for guidance, support and to model ethical behaviour. In this session, through discussions and case studies, you will explore ethical leadership and consider how to have ongoing conversations on ethics with your team.
This session will consider:
• Acting as a Role Model – how a leader shows up in the world, revealing their character and values to others can enhance or detract from an ethical culture.
• Creating Community / Culture – ethical leaders invest in creating community /culture by using your organization’s values and Code of Conduct as the cornerstone.
• Encouraging Ethical Conduct- leaders focus on intent and action, actively encouraging and promoting awareness of ethical conduct at work with one conversation at a time.

2A. The ESG Implementation Journey for Government
Bailey Church, Partner, Accounting Advisory Services & Leader, Public Sector ESG and Climate Reporting Centre of Expertise, KPMG Canada
11/16/2022 from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM ET

ESG reporting is fast becoming a reality for all levels of government in Canada. The Government of Canada has mandated TCFD reporting for federal Crown corporations as well as federally regulated industries. The International Sustainability Standards Board is hard at work on reporting standards for general sustainability related disclosures and climate related disclosures. The International Public Sector Accounting Board is working on comparable guidance for the public sector. What does all this mean for Canadian governments? How does the development of this guidance impact many of the emerging practices for TCFD and natural asset reporting at the municipal level? This session will explore this rapidly shifting landscape, and look at some of the emerging practices in ESG reporting at all levels of government.

2B. Impact of Inflation on Sustainable Service Delivery – Tale of two cities
Jude Pillainayagam, MBA, P. Eng., MIAM, ISP, City of Coquitlam
Hakim Bismel, CFP, CPA, CGA, Infrastructure Asset Manager, Township of Langley
11/16/2022 from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM EST

The inflation over the past few years has created challenges directly and in-directly in Cities delivering services sustainably. While the impacts to both Capital and Operating budgets due to material and labour cost increases are direct, the spin-off erosion of purchasing power is indirect and significant. This presentation discusses how this impact may affect the levels of service to residents and a City’s sustainable service deliveries over long term.

2C. Recruiting Finance Staff in the 2020’s
Todd Pugh, Executive Director, CivicInfo BC & Instructor, School of Public Administration, Capilano University
Sam Weller, CPA, CA, MBA
11/16/2022 from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM EST

Many local governments are finding it difficult in 2022 to find competent qualified staff to fill key positions in their Finance Departments. The traditional recruitment methods don’t seem to work as well any more. Three panelists will discuss different aspects of the recruitment process and share ideas that may help.

3A. Assessing and Selecting Reporting Automation Solutions for Government Finance
Jamie Black, President, F.H. Black & Company Inc.
11/16/2022 from 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM EST

Manually preparing government financial reports is extremely time-consuming and error-prone. Most organizations recognize the need for advanced solutions in order to keep pace with the ever-shifting landscape of government standards. As the number of solutions that claim to support and enhance the preparation of the Annual Financial Reports/PSAB and other financial reports increases, so does the difficulty for finance professionals to choose between them. While many leading solutions have made giant strides in improving report preparation through automation, collaboration, and enhanced business processes, many others can best be described as ‘lipstick on a pig.’ These solutions make the same claims but fail to deliver.

This session will run through a checklist of 8 of the most important criteria to consider when selecting a financial reporting automation solution for your organization.

Topics to be covered include:

Desktop vs. Cloud
Flexibility (support for other standard reports)
Data source (Database-driven vs. Spreadsheets)
Collaboration
Security
Graphic design and formatting
Provincially mandated requirements (understanding and meeting legal obligations)
Vendor stability

3B. Asset Management Forum
Jude Pillainayagam, MBA, P. Eng., MIAM, ISP, City of Coquitlam
11/16/2022 from 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM EST

Forums are intended to be interactive sessions with full participation from attendees. It is an opportunity for attendees to network and discuss current issues amongst themselves. Please turn on your cameras and take the opportunity to learn from your peers and participate in discussions.

This will be an asset management forum discussing the current status of asset management practices and the involvement of accountants in asset management. Also to be discussed is the asset management training needs of accountants, the various training opportunities and funding available and their suitability.

3C. Police Finance Forum
Earl Warwick, CPA, CMA, CTAJ, Director of Finance and Asset Management, Saskatoon Police Service
Tara Holowka, Manager of Finance, Comptroller, Winnipeg Police Service
Jeffrey Channell, CPA, CGA, BA, CMM III, Executive Director, Financial Services & Administration #5460, York Regional Police Financial Services
11/16/2022 from 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM ET

The Police Finance forum will provide an opportunity in a Q&A format for participants to discuss and share experiences on budget/fiscal challenges that Police services across the nation are facing. Some of the topics may include firearm replacement, space and facility planning and funding/budget sustainability.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH

Yoga Session
Neeru Prashar
11/17/2022 from 9:45 AM to 10:15 AM EST

CAGFO Annual General Meeting
Lorrie Schmalenberg, CAGFO President
11/17/2022 from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM EST

Plenary Panel: Value Beyond Numbers
Moderator: Bill Cox, FCPA, FCA, BDO Dunwoody
Catherine Kloepfer, FCPA, CGA, FCA, ICD.D, Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Finance, City of Winnipeg
Heather Taylor, FCPA, FCA, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, City of Toronto
Julie Bastarache, Chief Audit Executive, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
11/17/2022 from 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM ET

In this session, a panel of powerful and well-respected leaders will share their perspectives on the role of the Finance Officer in getting beyond the financial numbers, including key leadership qualities and practices.

From the challenges to the lessons learned throughout their careers, these speakers will share their insights on the importance of disseminating information and key concepts behind a set of numbers to politicians, colleagues and the community.

4A. PSAB Update
Michael Puskaric, Director, Public Sector Accounting Standards, Public Sector Accounting Board
11/17/2022 from 12:45 AM to 2:00 PM EST

The Annual PSAB update is one of the mainstays of our conference. The session will provide up-to-date information keeping you current with the current with the recent releases of PSAB and the coming proposals. In the end, participants should have the knowledge and skills they need to assess new standards and be aware of emerging issues in public sector financial reporting.

4B. Looking Back, Moving Forward: Lessons in Leadership
Moderator: Alex Metcalfe, Head of Public Sector, ACCA
Jayrani Bungsy, FCCA (UK), CIA, Senior Internal Auditor- Internal Audit Division, Region of Peel
Imran Zia, MSc, CPA, CA, FCCA (UK), CIA, CISA, CFE, CRMA, Director, Risk Management and Assurance, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
11/17/2022 from 12:45 PM to 2:00 PM EST

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a significant test of public-sector organizations and the finance professionals working within them. In many cases it required organizations to make decisions at lightning speed and adapt to new ways of working.

This will not be the last crisis the sector will have to face, and finance leaders will need to be innovative and creative as they navigate the challenges that have built up since 2020, as well as new and emerging risks.

Please join our panel of experts as they discuss this evolution of the public sector finance role. Informed by ACCA’s Leading Recovery report, our panel will take us through:

The lessons learned from the pandemic, including transforming systems, rethinking leadership, and adapting to new ways of working,
The challenges ahead, including recruitment and retention, spending constraints, and challenges for society; and
The skills needed to navigate these challenges and build sustainable organization’s, fit for the future.

5A. Today’s Must-Have Skills for Tomorrow’s Growth
Jessica McKeon, Senior Solutions Marketing Manager, BlackLine
Molly Boyle, Head of Solution and Strategic Marketing, BlackLine
11/17/2022 from 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM EST

Amid fierce competition and ongoing disruption, accounting and finance leaders play an increasingly critical role—providing vital consultancy, analysis, planning, and due diligence to ensure sound decision-making.
However, just 14% of CFOs are confident they currently have the skills they need within the finance function.
With a growing skills gap and talent acquisition quickly rising to the top of the CFO’s agenda, BlackLine worked with independent research firm Censuswide to survey C-level executives and accounting and finance professionals in organizations around the world. Join us as Michael Schultz of BlackLine discusses the survey findings, ways to stay ahead of the curve, and how to attract and retain the best talent for your organization.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the technological and other skills accounting and finance professionals need today to ensure growth for tomorrow.
Recognize the biggest barriers for recruiting and retaining accounting and finance’s future leaders.
Describe what makes companies attractive for talented accounting and finance candidates.

5B. The Impact of International Standards on Local Government
Clyde MacLellan, Chair, Public Sector Accounting Board
Renée Pichard, CPA, Partner, National Public Sector Assurance, Deloitte
11/17/2022 from 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM ET

The past year has seen considerable activity with respect to the development of international accounting and sustainability standards.

This session will help local governments understand the approach of the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board to these developments including activities related to the implementation of its recently approved international strategy. The session will also include a member of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) who will provide an update on IPSASB key projects and priorities.

5C. Library Forum
Chae Jun, Controller, Financial Services, Calgary Public Library
11/17/2022 from 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM ET

This Forum is an opportunity for Library Finance officers to discuss any issues of common interest.

Among this year’s discussions will be the Finance functioning on a remote basis and digital transformation.

6A. The Pragmatic Approach: Strategic Financial Planning for Municipalities
Jeff Dyck, CFO, Parkland County CFO
Wendy Gnenz, Partner, MNP Digital
James Richardson, National Municipal Leader, MNP Consulting
11/17/2022 from 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM ET

Join a panel of practitioners including Jeff Dyck, CFO for Parkland County Alberta, Wendy Gnenz, MNP Digital Partner and National Municipal Leader, and James Richardson, MNP Consulting Partner and National Municipal Leader who will talk about key considerations, and leading practices with a few ‘tales from the trenches’ woven in.

6B. PSA Forum
Lorrie Schmalenberg, Manager, Public Accounting & Reporting, City of Regina
11/17/2022 from 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM ET

The public sector accounting (PSA) forum is an opportunity to discuss issues around reporting information in public sector financial statements. While it typically engages in topics related to emerging issues and standards (public sector accounting standards) that are upcoming, out for comment and/or being implemented, any related topics are open for discussion. The director of the Public Sector Accounting Board will attend with some experts in related topics. Expected topics for this year are around International Strategy – Natural Assets, IPSASB consultation paper and PSAB response; IPSASB sustainability consultation paper; technical advisory group employee benefits; conceptual framework reporting model; and future workplan consultation. If attendees wish to discuss existing issues such as ARO, that’s also up for discussion. This is intended to be an open forum with participation from the attendees. If you prefer to send in comments or questions ahead of time, please send them to Lorrie Schmalenberg – lschmale@regina.ca

6C. Budget Forum
Helen Hasiuk, CPA, Manager of Capital Budget Review, City of Winnipeg
11/17/2022 from 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM EST

Public Engagement on the Budget: Discussion will provide an opportunity to participants to share how their organizations facilitate public engagement on the budget.
Priority Based Budgeting (PBB): Discussion will provide an opportunity to participants to share their experience with priority-based budgeting. Participants may also discuss the benefits of the PBB and also the challenges and complexities of PBB in the public sector environment.
Performance measurement: Discussion will provide an opportunity to participants to share their experience in how performance measurement results are used within the budget process
Technology: Discussion will provide an opportunity to participants to share their experience on how technology is changing how they communicate during the budget process with Elected Officials and how they present their budget to the public.
Permanent impacts of COVID-19 on City Budgets: Discussion will provide an opportunity for participants to share how COVID-19 as impacted future budgeting for their Municipalities.
Other budget issues of common interest.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH

Conference Welcome
Lorrie Schmalenberg, CAGFO President
11/18/2022 from 10:30 AM to 10:45 AM EST

2022 Economic Update
Andrew Grantham, Executive Director and Senior Economist, Economics, CIBC Capital Markets
11/18/2022 from 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM EST

CIBC Senior Economist Andrew Grantham provides an economic overview for 2022-2023, including key trends that will impact public sector organizations.

7A. Managing Physical Climate Change & Natural Disaster Risks in the Public Sector
Jay Pacious, Managing Director, Public Sector Partnership, AON
Megan Hart, Managing Director, Aon Reinsurance Solutions, AON
Dustin Harvey, Senior Vice President, National Public Sector Broking Leader, AON
11/18/2022 from 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM ET

Hear from public sector experts on the newest modeling and data solutions available to public entities looking to better understand their exposure to natural disasters and climate change.

7B. Data Beyond Numbers
Roy Nader, Productivity Strategist & Culture Change Expert
11/18/2022 from 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM ET

So you spent hours collecting data, analyzing information, building a dashboard, then preparing your presentation and yet, you did not get the impact you are looking for. Why?
Presenting data is an art that could be mastered by learning a few techniques that could captivate the decision makers in a short period of time.
Join Roy Nader, productivity and strategy expert, where he will share several effective techniques to make your presentation favorite by decision makers.
Some of the items that will be covered:

What storytelling can do for your career
How to use emotional investment for impactful data storytelling
What is the Power of 3
How the four personality types can shape your presentation
Which tools can take your data presentation to the next level

7C. Investment Forum
Doug Spindler, CTP, Director Treasury Services, City of Burnaby
11/18/2022 from 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM EST

The Investment Forum will be an interactive session with facilitated discussions on related topics including (but not limited to) the following:

Investment Policy Statements
Cash Flow forecasting – the importance of starting with a cash flow projection
Current Environment Investing Strategies (inverted curve)
Short-Term and Long Term Investment Strategies
Provincial or Private funds

8A. Cybersecurity and Finance – Common Threats, Risks and Mitigation Strategies
Steve M. Brown, Manager, Program Management, BDO
Rob Philpotts, Director, Cyber Threat Management & Response, BDO
11/18/2022 from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM EST

The proliferation of cyber threats has us scrambling to find ways to protect ourselves and our data. In our attempt to better protect ourselves, we sometimes lose sight of what is important by getting lost in the thousands of blogs and articles, having no idea where to start. This session will help you distill all that noise and help you focus on the basics.

Join Rob Philpotts, Director, Cyber Threat Management & Response and Steve Brown, Manager, Cybersecurity at BDO where they will discuss the fundamentals of cybersecurity, what you should focus on, and where you need to invest to get the most value from your security investments.

8B. Valuing Natural Assets
Erin Stephen, CPA, CA, Head of Risk Strategy and Enterprise Risk Management, ATB Financial
Roy Brooke, Executive Director, Municipal Natural Assets Initiative
11/18/2022 from 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM ET

Many assets owned and managed by governments are clearly of great “value”; but defy the concepts of accounting “valuation”. Drainage systems, water sources, parks etc are critical to serving citizens; but are often not adequately identified in accounting records, asset management plans and risk management plans.

A panel with discuss the importance of natural assets, how governments can treat them for planning purposes and what accounting standards are needed in the future.

Keynote: Leading with Mental Health in Mind
Dr. Bill Howatt, Founder and President of Howatt HR
11/18/2022 from 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM EST

Since the pandemic, workplace mental health has been top-of-mind for more boards, CEOs, and senior leaders. This is happening because of the growing understanding that workers’ mental (behavioral) health is related to retention, attraction, disability costs, productivity, sustainability, and quality of life. This understanding has increased the focus on psychological safety and health (PSH). PSH goals are to drive out fear and create inclusive, welcoming cultures where employees feel a sense of belonging, value, and purpose. Employers are discovering leaders’ critical role in protecting workers from mental harm and promoting mental health. This presentation introduces leaders to five competencies and key performance behaviors (KPBs) for becoming psychologically safe leaders. Dr. Howatt is a leading international expert in workplace mental health with an extensive background in leadership development and executive and team coaching for leaders to create psychologically safe workplaces.

Closing Remarks & Prizes
Lorrie Schmalenberg, CAGFO President
11/18/2022 from 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM EST

Indigenous Art Tutorial and Culture Session
Lance Cardinal (ᐊᐧᒐᐢᐠ), 2-Spirit First Nations member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory.
His artist name (ᐊᐧᒐᐢᐠ) means wacask (Wa-chusk) or muskrat.
11/18/2022 from 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM EST

Introductory virtual art tutorial that will have Indigenous teachings, ideals and language. This will be a fun project for the whole family to do together or for individual participants to create at home. *Supply list will be provided ahead of time to all participants in case they want to follow along LIVE, but the session will be available to watch again after the conference is over for those who just want to watch!