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Professional Development Workshop

November 29, 2018

Featuring

Since July 2018, Nadia Diakun-Thibault is Senior Aviation Security Policy Advisor (Blockchain and Identity) at Transport Canada. From 2001 to 2018, she was with the Communications Security Establishment in Canada, with a secondment to Innovation, Science and Economic Development in 2016-2017. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, and an ABD (PhD) degree in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of Toronto, Canada. She has served as Parliamentary Advisor to Members of Parliament and held an Order-in-Council appointment to the Province of Ontario's Advocacy Commission. Her research interests include neurophilosophy, semiotics, linguistics, and public policy, with a dash Blockchain and Identity. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University in the United States.

Auditing Techniques and Current Issues to be presented by Philip Cavey, CPA, CA

SYNOPSIS:

Auditing is a constantly changing field.  Hear a first-hand account of what it means to be an auditor today.  Learn about auditors changing expectations and the implications this has on financial statement users.  Also learn about some of the current techniques used in auditing and how it differs from approaches used in the past.   

BIO:

Philip Cavey is a Partner at MNP LLP.  Phil works primarily with not-for-profit and public sector clients that have oversight committees such as an active Board of Directors. An integral part of Phil’s work includes gaining an understanding of all aspects of his client’s operations and understanding the industry and the environment in which they operate, so that he can provide effective reporting as requested by the Board of Directors. While spending the majority of his time on audit engagements, Phil often provides consulting services, advising clients with respect to accounting procedures and counseling clients with executive matters including finance, human resource, and organizational structure.

The fmi*igf Halifax Chapter's next learning session and christmas luncheon will be held on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  We are offering a "Bring a Friend" promotion to this event.  If you know of a person who has not previously attended an FMI event and might be interested in coming, please contact Angela Porter at halifax@fmi.ca or 902-897-8920 to provide their contact information for the complimentary "Bring a Friend" registration. 

Come and join us at the Brightwood Golf and Country Club, 227 School Street, Dartmouth for an informative professional development session entitled "Transitioning to Leadership" with Michelle Lane, Founder - Vibrant Leaders. 

Becoming a More Senior Leader? 

Consider who you are and how you lead for maximum effectiveness.

Stepping up to more senior leadership roles in an organization means doing less of what you're good at and best known for and enabling the growth and success of those you lead, for starters.  And, it often means a far more fundamental shift in your identity, as you move from 'subject matter expert' to 'organizational leader.'  What might it mean for you?

In this engaging and interactive workshop led by leadership effectiveness coach Michelle Lane, you'll have an opportunity to explore the question of leadership identity and interpersonal communications at more senior levels and consider what it means for you - regardless of where you are in your evolution as a leader.  The approach will be thought provoking, interactive and applied, with time for personal reflection as well as shared learning.  Participants will also have an opportunity to practice a few simple techniques designed to enhance their effectiveness at all levels of leadership.

Michelle Lane, CPCC is a leadership effectiveness consultant, facilitator and coach.  She works with emerging, evolving and established leaders and professionals who want to be more effective and build stronger, higher-performing teams and organizations.  Michelle helps her clients discover and develop the clarity, competence and confidence they need to be more effective, build their capacity for more strategic and complex leadership, and create the conditions for success in the organizations in which they lead.  She has more than 35 years diverse business leadership experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.  Connect with Michelle on Linked In or learn more here:  http://www.vibrantleaders.ca.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The cost for this session is $75, includes turkey dinner and entitles registrants to a complimentary annual membership with FMI National.  All sessions qualify for 3 verifiable CPD credits.

Membership with fmi*igf provides reduced rates for professional development workshops, on-line access to the fmi*igf Journal and the opportunity to be eligible for a draw that provides free registration and travel subsidy of $1,500 to a national fmi*igf event.  Another benefit of membership is the Chapter's Annual Scholarship for a member or dependent of a member in a full time study at university or community college.  Details are available on the Chapters web page at www.fmi.ca

To register for this event go to www.fmi-igf.ca.  Space is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment.  Deadline for registration is November 30, 2018. 

Looking forward to seeing you on the 5th!

On behalf of the Financial Management Institute – Capital Chapter (FMI-CC) Board of Directors, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your volunteer contributions to the FMI-CC during the past year. In celebration of the holidays and your time and efforts spent on volunteer initiatives, you are invited to our annual Christmas Dickens Buffet Lunch, hosted at the Chateau Laurier on December 13th at 11:30am. 

 The fmi*igf Halifax Chapter's next event will be held on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.  The informative professional development session is entitled "Taking the Boredom Out of Financial Management and Controls" presented by Michael Pickup, CPA, CA, FCPA, Auditor General of Nova Scotia.  

Financial management and controls have been one of the bread and butter staples of overall management for many years.  Yet today they are more essential than ever as a key ingredient in a well run public sector environment.  In an ever increasingly complex world within and surrounding us, it is critical that organizations have strong policies, practices and procedures making up their basket of financial management and controls.  While the responsibility to ensure this is working well rests with those running an organization, there are also expectations upon auditors to provide valuable insight on how well these are working.  The Auditor General of Nova Scotia has made examining and commenting on a broad spectrum of such critical matters a key part of his 5 years as AG to date.  This has included work on financial audits and separate performance audits of various aspects of these systems and practices.  The work of the Office of the Auditor General on financial management and controls has been the centre of media coverage in NS and nationally in the recent past.  For example, the National Post reported on the progress of the Government of Nova Scotia in managing fraud risk as reported on by the Auditor General.  In addition, there have been numerous interviews, articles and features on the state of controls reporting by the AG, clearly showing that what gets reported and how you report it can bring light to this seemingly dry topic.

The morning learning session will take place at the Brightwood Golf and Country Club, 227 School Street, Dartmouth from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.  Buffet breakfast will be provided at 8:45 a.m.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The cost for this session is $75 which includes a buffet breakfast and entitles registrants to a complimentary annual membership with FMI National.  All sessions qualify for 3 verifiable CPD credits.

Membership with fmi*igf provides reduced rates for professional development workshops, on-line access to the fmi*igf Journal and the opportunity to be eligible for a draw that provides free registration and travel subsidy of $1,500 to a national fmi*igf event.  Another benefit of membership is the Chapter's Annual Scholarship for a member or dependent of a member in a full time study at university or community college.  Details are available on the Chapters web page at www.fmi.ca

To register for this event go to www.fmi-igf.ca.  Space is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment.  Deadline for registration is January 18, 2019.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 23rd!

Bio

Mr. Pickup is in year 5 of his 10 year term as Auditor General of Nova Scotia.  He leads an Office which reports to the Nova Scotia Legislature approximately four times a year on financial and performance audits.  He and his team deliver roughly ten performance audits a year, as well as audits of the Province's financial statements and selected government organizations.  Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Pickup spent nearly a quarter of a century working at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada both in Ottawa and in a regional office. He was responsible for numerous financial and performance audits with a focus on financial management and control.  He also taught at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa as a part-time professor on many occasions.

The Auditor General is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) and will become a FCPA, FCA effective November 3, 2018.

Mr. Pickup currently serves on CPA Canada's Audit and Assurance Standards Board as 1 of its 14 voting members.  This Board sets professional standards for auditors across Canada in both the private and public sectors.  Prior to this he served on the Public Sector Accounting Board Task Force that defined generally accepted accounting principles for the public sector.

In his free time, Mr. Pickup became a self published author in late July 2018 with his first book entitled "Nan-Made:  How a Grandmother Made a Man".  This first book is a collection of 25 short stories honouring his recently deceased grandmother.  The book has found commercial success and has spent many days in August 2018 as a Number 1 Best Seller on Amazon Canada in its classification and has also made the top 100 Best Seller books on Amazon for self-help books with hundreds of thousands of titles available.  Mr. Pickup has also done a number of television, radio, and print media interviews on this book and his journey.

Join the FMI-CC for an exciting day focused on Leadership!  In collaboration with the OCG and others, we will take you through the key leadership competencies as well as practical experience exercises and tools to take back to your workplace.  This initiative is a first in the FMI-CC professional development portfolio and is at the request of the OCG and leadership partners.  This session will be engaging and interactive and will address the challenges of a much needed practical discussion about leadership today in the pubic service!

This day will be of interest to all levels from EX minus one to the working level.   We will offer practical tips and tools for those wishing to join the executive ranks to those just starting to supervise staff.

At this unique, highly targeted one-day seminar, you can listen to an unmatchable team of financial experts from both the public and private sectors who will supply you with up-to-date information and expert guidance on the latest developments and best practices in accounting, internal controls and cyber security.

Participants will get an overview of key trends that will define the public sector accounting landscape going forward. As well, attendees will receive an update on the latest techniques to improve internal controls in the government sector. They will also hear from a cyber security expert who will share their insights on government security trends and the impact upon the accounting and financial reporting sector.

As always, our PD Day seminars promise to have thought provoking discussions and lively feedback between participants and speakers.

Are you interested in learning more about what it is to be a good project manager? If so, Project Management in the Public Sector is THE PD event you will not want to miss! The Day encompasses the following objectives:

1)    Project Management Fundamentals and Tools

2)    Relevant use of Project Lifecycles

3)    Challenges and Best Practices with Project Management Practice

This PD Day aims to provide those who are interested in project management with insight into current policies and best practices on how to better scope, plan, monitor, and report on time-limited project initiatives. The workshop will help participants understand how to use available guides and tools to assess the complexity and risks of departmental projects, and prioritize them based on available resources. Successful projects don’t just happen – every project needs a manager and this workshop will show you just how success can be achieved!

This session is ideally suited for professionals involved in project management, program delivery, audit, financial management or strategies. This PD Day would also be of interest to those who are clients of the government, and private sector professionals who are involved with managing projects.

The FMI Capital Chapter has had a fantastic year and we are going out with a bang! This is the PD Day you will not want to miss! We have once again, enlisted engaging speakers to highlight some of the Government of Canada's key priorities that are of interest to you and your organization. Dynamic senior leaders, from both inside and outside Government, will share their perspectives on the various government priorities by sector: Economic Policy Priorities; Social Policy Priorities; and Innovation as a top priority. The day will feature several exciting keynote speakers throughout the day.

This PD Day is ideally suited for those involved in delivering on these key priorities, new entrants to the public service, aspiring leaders, those involved in strategic policy, program delivery, financial management or strategies and federal budget submissions. The PD Day will also be of interest to those who are clients of these initiatives and those who wish to understand interactions between departments and central agencies, and the Federal Budget process.

Join the FMI-CC afterwards for a season closing ceremony and networking.  An event not to be missed.