CA Competency

CA Competency

The CA profession has undertaken a detailed analysis of the core knowledge and skills expected of CAs by business, government and the public. Working with members, clients and employers, many clear expectations - or competencies - of our profession have been identified. These competencies are laid out in The CA Competency Map, which is used as the basis for our qualification process and in the continuing development and enhancement of our PD Program.

The CA Competency Map provides a profile of the CA profession, not of the individual CA. It can, however, prove useful in helping shape your own PD opportunities that will help you to meet your career goals.

Pervasive qualities and skills:

• Ethical Behaviour and Professionalism: the CA profession is committed to maintaining the confidence of clients, employers, and the public through an overriding commitment to integrity in all professional tasks. Thus, all CAs are expected at all times to abide by the highest standards of integrity; they must be, and must be seen to be, carrying out all assignments objectively and independently, in accordance with the ethical values outlined in detail in Section I of The UFE Candidates’ Competency Map.
• Personal Attributes: CAs are expected to develop a number of personal qualities that shape the way they conduct themselves as professionals. These qualities or attributes are outlined in Section II of The UFE Candidates’ Competency Map.
• Professional Skills: CAs are also expected to develop a wide range of professional skills that, while not unique to the CA profession, are critical to its successful practice.  These skills are outlined in Section III of The UFE Candidates’ Competency Map. 

Specific Competencies:

• Governance, Strategy and Risk Management — competencies related to the development and evaluation of an entity’s ability to make decisions and maximize its organizational performance, including its governance, strategies, policies and resources;
• Performance Measurement and Reporting — competencies related to the presentation of an entity’s financial and non-financial information to external and internal users to meet their reporting needs.
• Assurance — competencies related to enhancing the reliability of information, including the validation, testing, and the provision of broadly defined assurance services, including statutory and regulatory audit/assurance requirements, documentation and evaluation of controls.
• Finance — competencies related to the management of financial assets, treasury and assessment of an entity’s value.
• Management Decision-Making — competencies related to the identification of information needs, and to the development and use of decision-making tools in achieving the entity’s strategies.
• Taxation — competencies related to taxation planning, compliance, and reporting for various entities. 

Integration of Information and Information Technology: the competencies related to the role technology and information plays in strategy, decision-making, processing and reporting of information that are an integral part of virtually all the tasks undertaken by CAs. These competencies are included in the specific competency areas.

To learn more about The CA Competency Map, please refer to “CA Skills and Competencies” under “Become a CA” on: www.cica.ca

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