Information technology in the accounting curriculum
by Steve Skidmore
19 Dec 2002
Information technology plays a vital role in supporting the activities of both profit-oriented and not-for-profit organisations. Accountants, in addition to extensively using various types of information technologies, often play important managerial, advisory and evaluative roles in connection with the adoption and use of various information technologies by organisations of all types and sizes.
The mission of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is the development and enhancement of an accountancy profession able to provide services of consistently high quality in the public interest. The Education Committee of IFAC is charged with the development of standards, guidelines and other documents on both pre-qualification education and training of accountants and on continuing education for members of the accountancy profession.
This article is largely extracted from an Exposure Draft for a revised International Education Guideline for Information Technology in the Accounting Curriculum.
Information Technology in the Accounting Curriculum
The term information technology or IT is used in the guideline to encompass: hardware and software products; information system operations and management processes; human resources and skills required to apply those products and processes to the task of information production; and information system development, management and control.
Society expects that accountants who accept an engagement or occupation have the required level of competence to perform the work required. The accountancy profession as a whole has the obligation to ensure that candidates for membership possess the breadth and depth of knowledge and skill required to demonstrate competence, and the credibility of the accountancy profession depends on its success in fulfilling this obligation. In addition, the accountancy profession has an obligation toensure...