PFM Foundation Course Content & Syllabus
The Course is flexible and I can attempt the course work whenever I get some free time. Also the concepts are clearly explained with examples that can be easily understood
Ahmed Mohamed Hassan
Foundation in Public Financial Management
By the end of this course, students will:
- Understand how governments account for public money
- Know how to prepare and understand cash and accrual government financial reports
- Be able to prepare, manage and report on government budgets
- Be familiar with international standards on financial reporting and transparency
- Understand how the whole public financial management process is controlled and audited
- Be familiar with public financial management assessment and reform
Course Syllabus
The course comprises 6 modules as summarised below, along with student tasks.
| Coverage summary | Case study tasks | |
| 1 | Introduction, concepts, government accounting and the application of double entry to government accounting | Recording simple transactions of a government |
| 2 | Public sector accounting, cash and accrual basis, cash flow statements, computerised accounting | Recording transactions in ledger accounts, trial balance, cash and accrual final accounts |
| 3 | Financial reporting standards for governments – International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and IMF Government Finance Statistics (GFS). Detailed study of cash basis IPSAS | Preparing financial reports in accordance with the cash basis IPSAS and on an accrual basis |
| 4 | Government planning, budgeting, budget preparation, the concept of a ‘basic budget’, fiscal forecasts and budget ceilings, budget to actual comparison |
Preparation of a budget Budget to actual comparison |
| 5 | Introduction to MTEF, budget classification and the chart of accounts, budget implementation and commitment management |
Recording commitments in vote ledger Revised budget |
| 6 | PFM laws, institutions, governance, internal control and audit, external audit, international Standards for Supreme Audit Institutions, PFM assessment, and PFM reform |
Control and audit reports Reform plan |
No Knowledge Required
The course builds a clear understanding of the basic PFM processes through examples and practice, demystifying PFM and demonstrating how basic concepts underly more advanced PFM tools and approaches.
Foundation in Public Financial Management
By the end of this course, students will:
- Understand how governments account for public money
- Know how to prepare and understand cash and accrual government financial reports
- Be able to prepare, manage and report on government budgets
- Be familiar with international standards on financial reporting and transparency
- Understand how the whole public financial management process is controlled and audited
- Be familiar with public financial management assessment and reform
Course Syllabus
The course comprises 6 modules as summarised below, along with student tasks.
| Coverage summary | Case study tasks | |
| 1 | Introduction, concepts, government accounting and the application of double entry to government accounting | Recording simple transactions of a government |
| 2 | Public sector accounting, cash and accrual basis, cash flow statements, computerised accounting | Recording transactions in ledger accounts, trial balance, cash and accrual final accounts |
| 3 | Financial reporting standards for governments – International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and IMF Government Finance Statistics (GFS). Detailed study of cash basis IPSAS | Preparing financial reports in accordance with the cash basis IPSAS and on an accrual basis |
| 4 | Government planning, budgeting, budget preparation, the concept of a ‘basic budget’, fiscal forecasts and budget ceilings, budget to actual comparison |
Preparation of a budget Budget to actual comparison |
| 5 | Introduction to MTEF, budget classification and the chart of accounts, budget implementation and commitment management |
Recording commitments in vote ledger Revised budget |
| 6 | PFM laws, institutions, governance, internal control and audit, external audit, international Standards for Supreme Audit Institutions, PFM assessment, and PFM reform |
Control and audit reports Reform plan |