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Developing a Strategic Plan for Canada's CA Profession
Beyond Numbers · November 2003 By Susan Hanna
Task force established
The dot.com meltdown, Enron/ WorldCom, new legislation, increased competition-the business environment has changed significantly in the past few years, and Canadian Chartered Accountants must adapt to this new environment.
To chart the profession's path through these changes, and those ahead, the Canadian CA profession's Council of Senior Executives (CSE) has established an inter-institute task force to develop a new strategic plan.
"It has been seven years since the Inter-Institute Vision Task Force took an in-depth look at the profession, so it is an appropriate time to undertake a strategic planning process," said Strategic Planning Task Force Chair and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta Executive Director Steve Glover, FCA. "As well, the collapse of the high-technology sector, high-profile corporate failures, changing legislation and greater competition have changed our environment and we need to take these factors into account."
The Task Force, which began its work in August, has been asked to develop a strategic plan for the Canadian CA profession that identifies the component of the financial and business markets for which CAs are to be the market leaders. The Task Force will also recommend strategic directions consistent with the market position and work with the CSE's Branding Project Team to establish the characteristics of the CA brand and how that brand is to be positioned and promoted.
The multi-phase strategic planning process will include an assessment of the profession's current situation, the development of a strategic vision, the identification of goals and objectives, an overall strategy to implement them, and the development of sub-strategies and action plans.
"Our work will be market-focused and research-based," said Glover. "We are committed to conducting an open and transparent process that receives input from a variety of groups across the country, both inside and outside the profession. We will also ensure that the CICA Board and Provincial Institutes/Ordre Councils are kept informed throughout."
The Task Force expects to present a draft report to the CSE Steering Committee next spring. CSE members will present the Task Force's report and recommendations to their Councils or Boards for final decisions.
For more information, contact Steve Glover at s.glover@icaa.ab.ca or any member of the Strategic Planning Task Force listed in the accompanying sidebar.
Strategic Planning Task Force
The Strategic Planning Task Force is a multi-disciplinary team that includes:
- Nora Murrant, FCA, FCBV, executive VP and COO, ICAO (nmurrant@icao.on.ca);
- Christine Montamat, CA, director of Strategic Development and Research, OCAQ (c.montamat@ocaq.qc.ca);
- Tim Forristal, CA, vice-president of Education, CICA (tim.forristal@cica.ca); and
- Lesley MacGregor, director of External Affairs, ICABC (macgregor@ica.bc.ca).
CICA Director of Communications, Government, and External Relations Peter Wilkinson (peter.wilkinson@cica.ca) and ICAO VP of Public Affairs Peter Varley (pvarley@icao.on.ca) will also work with the Strategic Planning Task Force to ensure the CSE's branding project is fully integrated with strategic directions. Wilkinson, Varley, and MacGregor comprise the CSE's Branding Project Team. The Strategic Planning Task Force reports to the CSE Steering Committee on Strategic Planning, which includes CICA President and CEO David Smith, FCA; Ontario Institute President and CEO Brian Hunt, FCA; Quebec Ordre President and CEO Gérard Caron, FCA; BC Institute CEO Richard Rees, FCA; Manitoba Institute CEO Gary Hannaford, FCA; and Glover. Assisting the Strategic Planning Task Force in its work are strategic planning and branding consultant Michel Zins, Ph.D., president of Zins Beauchesne and Associates; consultant/writer Susan Hanna, principal, Susan L. Hanna Public Affairs Consulting; and David Herle, principal partner, Earnscliffe Research and Communications, who will be conducting member and market research.
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