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The objectives of the Public Finance Management Academy are :

To provide high quality, affordable continued professional education in the form of short courses which are tailor-made for the public financial manager in all spheres of government and the government auditor.
To advance the concepts emphasised and introduced by the Public Finance Management Act (and the MFMA) and supporting conventions such as the Treasury Regulations .
To provide for a program of short courses which will allow participants to develop their professional careers and their CVs and to have certified evidence of their education and training record.
To enable employers to identify and assess employees and potential employees with relevant experience.
To maintain a register of participants and their continuing professional education (CPE) records.
To provide for continued professional education for the Institute's own members as is expected from professional associations in terms of relevant legislation.
To inform participants of continued professional education opportunities which are in harmony with the developments in respect of statutory performance management, auditing and public accountability .
To liaise and co-operate with tertiary institutions and other training providers in order to build capacity for continued professional education opportunities and to provide high quality education and training opportunities based on generally accepted academic norms and standards and the outcomes based education (OBE) model.
To offer training interventions that facilitate skills & knowledge transfers by applying SAIGA’s unique STEPs ^tm ( Skills Transfer & Educational Programmes ) approach.

The Public Finance Management Academy has developed a unique programme for South Africa's public sector:

The Public Finance Management Programme

The Public Finance Management Programme (PFMP) consists of a number of short courses specifically designed to focus on the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act and the advanced concepts introduced by this commendable legislation.

The PFMP is developed and structured on the outcomes based education (OBE) model.

The Public Finance Management Programme is a contribution of the Southern African Institute of Government Auditors to assist with the implementation of the Public Finance Management Act (and the MFMA) and to meet the challenges that our country faces with its commitment towards improving our accountability framework.

Accreditation by the National Treasury’s Validation Board

National Treasury set up a Validation Board to “accredit” or “validate” short-term training programmes and to address coordination and quality issues which surround the programmes available to existing employees (this Board ceased to operate in 2006). The aims of the validation mechanism were to coordinate activities and to advise departments of relevant programmes which target identified needs and are delivered to a suitable quality. The Short Courses of SAIGA’s Public Finance Management Programme™ were all accredited by the National Treasury’s Validation Board until it ceased to operate in 2006.

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The short courses of SAIGA’s Public Finance Management Programme have received accreditation by the National Treasury’s Validation Board.

Although the Public Finance Management Act contains certain prescriptive sections, it should rather be seen as facilitating a paradigm shift from public administration to management. If the Public Finance Management Act is properly understood and applied it is a strong management tool to assist the public financial manager in his/her endeavor to manage more efficiently, effectively and transparently. The Public Finance Management Programme is designed to empower various role-players to use the Public Finance Management Act (and the MFMA) to this effect.

Since the auditing function is superimposed upon the accountancy function, government auditors require a sound understanding of the application of the principles underlying accountability and accounting. The Public Finance Management Programme is also designed to empower Registered Government Auditors and other government auditors performing this function within the accountability framework.

In a modular approach, course material is packaged around related topics, allowing optimal retention of knowledge and effective scheduling to combine the learning experience with practice.

The Public Finance Management Programme consists of the following Modules:

Public Finance Management Act Course (PFMA Foundation Course)
Public Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers (Fin for Non-Fin)
Internal Control and Risk Management (ICRM)

Supply Chain Management (SCM)
REAL Management (Revenue, Expenditure, Assets & Liabilities)

Internal Audit and Governance (IAG)

Performance Management (in terms of the PFMA/MFMA)

(PM)

Preventing, Detecting and Managing Fraud Course (FRAUD course)

Risk and Internal Control Self-Assessment (including CSA) (RICA)
Performance Evaluation and Reporting (3Es)

Audit Committees in the public sector (Audit Committees Course)

Effective Writing Skills (EWS)

Preparing Annual Financial Statements (AFS)

Participants earn a number of Educational Credits (ECs) for each short course attended. The Public Finance Management Academy maintains a central register where these credits are administered. The ECs provide participants with focus and clearly stated objectives. This assists employers to monitor the continued professional education and training progress, and the manner in which their staff is committed to continued professional education and training.

The Educational Credits form part of the requirements for the Portfolio of Short Courses. In order to complete the Portfolio of Short Courses, participants have to meet two basic requirements:

earn a minimum of 120 EC's and
enroll for and complete an assessment.

For more details regarding the Portfolio of Short Courses or how to enroll for the assessment by means of an Application Form (pdf) click on the blue writing in this paragraph.

The Public Finance Management Academy has secured the services of various leading professional educators and academics with specific public sector experience to develop and present the continued professional education (CPE) short courses.

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SAIGA membership of APPETD

The Southern African Institute of Government Auditors is a member of the Association of Private Providers of Education, Training and Development (APPETD).

Established in 1997, APPETD is the national body representing the interests of private providers of Education, Training and Development in South Africa. It has come to be recognised as an ethical body that works toward establishing and maintaining the highest standards of education and training throughout the industry.

APPETD is committed to:

Ensuring that its members maintain the high standards that are comparable to outcomes for all sectors of education and training.
Ensuring that users of all private institutions are receiving the best possible education and training in their chosen field;
Ensuring that employers recognise that a qualification awarded by an APPETD member provides them with competent personnel;
Ensuring that members run their institutions according to the Code of Ethics which governs the Association;
Ensuring that the Association itself markets its standards and ethics to all audiences including prospective students;
Ensuring that the Executive Committee of APPETD is elected annually from a body of top decision makers from South Africa’s leading private providers;
Ensuring that its members maintain the high standards that are comparable to outcomes for all sectors of education and training.

APPETD is represented on:

the National Skills Authority (NSA) and representation on the ETQA that is responsible for quality assurance of your organisation;
the HEQC, the accrediting body for higher education providers;
Umalusi, the accrediting body for general and further education providers;
several SETAs, NSBs, SGBs and many other important bodies to affect providers.

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