To develop, regulate and promote an internationally recognized accountancy profession that upholds public interest through capacity building, advocacy, innovation and sustainable practices.
INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS OF KENYA
(Established under the Accountants Act, Laws of Kenya)
THE IPSAS ACCRUAL WORKSHOP 2026 with National Treasury and PSAB
DATE: 16th to 20th February 2026
TIME: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
VENUE: Sawela Lodge, Naivasha
Theme: IPSAS Accrual Reporting: Lessons, Challenges, and Practical Improvements after the First Year
OVERVIEW
Over the past several years, many public sector entities have undertaken significant public financial management reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and comparability of financial information. A central pillar of these reforms has been the transition from cash or modified cash accounting frameworks to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) on an accrual basis.
Recently, a large number of entities have successfully completed their first full year of IPSAS Accrual financial reporting. This milestone represents a major institutional achievement, reflecting extensive efforts in policy development, systems configuration, data migration, asset verification, staff training, and change management. However, international experience and local practice consistently demonstrate that the first year of accrual reporting is primarily a learning and stabilization phase, rather than a point of full technical maturity.
During first-year implementation, preparers often focus on meeting statutory deadlines and achieving basic compliance, sometimes at the expense of depth, consistency, and optimal application of professional judgment. As a result, first-year IPSAS Accrual financial statements frequently exhibit common challenges, including:
Furthermore, the transition to IPSAS Accrual significantly expands the scope and complexity of financial reporting. Preparers are required to account for assets, liabilities, provisions, non-exchange transactions, and financial instruments that were previously unrecognized or only partially disclosed. This shift places heavy demands on professional judgment, interdepartmental coordination, and the quality of underlying data, areas that typically remain underdeveloped in the first reporting cycle.
At the same time, expectations from auditors, oversight institutions, development partners, and the public increase sharply after the first year. Stakeholders anticipate not just technical compliance, but demonstrable improvement in the credibility, consistency, and decision-usefulness of financial statements. Preparers are therefore under pressure to move beyond “first-time adoption mode” and begin embedding IPSAS Accrual into routine financial management processes.
Against this backdrop, there is a clear need for a post–first-year, practice-focused capacity-building intervention. Rather than reintroducing IPSAS from first principles, this course is intentionally designed to help preparers:
This course recognizes that high-quality IPSAS Accrual reporting is achieved progressively, through iterative learning, peer exchange, and continuous improvement. By anchoring the training on real challenges encountered in the first year of reporting, the course supports public sector entities in transitioning from initial compliance to robust, sustainable, and value-enhancing accrual-based financial reporting.
Topics to be covered will include:
| DAY | MODULE | TOPICS |
| DAY 1 | Reflections on the First Year of IPSAS Accrual Implementation | · Objectives of IPSAS Accrual adoption
· Common first-year implementation challenges · Key lessons learned from preparers’ experiences · Expectations of auditors and oversight bodies post–Year One |
| Property, Plant and Equipment (IPSAS 45), Intangible Assets (IPSAS 31) and Heritage Assets – Post-Recognition Challenges | · Asset verification and reconciliation issues
· Valuation challenges encountered in Year One · Identification and recognition challenges · Componentization and depreciation errors · Practical improvement strategies |
|
| Revenue (IPSAS 47) – Revenue Recognition Issues | · Grants, transfers, and donor-funded projects
· Conditions vs restrictions – common misinterpretations · Timing of revenue recognition |
|
| DAY 2 | Financial Instruments and Payables/Receivables | · Classification and measurement challenges
· Impairment of receivables · Practical simplifications applied in Year One |
| Provisions, Contingent Liabilities, and Commitments (IPSAS 19) | · Recognition thresholds and disclosure gaps
· Common omissions in first-year financial statements · Strengthening legal and contractual assessments |
|
| Financial Statement Presentation and Disclosures | · Improving notes to the financial statements
· Addressing audit observations from Year One · Enhancing clarity, consistency, and transparency |
|
| DAY 3 | IFMIS Re-engineering & SCOA | · Rationale for IFMIS re-engineering in an IPSAS Accrual environment
· Limitations of legacy IFMIS setups designed for cash or modified cash accounting · Key accrual concepts that place pressure on IFMIS (assets, liabilities, depreciation, provisions, receivables, payables) · Overview of SCOA objectives and structure in supporting accrual-based reporting · Mapping SCOA segments to IPSAS financial statement line items · Common SCOA-related issues identified during first-year IPSAS Accrual reporting · System-driven errors versus technical accounting errors: how to distinguish them · Manual workarounds used in Year One and their risks (spreadsheets, off-system journals) · Role of IFMIS in improving data integrity, audit trails, and consistency · Practical collaboration between preparers, IFMIS units, ICT teams, and central agencies · Using IFMIS reports more effectively to support IPSAS disclosures · Linking budget, programs, and financial statements through SCOA · Typical audit observations arising from IFMIS and SCOA misalignment · Preparers’ role in providing feedback to IFMIS re-engineering initiatives · Preparing for Year Two: priorities for system stabilization and improvement |
| DAY 4 | Inventory (IPSAS 12) |
|
| Leases (IPSAS 43) |
|
TARGET AUDIENCE
This training will be useful to professional Accountants and professionals from the Public Sector.
CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNITS (CPD UNITS):
Members of ICPAK and reciprocating professional bodies will be awarded 20 Structured CPD Units upon successful completion of the virtual symposium.
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT:
| Category | Charges Physical |
| Associate Members | Kes 54,000 per Delegate |
| Full Members | Kes. 59,000 per Delegate |
| Non-Member | Kes. 64,000 per Delegate |
ONLINE BOOKING
Registration: Delegates are reminded to note that online booking for the workshop is mandatory on https://www.icpak.com/event-registration/Online Booking
We call on interested participants to note that booking for the event is available online at www.icpak.com and will close two hours before the training session.
NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AUTHORITY (NITA) REIMBURSEMENT
The Institute is registered as a trainer with National Industrial Training Authority. The Institute’s registration number is DIT/TRN/47. Participants who are registered levy contributors should apply to NITA for reimbursement of their fees. Please note that this is applicable for Kenyan citizens only and subject to NITA regulations. Remember that to qualify you should apply to NITA for approval prior to the date of the conference. Further details can be obtained from their website (www.nita.go.ke)
Further requests can be channeled to us via telephone calls on +254 719 074 000, or via email to marketing@icpak.com
To develop, regulate and promote an internationally recognized accountancy profession that upholds public interest through capacity building, advocacy, innovation and sustainable practices.
