All Rights Reserved
A1: The CPA Vision is an unprecedented, profession-wide initiative undertaken by one of the most trusted and reliable professions determined to become leaders in change. Never before have CPAs come together from all areas of the profession-public practice, business and industry, government, and education-to embrace the challenge of defining the future, for themselves and on behalf of those they serve.
CPAs across the nation banded together to take on the challenge and responsibility necessary to retain their premier position as a vital part of the world economy and global community in the 21st century.
The cost of being unresponsive to the changing demands of the future is fatal. More importantly, there are nearly unlimited opportunities for a profession willing to meet the demands of the future. Through Future Forums, the National Future Forum, and many other activities, 3,400 members of the CPA profession devoted a combined total of 21,456 hours (13.14 work years) to identify both challenges and opportunities for the profession in 2011.
A collaborative effort between state CPA societies and the AICPA produced this opportunity to gain insight into the profession's future. With passion and commitment, CPAs from all segments transformed a formerly uncharted future with purpose, vision and a unique opportunity for success.
Q2: What is the Vision Statement and Core Purpose?
The Core Purpose defines the CPA profession's reason for being. The Vision Statement is the profession speaking to itself about the mandates for a successful future.
The Core Purpose and Vision Statement represent the pulse of the profession and stand as a beacon to guide all CPAs into the 21st century as innovative leaders in change.
Vision Statement:
Core Purpose:
CPAs . . .
Making sense of a changing and complex world.
Q3: What are the CPA Vision objectives?
A3: With direct grassroots involvement of CPAs across the nation and support from the professional organizations that act on their behalf, the CPA Vision is designed to create a comprehensive and integrated vision of the profession's future that will:
By focusing on the future, CPAs will be better able to plan for their needs, as well as those of clients and employers. Our goal is as simple as it is ambitious: to enable the profession to shape its future.
Q4: Why is it important for the profession to undertake this effort?
A4: No profession exists in a vacuum, unaffected by the political, economic, social, technological and human resource changes occurring around the world. In the past decade, the pace of change has accelerated at an astounding rate. Indications show that the next decade will bring a rush of change even more breathtaking than what we've experienced so far. Industries are merging, new professions are emerging and technologies are converging into a tidal wave poised to sweep through every aspect of modern life. The CPA profession needs to enhance its capacity to anticipate and lead change in order to remain a respected and valued profession-protecting the public interest and competing successfully in the marketplace.
Right now, revolutionary changes are taking place in the marketplace and the global economy that pose new opportunities and challenges for the profession. These changes include:
Q.5: What benefits will the accounting profession realize as a result of the CPA Vision?
A5: The CPA Vision will drive the development of activities, programs and services needed to realize the comprehensive and shared vision for the profession. It also will provide the engine for propelling CPAs in public practice, industry, government and education into the future as a unified profession rather than fracturing along lines of specialization. The process will be an ongoing one to ensure that CPAs continue to focus on, and better anticipate, the future, as well as respond to the inevitable challenges and opportunities.
Q6: Was any research conducted in conjunction with the CPA Vision?
A6: The CPA Vision was grounded on extensive research with internal and external audiences. Yankelovich Partners, a world-famous research firm, conducted a series of targeted focus groups with various stakeholders, including CPAs from all segments of the profession, as well as students. The company also conducted telephone surveys with decision-makers in small businesses, high-income individuals, and an External Advisory Council consisting of business leaders, legislators, and educators. Fortifying these research efforts were detailed future studies provided by Virtual Consulting, reports issued from the AICPA's own trend-monitoring system, and input on trends and professional issues from state CPA societies.
A7. A coalition of CPAs from all segments of the profession, the AICPA and state CPA society leadership, and other financial professionals, provide the focal point for the CPA Vision Process.
The CPA Vision Team is an ongoing, independent group charged with overseeing the profession-wide implementation of the CPA Vision of the future. This team works closely with the AICPA Strategic Planning Committee and state CPA societies to develop and implement appropriate activities and events to establish and sustain a strong connection between strategic planning and management with visioning as the profession moves forward with its effort to achieve the CPA Vision.
The National CPA Vision Team consists of 15 representatives: six State CPA Society Executive Directors, six delegates from the National Future Forum, and three representatives from the AICPA.
J. Thomas Hood, chair; Maryland Association of CPAs; tom@macpa.org
National Future Forum Delegates
Diane Carter; Eason, Lawson, Westphal; dianecarter@elwpc.com
Lynne Lehr-Buck; IntraScope Accounting Solutions; bucksters@worldnet.att.net
Lucretia Mattson; University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; mattsols@uwec.edu
Robert Sher; Schostak Brothers & Co., Inc.; rss3208@aol.com
Ralph A. Thomas; Citicorp, NA; ralph.thomas@citicorp.com
Jimmy Williamson; McGriff, Dowdy & Associates, PC; jimmyw@mdacpa.com
State Society Executive Directors
Jim Ahler; North Carolina Association of CPAs; jtahler@ncacpa.org
Kathy Anderson; South Carolina Association of CPAs; kanderson@scacpa.org
Peggy Dzierzawski; Michigan Association of CPAs; pzdierzawski@michcpa.org
Cheryl L. Langley; Oregon Society of CPAs; clangley@orcpa.org
Jeannie Patton*; Utah Association of CPAs; jpatton@uacpa.org
American Institute of CPAs
John Hudson; vice president-Strategic Planning and Knowledge Management-New York; AICPA; jhudson@aicpa.org
Leigh Knopf*; senior manager-Strategic and Operational Planning; AICPA; lknopf@aicpa.org
Janice Maiman*; director-Communications; AICPA; jmaiman@aicpa.org
Team Consultants (AICPA Staff)
Sheri Bango; manager-State Legislation; sbango@aicpa.org
Evelyn Grammar; manager-Org. Development and Training; AICPA; egrammar@aicpa.org
*Indicates Member of CPA Vision Project Team
Q8. Is the CPA Vision solely an AICPA initiative?
A8: Absolutely not. It is not a top-down initiative driven by the AICPA. On the contrary, it is a profession-wide effort, based on grassroots participation and "buy-in" from all member segments. In fact, the vision initiative falls outside the traditional AICPA committee process and structure.
The AICPA, state societies, and other strategic partners, as well as the rank-and-file of the profession will work together to develop a credible and shared vision. CPAs' views will be critical in determining how the profession should be perceived in the future, what core competencies they must maintain and expand, and what new opportunities they must seize if the profession is to succeed in serving clients, employers, and the public interest in an information-driven age.
A9: The Future Forums were the lynchpin of the CPA Vision Process. A series of 177 professionally facilitated, day-long meetings held across the country, the Future Forums brought together more than 3,350 CPAs to address the impact of global issues on the profession and to design a vigorous and dynamic future for current and prospective CPAs.
Q10. What happened to the information gathered from the Future Forums?
A10: Data gathered from the Future Forums, focus groups, CPA client/employer interviews, External Advisory Council interviews, market research and October AICPA Council forums became the foundation for discussions at the National Future Forum held January 1998. Delegates from each of the 50 states and territories met to finalize the CPA Vision. A Core Purpose and Vision Statement, along with the Top Five Values, Services and Competencies, were solidified based on the feedback from volunteers and participants in the Future Forums.
This hypothesis was presented to the profession's leadership during the Regional Council meetings in Spring 1998. At its May 1998 meeting, the AICPA Council discussed the project recommendations and provided insight for presentations to be made to a wide variety of audiences in the summer of 1998.
In October 1998, the AICPA Council formally adopted the CPA Vision. The unanimous vote launched a full-scale implementation process drawing upon the collective resources and talents of volunteer CPAs, state CPA societies, and the AICPA. The goal: to help CPAs across the country realize their dynamic, challenging vision. A group of CPAs, state society and AICPA leadership came together in January 1999 for the first-ever National Strategic Planning Workshop to translate the Vision blueprint into concrete actions.
A11. Visioning - Core Values are the essential and enduring beliefs that we uphold over time. Core values enable us to retain our unique character and value as we embrace the changing dynamics of the global economy.
Core Services is the work we perform for a fee or salary. Ideally, our work is challenging and elicits premium rewards for ourselves, our employers, and clients.
Core Competencies are a unique combination of human skills, knowledge, and technology that provides value and results to the user. Enhancing our core competencies is key to sustaining a competitive and differential advantage in the marketplace.
The Significant Issues are indicative of how the global forces and scenarios may affect the CPA profession in terms of opportunities and challenges. These are predominant factors we face in creating a viable, long-term future for the CPA profession in the wake of a global economy.
Q12. What is the difference between "visioning" and "strategic planning?"
A12: Visioning - a strategic process - enables a company, industry or profession to review the potential effects of current and projected forces/issues, define and assess core competencies and values, develop desired future scenarios and begin to plot a strategy for achieving its vision for the future.
Strategic planning identifies specific activities along defined timeliness, and matches goals and resources to influence the environment to bring about the desired future. It is tactical and functional.
Visioning and strategic planning work in concert with each other. The first process, visioning, allows us to "see" exactly where we want to go and why we need to get there. Strategic planning is the "do" phase, when specific tactics can be implemented to bring us closer to realizing our ideal future position.
Many CPA firms, businesses and state CPA societies do an excellent job in strategic planning, especially in the area of assessing a current situation and devising methods for addressing related issues. Visioning, however, goes one step further by enabling us to take the appropriate actions to make our optimum future happen.
Q13: What are the plans for communicating to CPAs about the CPA Vision?
A13: A comprehensive communications plan is being implemented to support the CPA Vision. In addition to the Web site, www.cpavision.org, articles will appear regularly in state CPA society newsletters and AICPA publications, including The CPA Letter and the Journal of Accountancy. The CPA Vision Final Report based on the Future Forums and the National Future Forum is available on the Web site. An interactive CD-ROM will be released September 1999 through the Journal of Accountancy that will help CPAs better understand the issues the vision presents.
A series of video productions have been distributed, and cover such issues as the forces of change likely to impact the future of the profession; core competencies and values; and the process and milestones of the CPA Vision. Other resources include multimedia presentations, and a host of other resources available on the Vision Web site.
Q14: Who are the "CPA Pathfinders?"
A14: CPA Pathfinders are members of the profession in public practice, business and industry, government and education who stay on the leading edge of the profession. These are entrepreneurs who act, consciously or coincidentally, as change agents for the profession. More information on the characteristics of Pathfinders is available from the Web site.
CPAs can nominate or suggest themselves or others as CPA Pathfinders by sending an e-mail to pathfinder@cpavision.org.
A.15 Contact us at mail@cpavision.org or your local state CPA society. Share your success stories and future visions with other CPAs. Watch for publications from the AICPA and state CPA societies for specific activities that integrate the Vision into member services and activities.