Discover how AI, particularly Generative AI and Large Language Models, is revolutionizing the accounting profession. You will gain insights into the latest advancements from industry leaders like OpenAI and Microsoft CoPilot, and understand critical security and privacy considerations specific to government entities. We will also discuss practical AI applications that enhance personal efficiency, accounting processes, and auditing tasks. Join us to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your organization leverages AI responsibly while maintaining data integrity.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the fundamental concepts of AI, Generative AI, and Large Language Models, and their relevance to the accounting and auditing profession.
• Recognize security and privacy considerations when using AI, particularly within government organizations.
• Apply practical AI use cases in personal productivity, accounting, and auditing processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy while maintaining data integrity.

The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) serves the public interest by improving federal financial reporting through issuing generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and providing guidance after considering the needs of external and internal users of federal financial information. In this session, we will provide an overview of FASAB and present a general update on FASAB projects, recently issued guidance, and stakeholder engagements.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the FASAB GAAP hierarchy and identify how FASAB meets financial statement user needs through its due process.
• Identify and discuss the status of all FASAB active projects and recently issued guidance.
• Identify and discuss the ways that FASAB engages with stakeholders for developing new guidance and helping apply issued guidance.

Auditors and governments have faced unprecedented circumstances the past few years and the current environment will continue to impact audits in 2024. Government auditors face several practice issues, making it difficult to perform effective and efficient audits while maintaining the quality stakeholders and our profession expect. Learn about the latest developments impacting state and local government financial statement audits and how to navigate them.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how the current environment is impacting state and local government audits and practitioners
• Identify considerations when it comes to auditing implementation of new GASB standards 100 to 103.
• Identify reporting considerations for new items in the current environment including, but not limited to, digital assets, settlements and IRA credits.

The number of single audits being performed each year is still at an all-time high due to historic federal funding levels. Thus, it is important for auditors to stay current, and this session here to help! This session will cover key updates in the 2024 Compliance Supplement, the new Uniform Guidance, and other matters that the Governmental Audit Quality Center has been working on relevant to your upcoming single audits.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key information in the 2024 OMB Compliance Supplement
• Identify the single audit implications of the new Uniform Guidance and effective dates
• Recognize recent activities from the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center
• Identify single audit developments and the single audit landscape looking forward

Join us for an afternoon reset with virtual yoga! Enjoy gentle stretches you can do right at your desk to release tension and reset your posture. Melt away any remaining stress with a quick, guided meditation set to calming music. Leave feeling relaxed and focused! Beginners welcome. Wear comfortable clothes. No props needed. 30 minutes

Please submit the online waiver here prior to participating in this session.

This session provides an overview of new and upcoming auditing and attest standards that may impact an auditor or audit organization in the next year. Both new guidance from the Auditing Standards Board (ASB) and the GAO will be addressed.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify new and pending AICPA auditing, attestation and quality management standards
• Identify new and pending government auditing and quality management standards (GAGAS)

This session will inform participants about the significant changes to the GAO/CIGIE Financial Audit Manual (FAM) and GAO Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual (FISCAM), which are to be released soon, as well as how they should consider and implement those changes in their audit work.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the significant changes to the GAO/CIGIE FAM Volumes 1 and 2 and how those changes affect federal financial statement audits for 2024.
• Identify the significant changes to the GAO FISCAM and how those changes affect federal IS controls assessments for 2025.

The new Quality Management (QM) Standards are required to be implemented by December 15, 2025, which may sound far into the future, but don’t be fooled…firms should be working now on getting their system in place. This session will help practitioners gets out of a “check the box” mentality that can be done with the current standards. We will provide an overview of the new standards, discuss where the new standards require a significant change in approach, and identify some of the challenging aspects of adoption. We will also discuss the implications of the QM standards on governmental and single audits, and offer a pragmatic timeline and approach to implementation, including practical considerations for small firms.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the risk assessment process
• Determine effective forms of documenting a system of quality management
• Identify ways to get from the current requirements to the new requirements

Topics include:

• Council on Federal Financial Assistance (COFFA)
• Uniform Grants Guidance or 2 CFR
• Notifications of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)
• Federal Program Inventory
• Improper Payment Reporting and Fraud Waste and Abuse
• Guidance on Audits and Internal Controls

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the latest OMB landscape in Federal Financial Management.
• Identify guidance on Audits and Internal Controls

The CPA talent shortage is something that has been widely talked about over the last several years and given the strong demand for CPAs, the conversation is escalating. Within the public sector, that talent gap may be even more pronounced. The AICPA and NASACT joined forces to study the issue and provide recommendations. This session will provide highlights from this public sector survey, focusing on what we learned are the contributing factors but perhaps more importantly what we identified are some potential solutions!

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the public sector CPA talent shortage
• Recognize the contributing factors to the public sector CPA talent shortage
• Recognize various best practice solutions

Learn about key developments impacting government, society, and the accountability community. The Comptroller General will review major challenges faced by the nation and how the audit and accountability community are responding. Topics will include the federal government’s unsustainable long-term fiscal path; accountability for emergency spending programs; updates on auditing and internal control standards; high risk federal programs; fraud estimates; and oversight of emerging cyber, science and technology areas.

Learning Objectives:

• • Participants will learn about key issues highlighted by GAO’s work and challenges being tackled by the accountability community.

Dr. Brett Baker will present topics addressing recent areas of common interest in the federal oversight community.  

• OIG community cross-cutting projects to address government-wide risks
• IT security
• Updates to guidance used in the federal oversight community
• Key initiatives in the federal oversight community

Learning Objectives:

• Identify OIG community cross-cutting projects to address government-wide risks
• Recognize IT security
• Recognize updates to guidance used in the federal oversight community
• Identify key initiatives in the federal oversight community

This session will give an overview of the GASB pronouncements that become effective in the coming fiscal years. The session also will explain some of the projects on GASB’s current technical agenda and research agenda.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the implementation of the requirements contained in GASB Statements.
• Identify the potential implications of GASB current technical agenda projects.

Single audits continue to be a hot topic for governmental organizations. While certain COVID-funded programs are winding down, federal funding subject to single audit continues to be at historic levels and new programs and expanded funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is ramping up. Additional funding coupled with the impending implementation date for the next round of Uniform Guidance changes, and increased scrutiny from funders, the grants compliance environment continues to be a dynamic environment. This session will cover important issues that are currently taking increased time and attention from the grantee and audit communities, as well as discuss best practices when performing a single audit.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify implications of key Uniform Guidance updates
• Recognize Federal funding nuances for certain specific programs
• Identify the best practices for performing a single audit

Join us in REMO for our Speaker Meet & Greet!! Come ask questions or chat with some of your favorite speakers. 

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how many spreadsheets can you replace with a more meaningful chart or graph?

By attending this session, you will come away with examples and resources for how data visualization can cause positive change for public sector organizations and their finance teams. This tool-neutral session will introduce a common vocabulary for data visualization and provide examples of how to enhance communication and help your team reveal actionable insights in your data.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze examples of how effective data visualization can reveal actionable insights in your data
• Compare state-of-the-art techniques for visualizing data, regardless of software tool
• Identify and bookmark resources to allow continued learning after the session

Dive into the world of ChatGPT and Generative AI in this enlightening session designed for government auditors. We'll provide an overview of ChatGPT, exploring its capabilities and applications. Through practical demos, discover how ChatGPT can streamline processes and jump-start projects. Whether you're looking to automate routine tasks or gain deeper insights from data, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to leverage ChatGPT effectively in your auditing practices. Join us to transform your approach to auditing with the latest advancements in AI technology.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the core principles of ChatGPT and Generative AI, and their implications for government auditing.
• Identify practical use cases of ChatGPT for accelerating routine tasks and various auditing processes.
• Indicate the benefits and limitations of using ChatGPT, with a focus on improving efficiency and accuracy.

This session will discuss the significant progress made in the preparation and audit of the U.S. Government’s Consolidated Financial Statements (CFS) to address long-standing issues, the status of the challenges remaining, actions being taken to address them, and the future impact of those actions on agency preparers and auditors.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the long-standing issues affecting the preparation and audit of the U.S. Government’s Consolidated Financial Statements (CFS) and progress that has been made to address them.
• Recognize the actions being taken to address these long-standing issues.
• Recognize how these actions will impact agency preparers and auditors.

This session will provide an overview of recently issued GASB standards including Statements 100-103.  The session will emphasize areas which may require the most effort for stakeholders when operationalizing the new standards.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the scope of each Statement?
• Identify the relevant recognition, measurement, and disclosure requirements?
• Identify when are the Statements effective?

This session will include latest trends in cyberfraud, including recent activities by threat actors against state and local governments.  Topics will include attack vectors used by cybercriminals, how to spot cyberthreats, and implementing internal control programs to protect Organizations against attempts to commit fraud.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the latest trends in cyberfraud.
• Identify attack vectors used by cybercriminals, how to spot cyberthreats, and implementing internal control programs

Managers are dealing with mental health and illness on a daily basis - in their teams, and also in themselves. From navigating leaves, to talking through anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, the work of leadership no longer stops with technical proficiency. Beyond theory, what skills, ideas and strategies do managers needs to cultivate to lead with mental health in mind? How we do actually attend, as leaders, to experiences of mental health and illness at work and beyond?

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and be able to apply a working definition of both mental health and mental illness to self
• Identify baseline levels of health and symptoms of illness in self, with markers for follow up if you see them in others
• Recognize tools and strategies to prioritize leaders' health first
• Identify a framework and script for when leaders are concerned and want to connect with team members

The new risk assessment standard, effective for this fiscal year, introduces the spectrum of risk and establishes the need for a stand-back look at risks. This session will include discussion of practical examples around risk assessments and the audit approach to address those risks.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key concepts of SAS 145
• Recognize impact of financial statement risks on other risk assessments
• Identify examples of RMMs for classes of transactions and accounts
• Identify examples of RMMS for note disclosures

Hear from both program and oversight experts in the federal grants arena on the ways fraud can occur in different types of grant programs and how to mitigate those risks. Experts will share insights on federal requirements for managing grant fraud risks, such as 2 CFR 200; strategies and tools they have developed for their agencies' programs; ways to collect and analyze data to support fraud detection; and how to manage risks as funds flow through subsequent types of recipients. 

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the different types of grant structures and (1) associated fraud risks, (2) impacts on oversight capability and responsibility, and (3) implications for data analytics for fraud detection.
• Identify (1) tools and strategies agencies have used to manage grant fraud risks and (2) lessons for enhancing fraud prevention based on OIG investigations.

This session will give an overview of the GASB pronouncements that become effective in the coming fiscal years. The session also will explain some of the projects on GASB’s current technical agenda and research agenda.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the implementation of the requirements contained in GASB Statements.
• Identify the potential implications of GASB current technical agenda projects.

The number of single audits being performed each year is still at an all-time high due to historic federal funding levels. Thus, it is important for auditors to stay current, and this session here to help! This session will cover key updates in the 2024 Compliance Supplement, the new Uniform Guidance, and other matters that the Governmental Audit Quality Center has been working on relevant to your upcoming single audits.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key information in the 2024 OMB Compliance Supplement
• Identify the single audit implications of the new Uniform Guidance and effective dates
• Recognize recent activities from the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center
• Identify single audit developments and the single audit landscape looking forward

Since it isn't possible to attend every session of the conference, participate in this session to hear summary-level highlights of the key points from every session in the conference! Also, have the chance to get your questions answered!

Learning Objectives:

• Identify attendee questions and have our expert panel provide answers.
• Identify key take-aways from the conference's sessions.