ACCA and FreeBalance sign Memorandum of Understanding

9 December 2021 – A new partnership has been agreed with ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and FreeBalance, focusing on supporting Public Financial Management (PFM) Reform.

The agreement was signed in London by Helen Brand, ACCA’s Chief Executive and FreeBalance’s President and Chief Executive Officer Manuel Schiappa Pietra.

Under the agreement, ACCA and FreeBalance will explore global opportunities to collaborate in support of their mutual objectives to promote and enhance stronger public financial management. The partners share a commitment to supporting the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and to enhancing transparency, promoting good governance and implementing sound fiscal management.

These shared goals, global connections and reach, combined with a wealth of technical expertise, make the partners ideally placed to jointly undertake initiatives to support stronger fiscal management, skills development and PFM reform.

The partnership includes the provision of ACCA Certifications through The FreeBalance Academy, and the organizations will also explore joint public sector related research, policy responses and global events together to promote the value of public sector financial management for strong economies.

Helen Brand says: ‘We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with FreeBalance as strong public sector financial management is necessary to handle the economic impacts of Covid-19 and the climate crisis. There’s a vital need in 2022 for governments to invest in their public financial management systems, and the expertise to manage this work, so that they are flexible and resilient enough to deal with future crises.’

Manuel Schiappa Pietra adds: ‘We are delighted to partner with ACCA, a forward-thinking professional accountancy body that does so much to advance the credibility and competence of the PFM practice worldwide. By working together, we can make a significant contribution to capacity building, good governance, accountability and transparency in governments around the world. Strong PFM systems and capacity leads to sustainable growth and prosperity.’