A Threats and Safeguards Approach to Ethical Decision Making

Note: This Live Virtual course is presented in collaboration with CPA Western Provinces. The content is applicable to all participants. If you have questions regarding this course, please contact pdregistration@cpaalberta.ca

Overview:

As CPAs, each of us has a responsibility to live up to our obligations under the CPABC Code of Professional Conduct. These obligations are embodied in the Fundamental Principles governing conduct. In this workshop, we’ll explore situations in our professional roles that involve ethical challenges and examine how these can pose threats to our compliance with the Fundamental Principles. We’ll also determine how these threats can be mitigated, through examining the relevant Rules and applicable Guidance in the CPA Code, and determining relevant safeguards.

Regardless of your specific role as a CPA, your employer and/or clients have high expectations of your ability to address ethical challenges, such as those that are driven by: 

• Changing social norms 
• Complexity of the work environment 
• Technology and misinformation 
• Inherent bias and the impact on objectivity 
• Pressure from clients and employers 
• Inducements, including bribery and corruption 
• Climate change 
• Money laundering risks 

In this course, you will be guided through a systematic process to: 

• Collaboratively explore the issue, 
• Evaluate the situation in the context of the Fundamental Principles, and 
• Use the CPA Code to plan how to manage and address challenges through appropriate safeguards 

Course Content:

In this course, you will gain knowledge about the following topics:

• A refresher of the Fundamental Principles in the CPA Code of Professional Conduct 
  
• The value of, and expectations for, ethical leadership 
  
• Identifying threats to compliance with the Fundamental Principles 
  
• Recognizing situations where threats are encountered 
  
• Evaluating the level of threats and determining appropriate safeguards to mitigate threats 
  
• Implementation strategies to follow through 
  

Learning Objectives:

Upon completing this course, you should be able to:

• Explain the expectations for ethical leadership by CPAs and relate these to the fundamental principles in the CPA Code 
  
• Identify threats to compliance with the fundamental principles 
  
• Recognize situations where threats are likely to be encountered in their work roles 
  
• Evaluate the level of threats and determine appropriate safeguards to mitigate threats 
  
• Develop implementation strategies 
  

 Who Will Benefit:

This course is ideal for CPAs looking to fulfill ethics requirements through collaborative discussions and applying the CPA Code of Professional Conduct and seeking to enhance their ability to effectively manage ethics-related situations in accordance with professional responsibilities.