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Financial Management (FI) Group

Education

  1. The minimum standard for positions classified at the FI 2 level and above is always met either through education or occupational certification.
  2. Is there a difference between a degree in accounting and a degree with a specialization in accounting?
  3. Can the manager of the position being staffed require higher than a baccalaureate when staffing positions classified as FI 2 and above?
  4. Can a manager require an occupational certification other than the CA, RIA or CMA or CGA?
  5. Can the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), administered and certified by the Institute of Internal Auditors, be considered as a “recognized professional accounting designation” for staffing in the FI Group?
  6. Does having the first two levels of the CGA program count as completion of two years of a post-secondary program?
  7. Can the manager use an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience or the PSC test approved as an alternative to university graduation for positions classified as FI 2 and above?
  8. Does the federal public service accept foreign educational credentials from candidates?

Specialization

  1. Does a manager have to identify one of the five areas of specialization specified in the qualification standard for positions classified as FI?
  2. The minimum requirement for FI 2 and above is graduation with a degree from a recognized university with a specialization in accounting, finance, business administration, commerce or economics and experience related to positions in the Financial Management Group. What is meant by “experience related to positions in the Financial Management Group”?
  3. As indicated in note 2 of the FI Qualification Standard, the term “specialization” refers to a significant number of courses in a particular field of study as determined by the manager. These courses must have been taken in a recognized educational institution (for the FI 1 level) or university (for FI 2 and above) but not necessarily within a post-secondary or degree program in the required specialization.”

Grand-parenting or acquired rights

  1. What is meant by a "grand-parented" employee, in the context of the FI education standards? What are they entitled to?
  2. If a "grand-parented" FI is appointed indeterminately to another occupational group and subsequently wishes to be appointed or deployed back to the FI Group, is he/she still deemed to meet the minimum educational standard (i.e. does the grand-parenting provision continue to apply to him/her)? What happens if he/she is appointed or deployed to a position in an organization that does not staff under the authority of the PSEA?
  3. What is the status of former employees of the FI Group who are now working in organizations that do not staff under the authority of the PSEA, e.g. Parks Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency?
  4. What is the status of former employees of the FI Group who are now working at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?
  5. What happens when an FI employee applies to an advertised process for a position in the FI Group and the educational requirement is raised above the minimum? Is the employee deemed to meet the higher educational requirements if he/she has acquired rights?
  6. Is there a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the employer and separate agencies that would “grand-parent” individuals with regard to the FI Group Qualification Standard?

Education

1. “The minimum standard for positions classified at the FI 2 level and above is always met either through education or occupational certification.”

a. Does this mean that a person with an occupational certification would meet the minimum standard without possessing a degree from a recognized university?

Yes. The financial community wanted to recognize the professional accounting designation as meeting the minimum requirement for any position that is classified as FI 2 or above. Therefore, whenever the minimum education is requested, the wording may be “graduation with a degree from a recognized university with a specialization in accounting, finance, business administration, commerce or economics and experience related to positions in the Financial Administration Group” or “eligibility for a recognized professional accounting designation (i.e. CA, RIA/CMA or CGA).”

b. Can a manager request both the education and occupational certification?

As noted above, the minimum standard for positions classified at the FI-2 level and above is always met either through education or occupational certification.

Therefore, normally the occupational certification (i.e. eligibility for a recognized professional accounting designation) would satisfy the educational requirement of a university degree and vice versa and the manager would not need to request both as a minimum standard.

However, in reviewing the work of the position being staffed, if the manager determines that both the minimum education and occupational certification are required, he/she may request both but must be in a position to justify that decision, when necessary.

2. Is there a difference between a degree in accounting and a degree with a specialization in accounting?

Yes. In the case of a university degree in accounting, it is the educational institution conferring the degree that determines if a student meets the requirements for a degree in a particular field of study. However, it should be noted that the way in which a university identifies a degree can vary from one university to another and can also vary over time within a given university.

In the case of a university degree with a specialization in accounting, it is the manager of the position being staffed who determines whether the candidate has an acceptable number of courses in a particular field of study to constitute a specialization. Departments may wish to establish internal policies on this matter.

3. Can the manager of the position being staffed require higher than a baccalaureate when staffing positions classified as FI 2 and above?

Yes, the manager may raise the educational requirements for the position by:

  • asking for a degree higher than a baccalaureate (e.g. a master’s degree with an acceptable specialization in accounting);
  • asking for specific specializations (e.g. a degree with an acceptable specialization in accounting and economics); or
  • specifying the type of degree (e.g. a degree in statistics with an acceptable specialization in accounting).

The decision to raise the minimum educational requirements should be substantiated by the duties to be performed.

4. Can a manager require an occupational certification other than the CA, RIA or CMA or CGA?

No, the only recognized professional accounting designations the manager may ask for are the CA, RIA/CMA or CGA.

5. Can the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), administered and certified by the Institute of Internal Auditors, be considered as a “recognized professional accounting designation” for staffing in the FI Group?

No, the occupational certification for the FI 2 and above specifically refers to a professional accounting designation. The CIA designation is not an accounting designation; it is a certification for internal auditors, and remains the standard by which individuals demonstrate their competence and professionalism in the internal auditing field.

6. Does having the first two levels of the CGA program count as completion of two years of a post-secondary program?

It is the recognized educational institution that determines if the courses taken by a candidate correspond to two years of a post-secondary program at that institution. The Level II of a professional accounting designation would not automatically mean that the candidate has completed two years of a post-secondary program as it relates to the FI standard. The candidate would need to present evidence from a recognized educational institution, identifying that the courses taken correspond to two years of a post-secondary program.

7. Can the manager use an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience or the PSC test approved as an alternative to university graduation for positions classified as FI 2 and above?

No. Alternatives to university graduation do not apply to positions classified as FI 2 and above – therefore, neither a combination of education, training and/or experience nor the PSC test approved as an alternative to university graduation can be accepted in lieu of the university degree. As a minimum, candidates must have a university degree with specialization in accounting, finance, business administration, commerce or economics AND experience related to positions in the Financial Management Group.

8. Does the federal public service accept foreign educational credentials from candidates?

The federal public service will accept foreign educational credentials as long as a recognized credential assessment service has deemed them comparable to Canadian standards. If the candidate was educated outside of Canada, he/she must have his/her certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian educational standards. This will enable him/her to provide proof of Canadian equivalency when applying for a job in the federal public service.

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) assists persons who wish to obtain an assessment of their educational, professional and occupational credentials by referring them to the appropriate organizations. The CICIC does not itself grant equivalencies or assess credentials, nor does it intervene on behalf of individuals or in complaints to the Public Service Staffing Tribunal. For more information on the assessment of foreign educational credentials, visit the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials website.

Specializations

9. Does a manager have to identify one of the five areas of specialization specified in the qualification standard for positions classified as FI?

Yes, the manager must identify at least one of the areas of specialization specified in the education standard for positions classified as FI—accounting, finance, business administration, commerce or economics.

10. The minimum requirement for FI 2 and above is graduation with a degree from a recognized university with a specialization in accounting, finance, business administration, commerce or economics and experience related to positions in the Financial Management Group. What is meant by “experience related to positions in the Financial Management Group”?

The experience required must be related to financial management and relevant to the FI position being staffed. It can be acquired in the Public Service as well as through other means, e.g. private sector, volunteer work, self-employment, etc. The manager would determine acceptability depending on the duties to be performed.

11. As indicated in note 2 of the FI Qualification Standard, the term “specialization” refers to a significant number of courses in a particular field of study as determined by the manager. These courses must have been taken in a recognized educational institution (for the FI 1 level) or university (for FI 2 and above) but not necessarily within a post-secondary or degree program in the required specialization.”

a. What is a "significant number of courses" with regard to specialization?

The number of courses required in a specific field of study is to be determined by the manager in accordance with the position being staffed and the current and future needs of the organization. Departments may wish to establish internal policies on this matter.

b. What is meant by “not necessarily within a post-secondary or degree program in the required specialization”?

The courses for the specialization do not have to be taken within a specific program. The courses may have been taken while completing a post-secondary education, or separately at a later date, as long as they were taken in a recognized educational institution (for the FI 1 level) or in a recognized university (for FI 2 and above). It is up to the manager to determine whether the candidate has an acceptable/significant number of courses to constitute a specialization for the position being staffed.

Grand-parenting or acquired rights

12. What is meant by a "grand-parented" employee, in the context of the FI education standards? What are they entitled to?

An “employee”, as defined in section 2 of the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA), is grand-parented if, on August 1, 2004, he/she was an indeterminate incumbent of a position in the FI Group or a person appointed or deployed, for an indeterminate period, to a position in the FI Group after that date as the result of staffing transactions started before August 1, 2004. Under this provision, the employee is deemed to meet the relevant minimum educational standard for the FI Group. However, when the educational standard is raised, the grand-parenting provision no longer applies.

13. If a "grand-parented" FI is appointed indeterminately to another occupational group and subsequently wishes to be appointed or deployed back to the FI Group, is he/she still deemed to meet the minimum educational standard (i.e. does the grand-parenting provision continue to apply to him/her)? What happens if he/she is appointed or deployed to a position in an organization that does not staff under the authority of the PSEA?

As long as the employee was an indeterminate incumbent of a position in the FI Group on August 1, 2004, or appointed or deployed for an indeterminate period to a position in the FI Group after that date as the result of staffing transactions started before August 1, 2004, and remained an employee as defined in section 2 of the PSEA, that employee may leave the FI Group and return and retain his/her “grand-parenting” protection. However, if the person ceases to be employed in an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA, he/she is no longer considered an “employee” and loses his/her grand-parenting protection. If that person subsequently wishes to return to an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA, he/she would need to meet the minimum educational standard in order to be appointed to a position classified as FI.

14. What is the status of former employees of the FI Group who are now working in organizations that do not staff under the authority of the PSEA, e.g. Parks Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency?

Since these organizations do not staff under the authority of the PSEA, an individual who has chosen to work in one of these organizations would no longer be considered an “employee” and would, therefore, lose his/her grand-parenting protection. He or she would need to meet the minimum educational standard for appointment back into the FI Group.

15. What is the status of former employees of the FI Group who are now working at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?

A former FI who became a CRA employee maintains his/her grand-parenting protection as long as this person was an indeterminate FI on August 1, 2004. CRA’s enabling legislation provides its employees the right to be considered for appointments or deployments as if they were “employees” as defined in the PSEA. However, if an employee moves to a separate agency that does not staff under the authority of the PSEA, the grand-parenting provision would no longer apply and the person would need to meet the minimum educational standard if he/she wishes to return to an organization that staffs under the authority of the PSEA.

16. What happens when an FI employee applies to an advertised process for a position in the FI Group and the educational requirement is raised above the minimum? Is the employee deemed to meet the higher educational requirements if he/she has acquired rights?

No. Acquired rights/grand-parenting protections do not apply when the educational requirement is raised above the minimum. The employee would need to meet the higher educational requirement.

17. Is there a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the employer and separate agencies that would “grand-parent” individuals with regard to the FI Group Qualification Standard?

Yes. Indian Oil and Gas Canada and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions have entered into an MOU to grand-parent indeterminate incumbents of positions that are equivalent to FI on August 1, 2004.

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