Advancing Government Accountability
AGA: The Thought Leader in Government Financial Management
The AGA Southern Wisconsin Chapter supports the careers and professional development of government finance professionals working in federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector and academia. Chartered in 1966, our Chapter has a long history of providing education and conferences to the government community in the Madison area. The Southern Wisconsin AGA reaches hundreds of professionals and provides a minimum of 18 continuing professional education (CPE) hours annually. We are a membership organization that is affiliated with the national AGA. There are over 16,000 AGA members world-wide.
Here are just a few of the exciting programs currently under way at AGA:
- The Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) ProgramSince its inception in 1994, the CGFM has become the standard by which government financial management professionals are measured. Its education, experience and ethics requirements have served to elevate the most seasoned financial professionals. More than 13,000 individuals have received the designation so far.
- The Citizen-Centric Government Reporting InitiativeThe AGA has launched the Citizen-Centric Government Reporting Initiative as a new opportunity to connect citizens and government. This initiative encourages governments to produce and publish an annual ‘state of the government’ report that is no more than four pages long. The reports, designed to be visually appealing, provide understandable information to citizens about the financial condition and performance of the government. The initiative is being piloted in localities across the country, and AGA is working with public interest groups interested in civic engagement, good government, transparency and accountability – along with their own local chapters — to promote this project among local government officials.
- The Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR) ProgramAGA’s CEAR Program has been helping federal agencies produce high-quality Performance and Accountability Reports since 1997. The program was established in conjunction with the federal Chief Financial Officers Council and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to improve financial and program accountability by streamlining reporting and improving the effectiveness of such reports. AGA advises agencies on how to prepare integrated and user-friendly Performance and Accountability Reports that clearly show what an agency accomplished with taxpayer dollars and the challenges that remain.