The International Accounting Standards Board (Board) is asking investors to provide feedback on its Third Agenda Consultation to assist in prioritising the Board’s work from 2022 to 2026.
We’d like to hear your views on the strategic direction and balance of our activities – for example, how much time we should spend on developing new IFRS Standards compared with that spent on other activities such as supporting consistent application of the Standards. The Board would also like investors to comment on the criteria for adding projects to its work plan and on which financial reporting issues the Board could add to that plan.
It’s essential that investors provide feedback to inform the Board’s work because they are the end customers for the output of IFRS Standards—companies’ financial statements. The Agenda Consultation is stakeholders’ best opportunity to put forward financial reporting issues for the Board to consider. We expect to have limited capacity to add new projects to our work plan, so it’s essential that investors make their issues and priorities known.
What is the consultation about?
The consultation seeks feedback on three areas to help the Board determine where and how much of its time to devote to various activities and projects. Those areas are:
- the strategic direction and balance of its activities;
- the criteria for adding projects to its work plan; and
- which financial reporting issues it should prioritise.
Investors can respond to the three focus areas, but many choose to focus primarily on the last—helping to assess the priority of financial reporting issues, as improving financial reporting requirements is the impetus for their involvement. Although the Board is currently working on a few major projects that will continue, we have developed a list of 22 potential new projects based on our ongoing engagement with stakeholders, although you are absolutely welcome to suggest new areas the Board should explore as well.
Where to find out more
For a slightly longer summary of the project and the role investors can play, you can access our Investor Perspective on the Agenda Consultation here. (6 pages)
For those that are more media inclined, we’ve put together three short videos from our Chair Hans Hoogervorst; Board Member Nick Anderson; and Executive Technical Director Nili Shah.
Finally, you can also click here to read the full Request for Information Third Agenda Consultation. (56 pages)
The consultation period ends on 27 September 2021. Investors can submit a comment letter here. Alternatively, if you are unable to submit a full comment letter you can instead complete a survey. We would also like to meet with investors to explore feedback in detail. If you would be interested in participating in this way, please contact the Investor Engagement team at investors@ifrs.org.
Zach Gast was appointed as a member of the International Accounting Standards Board (Board) in 2020. From Maryland, USA, he has more than 20 years of investment experience. Prior to joining the Board, Zach worked at the Center for Financial Research and Analysis (CFRA) – a provider of independent investment research – where he served as president, directing the organisation’s forensic accounting and equity research strategy. Before that he served as a senior vice-president at Paulson & Co investment managers from 2009 to 2013 and as the sector lead for financial sector equity analysis at the CFRA from 2005 to 2009. Mr Gast also served as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council. He has an MBA from Georgetown University.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of CRUF participants.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author as an individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Accounting Standards Board (Board) or the IFRS Foundation (Foundation). The Board and the Foundation encourage members and staff to express their individual views. This article has not undergone the Foundation’s due process. The Board takes official positions only after extensive review, in accordance with the Foundation’s due process.