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Thought leadership

Our thought leadership content addresses the challenging questions in accountancy. We share innovative thinking and fresh perspectives from finance experts to drive the sector forward, push boundaries and empower a world of stronger economies.

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Technology

Financial Modelling code

ICAEW’s Excel Community has worked with modelling experts, taking a half dozen methodologies and paring down to the widely accepted beliefs about what constitutes good modelling to inform the Financial Modelling Code.
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Corporate reporting

Shaping sustainability standard setting

In this thought leadership report, ICAEW’s Corporate Reporting Faculty analyses the key features of accounting standard setting and considers the challenges faced by sustainability standard-setters.
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Audit and Assurance

Sharpening the focus on corporate fraud
Sharpening the focus on corporate fraud: an audit committee perspective
This report from ICAEW's Audit and Assurance Faculty considers audit committee perspectives on the nature and extent of corporate fraud and what the corporate sector is doing to improve the chances of preventing and detecting it.
Audit quality how to raise the bar
Audit quality: how to raise the bar
What steps can and should audit committees, audit regulators, investors and auditors in the UK take to improve audit quality? This essay from the Audit and Assurance Faculty examines audit quality in terms of ownership, behavioural aspects, and structural drivers.
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Audit quality: the role of standard-setting
What role do auditing standards play on audit quality? This essay from the Audit and Assurance Faculty examines how audit standards affect audit quality, and what changes could be made both to international standards and local UK standards to improve audits.
Internal controls reporting
Internal controls reporting: sketching out the options
What might a future framework for reporting on internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) look like? This essay from the Audit and Assurance Faculty examines various reporting frameworks, including COSO and the UK Code, as well as how these fit in with Sir Donald Brydon’s recommendations.
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Business

Digitalisation of tax
The internet of things and accounting: lessons from China
By hugely increasing their access to data, the internet of things can help organisations make smarter decisions and better manage people and assets. But, more than this, it can make possible wholly new strategies and business models.
Finance business partnering guide
Practical advice for those considering business partnering initiatives and those looking to improve their approach.
The finance function: A framework for analysis
How does your finance function compare and how do you deal with the inherent tensions we highlight?
Business performance management: When not to measure
When not to measure, provides some ideas on why measurement systems are not resulting in the behaviours your organisation desires.
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Corporate Governance

The new boardroom agenda

The key to success in any organisation is long term, sustainable growth but managing that is harder than ever. This content series explores the central role board members play in this endeavour.
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Corporate Reporting

Target
Shaping sustainability standard setting
In this thought leadership report, ICAEW's Corporate Reporting Faculty reflects on the lessons learned from accounting standard setting and how these might shape the development of future sustainability reporting standards.
Moving to IFRS reporting: seven lessons learned from the European experience
  • PDF (366kb)
The report aims to provide practical insights and recommendations for policy-makers, regulators, standard-setters and other interested parties in jurisdictions that have recently adopted IFRS, or are considering introducing or extending the application of IFRS reporting.
Business models in accounting: the theory of the firm and financial reporting
  • PDF (2,453kb)
Business Models in Accounting: The Theory of the Firm and Financial Reporting forms part of the Information for Better Markets thought leadership programme of the ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty.
Non financial reporting ensuring a sustainable global recovery
Practical suggestions on how the EU and international actors can support the collaborative development of non-financial reporting standards.
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Financial Services

Ethical use of big data in financial services
Big data and artificial intelligence are changing financial services. ICAEW’s Financial Services Faculty looks at the effects on banks, insurers, payments businesses and investment managers.
Finance business partnering guide
Practical advice for those considering business partnering initiatives and those looking to improve their approach.
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Public Sector

Local government finance: skills for the future

Improving financial skills is critical in balancing the books and delivering value for citizens. ICAEW explores how local authorities can strengthen their approach to financial management.
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Sustainability

Sustainability image with a plant and money jar
Connecting sustainability and finance
A practical guide offering support on how finance professionals can better connect sustainability and information, performance and disclosures. And a look ahead as to what this means for the future of corporate reporting.
Target
Shaping sustainability standard setting
In this thought leadership report, ICAEW's Corporate Reporting Faculty reflects on the lessons learned from accounting standard setting and how these might shape the development of future sustainability reporting standards.
Climate roundtable publication
A report summarising thoughts shared at a roundtable discussion on recent climate reporting, including findings from faculty research.
Non financial reporting ensuring a sustainable global recovery
Practical suggestions on how the EU and international actors can support the collaborative development of non-financial reporting standards.
All

Tax

Digitalisation of tax: international perspectives

Digitalisation is transforming how tax is reported and paid, with significant innovation and investment occurring in countries of all kinds. Read our report for more. 
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Technology

Digitalisation of tax: international perspectives
Digitalisation is transforming how tax is reported and paid, with significant innovation and investment occurring in countries of all kinds. There is no single pathway to digitalisation, as our case studies show, but there is something to be learned from all of them.
Automation in finance
Automation in finance functions: lessons from India and the UK
Drawing on real-life experiences, this collaborative thought leadership report by ICAEW and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) considers how finance functions can harness automation to deliver greater value to business and the skills needed by accountants in the future.
Risks and assurance of emerging technologies
Risks and assurance of emerging technologies
Cognitive and automation technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) have drawn a great deal of interest, but also concern about the potential for bias and misuse. ICAEW’s Tech Faculty examines the risks associated with the adoption of emerging technology and how these risks can be tackled through internal controls and assurance.
Digitalisation of tax
The internet of things and accounting: lessons from China
By hugely increasing their access to data, the internet of things can help organisations make smarter decisions and better manage people and assets. But, more than this, it can make possible wholly new strategies and business models.
All

Technology: Excel

Twenty principles for good spreadsheet practice
Twenty principles for good spreadsheet practice
The ‘Twenty principles for good spreadsheet practice’, is a list of key spreadsheet considerations that could save you hours of effort or help prevent a career-ending spreadsheet catastrophe.
Financial Modelling code
  • PDF (755kb)
ICAEW’s Excel Community has worked with modelling experts, taking a half dozen methodologies and paring down to the widely accepted beliefs about what constitutes good modelling to inform the Financial Modelling Code.
How to review a spreadsheet
Reduce the risk that your spreadsheet gives you the wrong answer.
Financial Modelling code
Improve your financial modelling practice
ICAEW’s Excel Community has worked with a broad swathe of modelling organisations and experts, taking a half dozen methodologies and paring down to the commonly held, widely accepted beliefs about what constitutes good modelling.
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Trust and Ethics

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Future enterprise: assessing forms of business
  • PDF (387kb)
Our paper future enterprise: assessing forms of business gives an overview of the main forms of business used today and explores whether they are truly serving the needs human enterprise of the 21st century or whether there might be better alternatives, perhaps modelled on the human networks we form in private life.
Acting in the puyblic interest a framework analysis
The public interest
How do you make a decision in the Public Interest?
Real integrity – Practical solutions for organisations seeking to promote and encourage integrity
Real integrity report
  • PDF (724kb)
Practical solutions for organisations seeking to promote and encourage integrity. This research report looks at the meaning of integrity and how it can be promoted in organisations.
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Instilling integrity in organisations
  • PDF (227kb)
This publication includes a number of suggested questions that directors could pose to determine the role of integrity in their organisation, and how it is assessed and instilled.
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Fresh perspectives

Insights specials

One-off Insights specials that focus on a particular subject – identifying developing trends and examining the underlying issues.
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Research

Academic research, funding and reports

Through ICAEW's charitable trusts, we aim to fund the highest quality accounting and finance academic research and events.
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Academic research funding and reports

Thought leadership archive

Take a look at some of our older thought leadership reports.

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