PrintNSF/ACIPFAL Score Again!
The 2007 NSF Conference topped the conference league table, to judge from the appreciation shown by delegates at the end of the one day conference.
This year sound and sometimes surprising advice suggested the path to the Chief Executive’s office may be to hone those followership skills and think people, not finance!
Kicking off was Hays, reminding students to qualify………..what they put on their CV: does ‘self-motivated” suggest ‘unmanageable’, does ‘well rounded’ imply ‘not much good at anything’? A varied portfolio of experience is important, but change jobs too often and you may come across as flighty! First impressions still matter and members of the audience were prompted to stand up and practice their meet and greet skills. Hays presentation (PPT, 1.2Mb)
CIPFA President John Butler followed with a look back over his career, demonstrating the power of memory as he recalled the days of the IMTA, ‘correspondence courses’ and handwritten ledgers. John then brought us right up to date announcing the signing of a mutual recognition agreement with CPA Australia. Students can now gain that variety of experience beyond sectors and even beyond borders, through the growing global recognition of the unique and invaluable skills of CIPFA members.
E&T Director, Adrian Pulham doesn’t have to go too far back to understand what CIPFA students are going through: he is one! Studying the professional qualification through our partnership with Warwick University, Adrian is getting a real feel for the CIPFA student experience, gaining invaluable insights to inform the next phase of the education strategy.Adrian Pulham's presentation (PPT, 244kb)
There was a lively reception given to Adrian’s announcement of the latest piece of the strategy, CIPFA’s blended learning support package, going live in February 2008. This exciting move forward will create increased opportunities for students to engage with learning through enhanced interaction online and face to face tuition. Adrian, who brings to this initiative significant experience in successfully delivering similar projects, encouraged all students to air their concerns and to keep feeding back to us as the development unfolds. Email rebecca.bazeley@cipfa.org if you'd like to contribute your thoughts.
Blending humour with the serious message of the value of personal integrity was Chris Duffield, Town Clerk and Chief Executive of City of London. Offering a warm and insightful look at his portfolio of experience, Chris suggested that a good leader starts as a good follower, embodying competence, variety of experience, empathy and above all, integrity. Echoing the previous speakers, the message again was, once you’ve got the technical know how under your belt, focus on the people! Chris Duffield’s presentation (PPT, 7.5Mb)
A new element to the conference this year was the programme of afternoon workshops. Exemplifying Adrian’s emphasis on engagement and interaction, students participated in workshops focusing on topics from exam success to working as a consultant.
Dedication is also a quality found in abundance amongst CIPFA lecturers and is recognised in individuals through the Excellence in Education award, a wholly student nominated award. This year’s winner was Kim Woods of CETC South East.
Delegates crowded the stands to hear the first lady of football, Karren Brady, Chief Executive, of Birmingham City Football Club share her secrets to success. Students clearly enjoyed her down to earth recounting of how she transformed the fortunes of Birmingham City, and the questions flowed, even as the wine was being poured for
the reception at the close of the day.
Karren’s practical approach to work and life was echoed in the advice she offered students, summed up by: “its not the hours you put in, but what you put into those hours – Press on!
The evening ended with speeches from the incoming and outgoing NSF Chairs – Jonathan Causton and Johanna Taylor respectively and Rachel Banfield, Chair of ACIPFAL. Flowers were plentiful, in appreciation for the hard work of the Chairs over the year and their achievement in organising what was commonly held to be the best NSF/ACIPFAL Conference yet!