Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Big Society

Postgraduate Diploma for Leaders in Finance (PgLiF)

CIPFA and Warwick business school are currently working on a new programme to replace the successful Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance and Leadership (PDPFL). PDPFL was aimed at equipping senior level staff with the skills and qualifications required to operate at the very highest level of public services.

The new programme should be out in Autumn 2011, with an intended course start date of early 2012,until then we won’t be enrolling students on PDPFL, but you can register your interest by emailing cetc@cipfa.org.uk or calling 020 7403 4300.

This programme will build on the key features of the previous programme, primarily the opportunity for senior public service managers to achieve the CPFA qualification within a 2-year timescale, with relatively little out of office time.

About the new programme?

Who is it for?
It is specifically designed for Finance Directors and executive managers from across the public and third sectors that do not hold a professional accountancy qualification, but may already hold senior financial responsibilities.

Why choose this qualification?
As an executive level manager you are pivotal to the effective running of your organisation. CPFAs are highly valued and influential leaders in public financial management across the UK and internationally. This course will support you in:

Entry Requirements
To join the programme, you should hold a 2.1 or higher undergraduate degree, be a Finance Director or equivalent grade, and have significant management responsibilities and financial management experience or exposure. Final admission will be subject to a rigorous interview process.

Study Requirements
Gaining CPFA status requires a substantial commitment to master a wide portfolio of skills and competencies, covering what is normally a 3-year syllabus within 24 months. Applicants for this course must understand that significant levels of self-study are required to supplement the classroom teaching.

It is envisaged that there will be 30 study sessions of 3 days each across the 2 years of the course. Final arrangements are still being developed, but the sessions will probably run from Thursday to Saturday.

Assessments
Although final decisions have yet to be ratified, it is hoped to assess student’s knowledge and competences through a mix of written assessments and examinations. The timing and range of these is yet to be concluded. However, it is known that students will have to undertake the Professional Case Study exam from the CPFA exam schedule as the final test of the programme. Therefore some of the study sessions will be spent equipping students to pass this challenging final assessment.

More information
if you would like to find out more information about the programme we are developing or to register your interest please email cetc@cipfa.org.uk or call 020 7403 4300.