Classroom courses
Drawing on more than 35 years of experience as the voice for the public service finance and audit communities, ACFO-ACAF’s classroom courses are built on real-life examples and case studies, focusing on priority areas for skills development and professional growth. Whether developed in house or tailored with the support of our trusted training partners, ACFO-ACAF’s classroom training is uniquely geared towards the needs of our members.
Leadership Foundations
Provider: ACFO-ACAF
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 16
CPD hours: 14
As the finance and audit functions become increasingly integrated with program operations, finance and audit professionals are increasingly called on to be leaders with a firm understanding of the business of government and how to motivate cross-functional teams. This two-day course will equip participants with the foundational skills needed to be an effective leader in government.
The course will cover
- Strengths and weaknesses of different leadership archetypes and styles
- The importance of leading with emotional intelligence
- How to ensure strategic alignment and lead for impact
- How to manage change
- The critical roles of diversity, inclusion and psychological safety
Winter Term
- February 12-13 – Online – English
- February 26-27 – Online – French
Communication Essentials
Provider: ACFO-ACAF
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 16
CPD hours: 7
Ensure you have the ability to get your message across in an effective way. Participants will learn about the fundamentals of communication with a specific focus on scenarios and document types that anyone who works in a finance, accounting or audit function may encounter in their work. You will walk away more comfortable with:
- public speaking and preparing presentations;
- email etiquette;
- preparing briefing notes;
- and more.
Participants will also learn how to identify and categorize client / audience types to help refine and tailor communications products to suit their needs.
Fall Term
- September 18 – In-person (Ottawa) – English
Winter Term
- January 15 – Online – English
- January 23 – Online – French
Having Difficult Conversations
Provider: ACFO-ACAF
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 16
CPD hours: 7
Difficult conversations are a natural part of the modern workplace but many finance and audit professionals struggle with them or, worse, avoid them altogether, allowing tensions to fester and escalate.
This course provides a framework for preparing for difficult conversations as well as useful tips on how to manage conflict and de-escalate potentially volatile workplace interactions. Participants will have an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in mock exercises and also discuss their experiences in difficult conversations with the group.
Fall Term
- November 6 – In-person (Ottawa) – English
Winter Term
- January 21 – Online – English
- February 21 – Online – French
Upholding Workplace Ethics
Provider: ACFO-ACAF
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 16
CPD hours: 7
Finance and audit professionals carry a heavy burden when it comes to workplace ethics. With a direct line of sight into the financials of an organization and with access to the books that serve as the basis for reporting, it’s no wonder that integrity and ethical conduct are cornerstones of the profession.
This course explores the issues related to ethics for finance and audit professionals with a specific focus on common issues in public sector workplaces. From attestations to disclosing wrongdoing and even ethical considerations in your daily interactions with coworkers, this hands-on course covers a wide range of relevant topics and practical examples of ethical issues public sector finance professionals could face in their careers.
Fall Term
- November 13 – In-person (Ottawa) – English
- November 27 – Online – French
Winter Term
- March 5 – Online – English
Fostering Trust and Developing Influence
Provider: ACFO-ACAF
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 16
CPD hours: 7
Take your interpersonal skills to the next level. Learn how to recognize and articulate the unique value of your role, then how to persuade people of that value and influence business and strategic decisions while establishing trust with your colleagues, clients and supervisors. Learn more about the cognitive biases that can hamper good decision making and apply your influence and persuasion skills through interactive exercises and scenario work.
Participants will walk away with a better understanding of:
- the evolving role of the finance professional;
- how to identify and articulate the value of their profession;
- how to establish trust with colleagues, clients and supervisors
- how to make persuasive arguments;
- how to identify their own biases and how those biases affect influence; and
- the role of emotion in communicating and influencing decision making.
Fall Term
- December 4 – In-person (Ottawa) – English
Winter Term
- January 29 – Online – French
- February 5 – Online – English
IFSD 360°
Provider: Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy
Eligibility: CT-FIN 2 and above, CT-IAU 2 and above, or CT-EAV 4 and above
Number of spots: 20
CPD hours: 35
IFSD 360° is a unique five-day course designed for leadership-bound public servants seeking to understand the big picture in how money and politics impact government, governance, and outcomes. IFSD 360° complements other skills-based courses targeting the financial officer community with original case-based content and the participation of experts and public figures. Gain an insider’s perspective by debating and discussing with Canadian leaders from all sides of the financial cycle, including politicians, journalists, political staff, and senior public servants.
The course is broken down into five modules:
- Due-diligence and costing: Sharpen your analytic skills to improve your due-diligence and costing techniques with expert presenters and a case study based on a real file;
- Estimates: Leverage the experiences of current and former parliamentarians to unpack, explore and debate the need for reform of the estimates process and existing proposals;
- Forecasting: Learn to identify and unpack the information buried in the budget with veteran public servants, economic analysts and former political staff;
- The financial cycle: Explore the politics, fiscal and economic considerations of transition with those who have orchestrated, managed and experienced it; and
- Effective communications: Using multiple case studies, refine your skill in communicating complex information through briefing notes, interdepartmental presentations and oral briefings.
Fall Term
- September 23-27 – In-person (Ottawa) – English, but instructors can take questions in French
Introduction to Power BI
Provider: Daxel
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 12
CPD hours: 14
This two-day course is designed for those with little to no experience with Microsoft Power BI. This intensive course will take participants from basic principles and concepts through best practices in using Power BI, concluding with a chance to apply the learned concepts in a truly hands-on and immersive way. This course has been developed in partnership with Daxel’s Julie Foucault, a Microsoft Certified Professional Associate in Business Intelligence Reporting.
Learning Outcomes
- Master the Microsoft Power BI Service environment
- Build an interactive report with Power BI Desktop application
- Develop strategies to pursue Power BI learning
Fall Term
- October 3-4 – Online – English
- October 15-16 – Online – English
- October 17-18 – Online – French
Winter Term
- January 16-17 – Online – French
- March 3-4 – Online – English
Mental Health First Aid
Provider: Mental Health Commission of Canada
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 15
CPD hours: 9
MHFA Standard is the support provided to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis. During the course, participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being, and how to provide support to that person through the MHFA actions.
Participants will complete a two-hour online module on their own time before participating in a full-day training session as part of a group.
Fall Term
- September 4 – In-person (Ottawa) – English
Winter Term
- February 5-6 – Online – French
Language test preparation (pilot)
Classroom-style learning | In-person or virtual (TBD)
Note: Applications now closed
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 32 (TBC)
CPD hours: 20
This pilot program will offer support to members who are preparing for language testing. Selected members will first complete a language assessment then be placed in a group with others at the same level to complete prep courses later in the year.
As this is a pilot, details will need to be confirmed, but selected participants will receive 20 hours of classroom training in a group with other participants preparing for the same level testing. Costs for the initial assessment, all materials, and the course time will be covered.
We expect the assessments to take place in the spring with training being offered in the fall, but dates will be confirmed based on instructor availability once the assessments are complete.
Presentation skills
Classroom-style and experiential learning
Virtual and in-person components
Note: Applications now closed
Eligibility: All ACFO-ACAF public service members
Number of spots: 4
CPD hours: 5
Want to work on your presentation skills? Eager to be part of ACFO-ACAF’s flagship development day? Four members will be selected via the Spring Lottery to take part in Spring Tune Up. The selected members will participate in a presentation skills bootcamp, then an in-person practice session in Ottawa, before delivering their 15–20-minute presentations at a special CT Community Showcase Stage at Spring Tune Up on May 23!
This offering will include:
- Presentation skills bootcamp (virtual) – Early May (final date TBD based on participant availability)
- In-person practice session (Ottawa) – May 22
- 20-minute presentation on the CT Community Showcase Stage at Spring Tune Up (Ottawa) – May 23
