QUESTION POOL

1

How strongly do you feel the need for change in the role of the finance function within your own organization?

Not at all Strong                            Moderately Strong                                  Extremely Strong

2

Evaluate the following business practices in terms of their contribution to your perception of the need for change in the role of the finance function.

                                                                                                              Very little            Significant      Very Significant

Business Practices                                                                             contribution         contribution       contribution

·          Rising Shareholder Power

·          Government Legislation

·          Globalization

·          Advances in ICT

·          Management by process instead of function

·          Shared Service Centres

·          Procurement using workflow techniques

·         Integrated system of performance and information management

3

Does your organization have a management accounting function separate from its finance function? Please circle one option below.

        YES                     NO                          DO NOT KNOW

4

How has the role of the finance function and/or the management accounting function added value to your organization's main activities? (Please give a brief description).

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5

Do you use any of the following job titles in your management accounting and/or finance function/department? (You may 'tick' more than one box).

Job Titles

1.        Business Consultants - providing advice and support    ð                                           

2.        Business Analysts - acting as a financial specialist to management ð

3.        Technical Specialists - acting as the expert in ICT ð

4.        Chief Finance Officer (CFO) ð

5.        Chief Business Officer (CBO) ð

6.        Chief Operating Officer (COO) ð

 7.        Chief Information Officer (CIO) ð

8.        Chief Strategic Development Officer (CSDO) ð

6

How significantly have developments in computer hardware changed the methods of operation of the management accounting and/or finance department in your organization? Please circle one option below.

Not at all significant                                Significant                            Very Significant

7

How significantly have developments in computer hardware changed the structure of the management accounting and/or finance department in your organization?

Not at all significant                                Significant                            Very Significant

8

How significantly have developments in software technology changed the methods of operation of the management accounting and/or finance department in your organization?

Not at all significant                                Significant                            Very Significant

9

How significantly have developments in software technology changed the structure of the management accounting and/or finance department in your organization?

Not at all significant                                Significant                            Very Significant

10

How significantly have developments in telecommunications technology changed the methods of operation of the management accounting and/or finance department in your organization?

  Not at all significant                                Significant                            Very Significant

11

How significantly have developments in telecommunications technology changed the structure of the management accounting and/or finance department in your organization?

Not at all significant                                Significant                            Very Significant

     ð                                                ð                                                ð                                         

12

a) Within your own organization, is it part of the accountant’s role to enhance the financial awareness of managers without a financial background?

Not at all                                          Moderate part                            Extremely Strong part

    ð                                                ð                                                ð

b) How strongly do you believe that to enhance the financial awareness of managers should be a part of the role of the finance function within your own organization?

Not at all Strong                            Moderately Strong                                  Extremely Strong

      ð                                                ð                                                ð

13

Would you consider your role as a management accountant in the following areas as 'reduced' 'no change' or 'enhanced' in recent times?

Management accounting and/or finance role               reduced          no change       enhanced

·         Budgeting control    ð                               ð                                ð

·         Transaction processing    ð                           ð                           ð

 ·         Financing    ð                           ð                              ð

·         Stewardship    ð                        ð                              ð

·         Strategic issues    ð                     ð                          ð

 ·         Tactical issues    ð                        ð                      ð

·         Contingency planning    ð                     ð                   ð

 ·         Decision Support     ð                          ð                    ð

·         Value-Adding     ð                           ð                            ð

·         Risk/uncertainty management    ð                          ð                           ð

14

Which of the following management issues are you ‘less’ or ‘more’ involved with in your finance and/or management accounting role in your own organization.

                                                                                                Not at all          Less              More

                                                                                                 involved        involved       involved

v      Relationships with Core bank

v      Relationships with Local banks

v      Asset-liability Structure

v      Working Capital Management

v      Group funding policy

v      Local borrowings up to agreed budget level

v      Macro level Credit lines

v      Other Credit lines

v      Cash Management and all short-term investments

v      Dealing with short-term surpluses

v      Interest, currency and economic risk

v      Cost of capital

v      Currency of borrowings

v      Capital expenditure controls and evaluation

v      Capital expenditure projects within the unit’s agreed limits

v      Tax optimization

v      Dealings with the local tax authorities

v      Guarantees and any pledging of group assets

v      Dividend policy