About this learning event

This event aims to strengthen the network of regional experts in accounting and auditing, closely connected to ongoing and past certification programs that CEF and CIPFA has been delivering for around 20 years. During this networking activity, participants will discuss how to gradually transform the network of experts and tutors into community of professionals, and the vision for this community. They will also deepen their knowledge and skills in selected accounting and auditing topics and explore ways to bring these two professions closer together. Additionally, we will reflect on our experiences with the delivery of On-The-Job Trainings and discuss the future of certification programs and competency frameworks.

Participants will benefit from:

• Developing a shared vision to become a cohesive community of professionals
• Deepening expertise in selected accounting and auditing topics through in-depth discussions.
• Exploring ways to bring the accounting and auditing professions closer together
• Discussing the future direction of certification programs and competency frameworks
• Reflecting on experiences with On-The-Job Trainings and identifying best practices
• Identifying opportunities for further collaboration with CEF, CIPFA and peer-colleagues

Who should attend

Tutors of TIAPS & PACT certification programs (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia), and long-term regional experts. 

Faculty

The learning event will be delivered under the guidance of CEF, CIPFA, and regional experts:

• Alyson Stafford CBE, Director General, Scottish Exchequer

Alyson advises the Scottish Ministers and Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government, with an annual budget of £50bn. She is chair of the Infrastructure Investment Board, developing the National Infrastructure Mission for Scotland. Previously, Alyson was Director General of Finance for the Scottish Government. She holds an MA (Oxon), is an Associate Chartered Accountant of the ICAEW, and was awarded honorary membership of the CIPFA and the ICAS.

• Tina Toman Pfajfar, CEF Associate Fellow, Chief Internal Auditor

Tina has over 20 years of experience in internal audit, having held roles in the Slovenian Ministry of Finance, the Insurance Supervision Agency, and various insurance companies. She is currently Chief Audit Executive at Telekom Slovenije, overseeing group-level internal audit. Tina is a Qualified Internal Auditor, CRMA holder, and active in the Slovenian Institute of Auditors, where she serves as Vice President of the Governing Council.

• Khalid Hamid, International Director, CIPFA

Khalid Hamid has over 30 years of public audit experience. He has held senior roles in the UK, South Africa, and the UAE, including over a decade as Executive Director of the UAE State Audit Institution. Khalid also chairs the Financial Audit and Accounting Subcommittee of INTOSAI, supporting global public sector audit standards and governance.

• Steve Watkins, Senior Lead, International Partnerships, CIPFA

Steve has over fifteen years of experience working in marketing and business development and has spent the last ten years working within Professional Institutions and Associations, specializing in education, membership and training solutions. He has previous won numerous MemCom industry awards including Best Integrated Membership Campaign, Best Student Engagement Initiative. As the lead for international partnerships at CIPFA, Steve works with Governments, SAIs, PAOs and other relevant public sector entities to strengthen Public Financial Management globally. Steve is currently studying for Professional Certificate in AI in Business, holds voluntary management positions at his local badminton club and theatre company and has an MA in Creative Producing from the University of Kent.

• Liljana Cvetanoska, CIPFA expert

Liljana has worked in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors as a consultant on anti-corruption for a range of international organizations. She has contributed to aligning national legislation with EU standards, conducted research for Transparency International in Macedonia on corruption trends in EU candidate countries, and led the CIPFA–UNODC Corruption Prevention Program in North Macedonia and Mauritius. Currently, she serves as a technical manager at CIPFA, where she leads global initiatives on anti-corruption and integrity. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, an MA in Contemporary European Studies from the University of Bath, and a Master’s by Research in Law from Queen Mary University of London. Her PhD at the University of Sussex explored the EU's influence on corruption control in Central and Eastern Europe and earned her a Chancellor’s International Research Scholarship.

• Kaja Nadj, Officer, CEF

Kaja leads the Learning Program Team, responsible for preparing and delivering the Learning and Knowledge Sharing Program through diverse capacity development projects. These initiatives strengthen key functions in Public Financial Management and Central Banking, while also building people skills to foster collaboration and growth. She plays a central role in the strategic development and implementation of the program, with a strong focus on process efficiency and risk management.

• Jasmina Popović, Officer, CEF

Jasmina leads the team responsible for the Public Financial Management (PFM) thematic area, with a focus on Accounting, Financial Reporting, and Auditing. She plays a key role in co-developing learning and knowledge-sharing programs, managing projects, designing and delivering learning activities, and managing certification training in internal auditing and accounting. Before she joined CEF in 2014, she worked as a consultant at the Pension and Invalidity Insurance Institute of Slovenia, a project manager for EU program technical assistance, and a consultant at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

Partners

This learning initiative is supported by: