The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) has announced the expansion of its Competency Framework at the annual IMA Accounting and Finance Conference.
The enhanced blueprint is designed to define the professional needs of management accountants and financial professionals, developing solutions that include education, certification, skills development, research, and insights.
This initiative ensures that practitioners remain “strategic business partners”.
The new framework incorporates skills that are increasingly necessary in the modern business landscape, addressing broader, cross-functional competencies.
These skills are crucial for finance and accounting professionals and enable IMA to connect with individuals in related fields such as data analysis, business operations, information technology, and project management.
These professionals often collaborate with finance teams and face similar objectives and hurdles.
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By GlobalDataIMA president and CEO Michael DePrisco said: “The IMA Competency Framework is a fresh, future-ready blueprint designed to guide your growth and development. It’s built to reflect where accounting and finance are going, not just where they’ve been, and the skills and competencies required for success. It’s about giving professionals the confidence and clarity to own their next move and the knowledge and tools to prove it.”
IMA’s updated blueprint underscores the significant role and the evolving abilities required in the accounting profession.
The offerings from IMA now mirror the fundamental capabilities necessary to excel in current job roles and future career opportunities.
The framework is particularly beneficial for businesses and enterprises, where IMA’s programmes are grounded in a competency model that is relevant across various finance and accounting positions, ensuring that learning is aligned, scalable, and directly connected to business outcomes.
The comprehensive framework outlines each domain and the associated competencies, providing actionable advice for professionals, employers, organisations of different sizes and industries, educators, and regulators.
Earlier in April 2025, the IMA reaffirmed its commitment to the global accounting community by renewing its associate membership with the ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA).
