The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), has released for consultation the first guidance on the skills and experience necessary to be an effective practitioner in integrated reporting (<IR>).
The document, entitled <IR> Competence Matrix (the matrix), aims at setting out the learning outcomes required of people to be competent in <IR> and its target audience is predominantly preparers. However the IIRC said on their website that the matrix was structured in a way that offers relevant content for a broader audience, including investors.
The IIRC said they had identified the need for <IR> training in the market and have developed the matrix as a response.
The matrix introduces two levels of competence with regards to <IR>: introductory and practitioner.
Introductory refers to individuals who need an understanding of <IR> but are not directly involved in the preparation of integrated reports, while the practitioner level is aimed at those individual directly involved in preparing the reports.
For both levels of competency, the IIRC document highlights four competence areas: integrated reporting, integrated thinking, preparing the integrated report preparation and implementing integrated reporting.
The matrix was developed by the IIRC in collaboration with an advisory group drawn from a wide range of countries and organisations, including but not limited to: EY, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, CPA Australia, PwC, KPMG, and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
The draft version of the <IR> competence matrix is available online for feedback until 16 September 2015.
