Challenges in the Adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards: The Experience of the Iberian Peninsula as a Front Runner (Public Sector Financial Management)

Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Abbreviations
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Organization of the IPSASB, Conceptual Framework and Claimed Benefits and Criticisms of IPSAS
	1.1 Introduction
	1.2 Organization of the IPSAS Board: History, Goals and Processes
	1.3 IPSASB: Conceptual Framework
	1.4 Claimed Benefits and Criticisms of IPSAS
	1.5 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 2: The Harmonization of Public Sector Accounting and Diffusion of IPSAS
	2.1 Introduction
	2.2 The Harmonization of Public Sector Accounting: Aims and Challenges
	2.3 Diffusion of the IPSAS in the International Context
		2.3.1 Anglo-American Countries
		2.3.2 Napoleonic Countries
		2.3.3 Germanic Countries
		2.3.4 Nordic Countries
		2.3.5 Latin American Countries
		2.3.6 Asian and African Countries
		2.3.7 Former Soviet and Central and Eastern European Countries
	2.4 EPSAS and Accounting Harmonization in the European Union
		2.4.1 The Specific Need for Harmonization Among EU Member States
		2.4.2 Genesis of the EPSAS Project
		2.4.3 Positions of Major Stakeholders Towards EPSAS
		2.4.4 Perspectives of Accounting Harmonization in Europe
	2.5 Conclusions
	References
Chapter 3: The Application of IPSAS in Portugal
	3.1 Description of the Normative Process
		3.1.1 The Portuguese Public Sector Accounting Reform
		3.1.2 Description of the New IPSAS-Based Accounting System
	3.2 Local and Central Government Experience
		3.2.1 The Pilot Entities
		3.2.2 Data Collection and Sample
		3.2.3 Implementation of the SNC-AP in Pilot Entities
		3.2.4 The Use of Consolidated Financial Statements in the Local Government
		3.2.5 The First Year of SNC-AP Implementation
	3.3 Critical Analysis of the Advantages and Disadvantages of the SNC-AP Implementation
	References
Chapter 4: The Application of the IPSAS in Spain
	4.1 Description of the Normative Process of Governmental Accounting in Spain
	4.2 The Central Government Experience
		4.2.1 The Adaptation to IPSAS: Main Changes in the Accounting System
			The Conceptual Framework of the General Governmental Accounting Plan
			The Valuation Criteria
		4.2.2 The Adaptation to IPSAS: Impact in the Financial Statements
		4.2.3 The Opinion of the Practitioners: Preparers and Auditors
			The Opinion of Preparers
			The Opinion of Auditors
	4.3 Regional Governments: The Heterogeneous Situation Inside the Country
		4.3.1 Accounting in Regional Governments: Political Context and Reform Guidelines
		4.3.2 Some Key Issues About the Autonomous Communities Accounting Reform
		4.3.3 Methodological Issues
		4.3.4 Analysis of Results
	4.4 Local Government Reform
		4.4.1 The Main Features of Financial Reporting in Spanish Local Governments
		4.4.2 The Experience of Practitioners
	4.5 Critical Analysis of the Advantages and Disadvantages of IPSAS Implementation
	References
Chapter 5: Comparative Analysis Between Portugal and Spain
	5.1 A Comparison of the Normative Process: Drivers and Actors
	5.2 Comparing the Advantages and Disadvantages of IPSAS Implementation
		5.2.1 Research Design
		5.2.2 Analysis of Results
	5.3 The Operationalization of Accounting Harmonization in the Public Sector
	References
Chapter 6: General Conclusions
	References
Index