Trade organization the Certified Management Accountants of Canada has produced a "CMA Competency Map" in support of national standards for the accreditation, continuing education and professional development of certified management accountants.

The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business will offer a weekend executive master of science in accounting, featuring a unique internal auditing focus.

Accountants have long wondered why their professional sector has remained, so, well, white.After all, in an industry where job market demands exceed the supply of professionals, just about anybody who can count the beans is welcome to join the firm.

Menlo Park, Calif. - The academic world is doing its part to groom future accountants for the new business environment, according to a survey from Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International Inc.

The usual suspects - including ethics offerings, legislative developments and accounting/auditing course staples - are expected to be the drivers of continuing professional education in 2006.The major players in a fairly mature industry repeat much the same mantra when it comes to talking about their plans for the coming year. The key to their success and their clients' satisfaction is staying current.

The American Institute of CPAs and the United Kingdom's Chartered Institute of Management Accountants have agreed to collaborate on developing products and services for their members. This partnership will allow the AICPA to offer additional professional resources to members working in business and industry, who account for nearly 50 percent of the institute's membership.

Legal and regulatory publisher BNA Inc. has launched Accounting Policy and Practice Report, a biweekly publication that focuses on accounting rules and their impact on corporate accounting.The publication -- launched through BNA subsidiary Tax Management Inc. -- features insights and analysis from practitioners on such topics as internal controls, revenue recognition intangibles, and pro forma reporting.

Federal government employees can now receive public sector financial management and strategic leadership training through a dual designation program developed by two international accounting bodies in consultation with the Office of the Comptroller General of Canada.

The expanding profile of women in the accounting profession will be the focus of the first Women's Summit hosted by the Work/Life & Women's Initiatives Executive Committee of the American Institute of CPAs.

A Minneapolis customizer and reseller of accounting software is among the first to launch a podcast targeting accounting and finance executives.

CCH Tax and Accounting, a provider of industry information and software, said that subscribers to their CCH Tax Research NetWork will soon be able to access tax-related content from BNA through the www.tax.CCHGroup.com portal.

The American Institute of CPAs and the Internal Revenue Service launched a partnership aimed at providing assistance to taxpayers at local disaster recovery centers established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The American Institute of CPAs has announced the winners of the 2004 Elijah Watt Sells Awards, presented annually to the candidates earning the highest cumulative scores on the four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination. The candidates must have completed testing during the previous calendar year and passed each exam section on their first attempt.

KPMG's 404 Institute, an open forum for accounting professionals, has a two-part Webcast series in their archives for registered users on SOX compliance technology.

SmartPros Ltd., a provider of accredited professional education and corporate training, recently reported its financial results for the second quarter and first half of the year.

Tax information providers CCH and RIA both released comprehensive explanations and practical analyses of the tax provisions contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005.

The Internal Revenue Service will scrap its plans to close 68 Taxpayer Assistance Centers after Congress insisted the agency further study the potential impact of the closures.

A group of congressional representatives has asked the Internal Revenue Service to hold off on plans to shut down 68 of the agency's Taxpayer Assistance Centers.

Accountants Global Network International-North America Inc., a network of accounting firms, is tackling two of the profession's challenges by looking to enhance the skills of experienced partners, and develop a firm's staff, in a more focused manner.

CCH Tax and Accounting launched a new feature for its online self-study courses last week, giving CPAs the opportunity to earn CPE credit around the clock, seven days a week.