AICPA Board Revises Committee Structure

The AICPA board of directors approved a restructuring of the Institute’s volunteer committees, adopting, in their place, a new task-force-based model.

As a result of the changes, about 50 committees will not continue in their current form. However, the Institute will review their in-progress initiatives and continue important projects using the task-force approach. This approach relies on project-oriented member groups, which can be appointed to achieve a result and then disbanded.

Standing committees will remain under the new structure. Those committees will support four specific functions: bylaw-required committee operations, strategic initiatives, quality assurance and public-protection functions and member benefits/coordination matters. Also, specialized market-segment panels will be set up to handle specific technical issues.

In addition to the new task forces, standing committees and market-segment panels, a cross-functional group of members from various segments of the profession will be established. This new group will be responsible for identifying emerging issues and for capturing the most significant marketplace concepts. Those issues identified will be quickly and effectively transformed, by yet another group comprising volunteer leadership and AICPA senior management and staff, into opportunities for generating member benefits.

The AICPA board based its decision to move to the new model on extensive research that included a committee on committee operations pilot study involving three separate committees. The new structure will increase the Institute’s ability to keep pace with rapid changes taking place in the profession and the marketplace.