Public Administrators’ Understanding of External Financial Reporting: It Begins with Curriculum

Abstract

State and local governments’ external financial reports contain important information for the citizenry and government stakeholders. However, unless information in those reports is readily consumable, public trust may erode. It is important that public administrators understand and effectively communicate results from these reports, skills that are embodied in the universal required competencies established by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration. This article is designed to be a resource for teaching external financial reporting in these programs. We first provide a graphical depiction of the external financial reporting model as prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and discuss key elements of it. We then discuss the production and uses of these reports. These discussions should help future public administrators understand the mechanics of reporting and the challenges related to the production and use of these reports. Such understanding should facilitate the communication of these reports.