Special SAICA Board meeting held on 5 December 2021
Following an initial investigation and consideration, the SAICA Board convened on Sunday, 5 December, to consider the preliminary facts and to address the challenges experienced by candidates while writing their APC on Wednesday, 1 December 2021. Read the SAICA Board Digest for further steps related to the recent APC examination.
We refer to the SAICA public statement regarding the 1 December Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) sitting, which was published on 2 December 2021 and which you can access here.
The Board sincerely apologises to the APC candidates, their families and other affected stakeholders for the disruption caused by the technical shortcomings and want to assure candidates that it will do everything in its power to provide them with assistance and support.
Following an initial investigation and consideration, the Board convened on Sunday, 5 December, to consider the preliminary facts and to address the challenges experienced by candidates while writing their APC on Wednesday, 1 December 2021.
From the facts currently available to the Board, it appears that several problems were identified a few days before the writing of the assessment but that these were not escalated to the relevant executive authority and support divisions.
On the day of the assessment, candidates experienced several challenges, including Internet access, inadequate technical support from the limited number of technicians available, and laptops that were not meeting the required procurement standard. These technical issues meant that the candidates could not start writing at the scheduled time, which caused them further stress.
After much deliberation and taking various considerations into account, including the rules and principles underpinning the APC, the proposed way forward is as follows:
Board approvals
- Candidates have the opportunity to rewrite the 2021 APC assessment
We acknowledge the time invested by the candidates in preparing for and writing the APC. Candidates are encouraged to consider this rewriting option. Both assessments will be marked and candidates will be awarded the higher of the two results. The rewrite opportunity will be at a zero-rated fee in the first week of February 2022. SAICA will engage with various relevant stakeholders to address concerns regarding the rewriting of the APC and further communication in this regard will follow before 31 December 2021. - Responsibility and accountability
The Audit and Risk Committee (AUDCO) will provide overall oversight of the forensic investigations to be conducted to address procurement and service provider contract management matters, assessment process improvement, risk-related matters, and provide timeous feedback to the Board.
The Human Resources and Remuneration Committee (HR REMCO) will have oversight of disciplinary matters to ensure that there is adequate consequence management. The Board advised the CEO to consider, with guidance from the Human Resources Department, the immediate suspension of responsible parties to prevent interference in the investigation, aligned with the SAICA disciplinary policies and procedures for employees. Pending the outcome of the forensic investigation, disciplinary action will be considered against culpable parties.
The Social Ethics and Transformation Committee (SETCO) will have oversight of the stakeholder engagement matters including the evaluation of the candidates’ survey results, which will be independently analysed. The survey is outlined below.
- Stakeholder engagement
It was decided to conduct an independent online survey targeted at APC candidates to ensure that all examination challenges experienced by candidates are completely identified and addressed. The CEO will also continue with further engagements with candidates and other stakeholders.
The Board assures candidates and stakeholders that detailed oversight of this matter is in place and that further information in this regard will be communicated in due course.
Regards
Vincent Motholo
Chairman: SAICA Board