CIMA: Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector
With increasing demand for greater transparency and accessibility in corporate reporting, interest in Integrated Reporting has grown in recent years. Yet the benefits of using this approach extend far beyond the production of user-friendly published accounts. This report highlights the wider benefits of <IR> to public sector organisations, identifying relevant international examples.
Although initially developed with corporate users in mind, the emphasis of <IR> on value beyond profit has many benefits for public sector organisations. Unlike traditional corporate reporting, this more flexible approach enables organisations to focus clearly on how they and their stakeholders define value in the short, medium and long term.
<IR> drives integrated thinking, which promotes a better understanding of the impact of decisions on the value creation process, taking into account the broad range of factors relevant to that process, not just short-term financial considerations. This emphasis encourages better decision making, greater transparency and a longer-term perspective, all of which are crucial to the sustainability of public services.