Federal government chief financial officers (CFOs) of today find themselves scrambling in more directions than a good bartender on New Year’s Eve. And no wonder. Pressures for accountability and performance have never been higher.

The truth is, though, the job itself is getting much harder to do. In the absence of agency chief operating officers and with increasing financial responsibility, federal government CFOs have been given a breathtaking range of new responsibilities — some of which come with the potential for jail terms. That’s probably not what you had in mind when you started your career. Are there CFOs who still manage to do it all? You bet. They’re the ones who decide for themselves what “all” really means.

Breathing Lessons addresses challenges particular to CFOs in the public sector. For example:

• In the private sector, CFOs focus on achieving value through return to shareholders and Wall Street. In the federal government, CFOs must demonstrate value through efficient and effective mission delivery.
• Federal government CFOs are striving to meet Congressional and taxpayer expectations to employ the same financial discipline expected by private industry. However, federal government CFOs live in a political environment.
• In federal government organizations, CFOs attempt to lead by example by holding down costs. However, this has sometimes led CFOs to not make needed investments in financial systems, internal controls and people — some systems and processes are being held together with duct tape and bailing wire.
• Reliable data are critical. Federal CFOs still experience difficulty capturing accurate and timely data for internal decision-making and Congressional requests.

For the full report, download the booklet below.

Related Content: 
Resources: CFO Center 
Resources: Federal Financial Management Solutions Center
Services: U.S. Federal Government