Key success factors in implementing international public sector accounting standards

Abstract

There is a worldwide debate regarding the implementation of IPSAS due to the potential obstacles that may face governments when they start moving to the full accrual basis. Of equal importance is that each country has its own needs and thus it must be examined separately to find out the factors that may motivate or limit the effective adoption of IPSAS. This study, therefore, aims to explore the key success factors when it comes to adopting IPSAS in Jordan. A 39-item questionnaire was devised and sent to 500 employees who were working in public entity departments. Only 326 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 65.2%. The results suggested that the most important factors were local legislation and the infrastructure, while the training of staff came at the bottom of list. These results are important to regulators for drawing up a clear road map for transferring fully to IPSAS.