Introduction to RPG
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Introduction to Recommended Practice Guidelines
Sets out the purpose, mandate, and non-authoritative good-practice status of Recommended Practice Guidelines (RPGs) issued by the IPSASB for General Purpose Financial Reports (GPFRs) that are not financial statements.
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The Introduction to Recommended Practice Guidelines provides the background, purpose, and non-authoritative good-practice status of the RPG series issued by the IPSASB. It sets out the critical distinction between authoritative IPSAS Standards and non-mandatory RPG Guidelines.
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Purpose & the IPSASB's Broader Mandate
A one-page preamble to a second, non-authoritative pronouncement family
Recommended Practice Guidelines (RPGs) are developed and approved by the IPSASB – the SAME body that develops IPSAS. This brief Introduction sits ahead of the RPG series (RPG 1–3) the way the Cash Basis IPSAS Introduction sits ahead of that Standard, but for an entirely different kind of pronouncement.
The IPSASB's objective: serve the PUBLIC INTEREST by setting high-quality public sector accounting standards, and facilitating their adoption/implementation This enhances the QUALITY and CONSISTENCY of practice worldwide, and strengthens the TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY of public sector finances In pursuit of this, the IPSASB issues BOTH IPSAS Standards AND RPG Guidelines, for use by national/regional/local governments and related governmental agencies
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IPSAS vs. RPG – the Critical Distinction
IPSAS Standards – authoritative, statement-focused
IPSAS relate to GENERAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, and ARE authoritative
This is the entire body of literature covered throughout the rest of this library – IPSAS 1 through IPSAS 51, plus the Cash Basis IPSAS. These establish binding REQUIREMENTS an entity must meet to claim compliance.
RPG Guidelines – non-authoritative, GPFR-focused
RPGs provide guidance on GOOD PRACTICE in preparing General Purpose Financial Reports (GPFRs) that are NOT financial statements – and do NOT establish requirements
A GPFR is a BROADER category than financial statements – it also covers narrative reporting on service performance, long-term fiscal sustainability, and management discussion/analysis. RPGs currently cover ALL pronouncements relating to this non-financial-statement GPFR territory.
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What RPGs Do and Don't Cover
What RPGs DO provide
Guidance on GOOD PRACTICE for preparing non-financial-statement GPFRs A recognized IPSASB pronouncement TYPE, carrying the Board's institutional endorsement even without binding force
What RPGs deliberately DON'T provide
RPG Guidelines do NOT establish REQUIREMENTS – unlike IPSAS, there is no compliance statement to make, and no "shall" language creating binding obligations. RPGs ALSO do NOT provide guidance on the LEVEL OF ASSURANCE (if any) to which the resulting information should be subject – that's left entirely outside their scope.
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Related Guidance & What Comes Next
The three RPGs this Introduction precedes
GuidelineSubject
RPG 1Reporting on the Long-Term Sustainability of an Entity's Finances – cross-referenced earlier in this library from IPSAS 42's encouraged long-term sustainability reporting section
RPG 2Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis
RPG 3Reporting Service Performance Information
All three RPGs, like this Introduction, are non-authoritative – they guide practice without imposing binding requirements, complementing the authoritative IPSAS body of literature covered throughout the rest of this library.