1. Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) Awards Program
Government Finance Officers of Missouri
October 11, 2017

2. What is a PAFR? Brief format Easily readable report
Geared toward a target audience
Uses simple language – avoids accounting jargon
Uses data from Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)

3. Why Publish a PAFR?
To communicate the entity’s finances to ordinary citizens and others who are challenged by traditional reports.
Use of graphs, charts and tables are a better means of communicating than traditional financial statement format.
Focuses on the important information geared to target audience.
Submission to GFOA who will provide constructive comments for improvement.

4. PAFR Award Program
Once submitted, PAFR is reviewed by a panel of 4 reviewers.
Feedback is provided to help improve future reports.
PAFRs with scores of 75% or higher are granted the award.

5. Program Eligibility
Must Publish a CAFR and submit it to GFOA for annual Certificate of Achievement award.
Must receive CAFR award for that year’s report.
PAFR must clearly advise readers of the availability to view the CAFR.

6. Program Eligibility
If PAFR only contains information from selected funds from the CAFR, a description of the funds included and not included must be stated.
Information contained in PAFR must be on a GAAP basis as contained in the CAFR.

7. Program Eligibility
Narrative and graphic analysis must be provided.

8. GFOA Award Rating Criteria
Point Value
Reader Appeal
10.0%
Understandability
25.0%
Distribution
7.5%
Other
Overall Quality and Usefulness
50.0%

9. Rating Criteria Reader Appeal - 10% Report is short Format is logical
Easy to read type
Appealing type
Photographs enhance

10. Rating Criteria Understandability - 25% Avoids Jargon
Chart/graph enhance data
Narrative highlight
Trend information
Minimizes misinterpreting

11. Rating Criteria
Distribution – 7.5%
Target Audience
Mode

12. Rating Criteria Other – 7.5% Notable Achievement Innovative
Useful to users
Useful to Legislature
Makes entity attractive

13. Suggestions Strive for: Avoid: Be Brief Graphs, Photos Creativity
Positivity
Define your audience
Distribute to your audience
Mix in new approaches
Large documents that overwhelm
Too much narrative
Boilerplate, duplicated information
Discussions of woe
Irrelevant information
Limited availability
Same storyline year-after- year

14. Missouri Entities Receiving a GFOA PAFR Award
2016 Results Fiscal Years
Blue Springs Maryland Heights
Clayton MOSERS
Creve Coeur MSD
Des Peres Richmond Heights
Jefferson City Webster Groves
Kansas City Wentzville
Source: GFOA website: