V CICP 2026: V Public Sector Accounting International Congress IPB Mirandela, Portugal, March 19-20, 2026

Conference website	https://vcicp.occ.pt/pt/
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=vcicp2026
Abstract registration deadline	January 12, 2026
Submission deadline	January 12, 2026

About Congress on Public Sector Accounting 

The 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress is a technical-scientific initiative organised by the Portuguese Order of Certified Accountants (OCC) in partnership with several higher education institutions. It stands as an international platform for debate and knowledge sharing on public sector accounting and financial management. The Congress on Public Sector Accounting has held four editions:

• 1^st Public Sector Accounting International Congress (2016, Setúbal): dedicated to the implementation of the Public Sector Accounting Standards System.

• 2^nd Public Sector Accounting International Congress (2019, Lisbon): focused on public financial management reform.

• 3^rd Public Sector Accounting International Congress (2021, Aveiro – online): held during the pandemic, reflecting on digitalisation and the connection between public accounting and Industry 4.0.

• 4^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress (2024, Leiria): highlighted the challenges of public accounting in a changing world and launched the “Professor João Carvalho” Research Award.

Throughout its editions, the congress has consolidated itself as a reference forum for scientific and professional debate in the field of public sector accounting, fostering research, innovation, and good practices at both national and international levels.

The theme of the 5^th edition is: “Public Sector Accounting and Accountability: Global Challenges and Opportunities.”.

 

1. Date and Venue

The 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress will take place on 19–20 March 2026, at the School of Public Management, Communication and Tourism of the Bragança Polytechnic University, in the city of Mirandela.

 

2. Organisation

This event is jointly organised by the Portuguese Order of Certified Accountants (OCC) and the School of Public Management, Communication and Tourism of the Bragança Polytechnic University (EsACT-IPB).

 

3. Paper Submission

The 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress will address the theme “Public Sector Accounting and Accountability: Global Challenges and Opportunities”, promoting a broad reflection on transparency, accountability, and the ability of public administrations to adapt to an increasingly complex international context. The event highlights the importance of public accounting as a tool for accountability, institutional trust, and innovation in public financial management, while encouraging research, international cooperation, and the sharing of best practices.

Open to a wide diversity of current topics, the congress seeks to stimulate interdisciplinary and complementary approaches, foster the dissemination of scientific knowledge, and promote the sharing of experiences and transfer of know-how between academics, researchers, and professionals. This edition also aims to reflect on emerging trends and global challenges in public accounting and accountability, highlighting their impact on education, research, and professional practice in a context of growing demands for transparency, responsibility, and innovation.

This call for papers invites submissions that explore, among other topics, history of public sector accounting, the implications of accountability, the usefulness of financial reporting, the adoption of accrual accounting, sustainability, and the impact of technological advances on public financial management. Both theoretical and empirical studies are welcome, using qualitative and/or quantitative methods, conceptual papers, or literature reviews that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Interdisciplinary and practice-oriented research is also encouraged.

Topics for submission may include, but are not limited to:

1. History of public sector accounting.
2. Public sector accounting education and research.
3. Public sector accounting for public value creation.
4. Public sector financial reporting.
5. New tools and digital technologies for public sector accounting, reporting, and audit.
6. Public policy decision-making and the use and/or usefulness of public sector accounting information.
7. Digitalisation support for the use of public accounting information for accountability and decision-making.
8. New trends and innovative forms of financial and sustainability reporting.
9. Use of big data in public sector management and reporting.
10. Use of accrual accounting and sustainability reporting information by stakeholders.
11. Sustainability reporting through technology and digitalisation.
12. Public audit.
13. Management accounting and control.
14. Public governance.
15. Public management and organisations.
16. Public sector accounting standards.
17. Accounting and reporting standards for the non-profit sector.
18. Other public sector accounting and auditing topics.
19. Research project.
20. Open session (other topics).

As usual, papers outside the main theme will also be accepted, provided they are related to public sector accounting and public financial management.

Considering the national and international scope of the congress, papers (articles or research projects) may be written and presented in Portuguese, English, or Spanish.

 

4. Important Dates

• Submission deadline for full papers (including workshop) or extended abstracts (minimum 2 pages): Until 12 january 2026
• Notification of acceptance: Until 3 february 2026
• Deadline for submission of final versions: Until 19 february 2026
• Registration deadline for authors with accepted papers: Until 19 february 2026

 

5. Submission Guidelines

Papers must be submitted through the EasyChair platform (HERE), according to the rules defined below. 

Each paper must be submitted as a PDF file, with no element identifying the author(s), including the file properties.

If the papers are not submitted in English, an additional version of the title, abstract, and keywords must be provided in English. 

Papers should be presented on A4 pages, 2.5 cm margins, 1.5 line spacing, justified text, Times New Roman font, size 12, with the following structure:

• Page 1 (cover page):

• Congress title
• Paper title
• Thematic topic (see section 3)
• Authorisation (or not) for publication of the full paper (see section 9)

• Page 2 onwards:

• Abstract
• Keywords (up to 5)
• Main body of the paper

Tables, images, graphs, or other elements may be included, in colour or black and white, and must be properly identified within the text.

The paper must follow the APA Style – American Psychological Association, 7^th edition.

Submitted papers must not exceed 8,000 words, including abstract, references, and any appendices.

The Organising Committee assumes that the submission of a paper is known to and agreed upon by all authors, and it is necessary to indicate the corresponding author.

Each participant may submit a maximum of three papers, which must be original and not previously published, either as a single author or in co-authorship.

 

6. Research Workshop

In addition to the papers mentioned above, the 5^th International Congress on Public Sector Accounting aims to provide an opportunity for all ongoing research projects (arising from master’s, doctoral, or other programmes seeking funding) to be presented and discussed.

Projects must fall within one of the proposed topics (see section 3), and various methodological approaches will be accepted.

Projects must be submitted via the EasyChair platform, in the “Projects” track, following the rules defined below.

Each research project should preferably follow this structure:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Description of the research problem(s)/question(s)
• Objective(s)
• Contribution(s)
• Theoretical framework / literature review
• Methodology
• Results / Expected results
• References

Only one research project proposal may be submitted per participant/author, who must be identified as the corresponding author and will be responsible for presenting the project.

Supervisors (or other team members) will be listed as co-authors of the research project for the purposes of the congress.

The project must be presented on A4 pages, with 2.5 cm margins, 1.5 line spacing, justified text, Times New Roman font, size 12, with the following content:

• Page 1 (cover page):

• Congress title
• Project title
• Thematic topic (see section 3)
• Type of project: master’s, doctoral, other

• Page 2 onwards:

• Abstract
• Keywords (up to 5)
• Main body of the project

Tables, images, graphs, or other elements may be included, in colour or black and white, and must be properly identified within the text.

The document must follow APA Style – 7th edition.

Submitted projects must not exceed 3,000 words, including abstract, references, and any appendices.

 

7. Evaluation and Notification

Submitted papers/projects will be evaluated by two members of the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress Scientific Committee (double-blind refereeing process).

 

8. Congress Registration

Complete papers will only be included in the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress programme if the presenting author completes their registration by 19 February 2026. Registration must be completed through the Congress microsite, which will soon be available on the OCC website.

 

9. Publication of Papers

All abstracts of the papers included in the programme of the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress will be published in the abstracts book of the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress, in both print and digital formats, with an ISBN.

A thematic special issue on Public Sector Accounting is planned for publication in the Accounting and Management Review (AMR), in 2026, based on the communications presented at the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress.

The Call for Papers for the AMR special issue will be announced in due course.

Given their nature, research projects will not be eligible for any type of publication.

 

10. Best Paper Award

The The Scientific Committee of the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress will the “AMR” Award. The Award recognises the best papers that stand out for their excellence among peers and whose authors apply for the Award. During the submission process (EasyChair), authors will be prompted to indicate if they wish to be considered for the “AMR” Award, signalling their willingness to publish their work in the Accounting and Management Review. 

Winners of the “AMR” Award will receive a certificate and a monetary award of €500 (1st place) and €400 (2nd to 5th place), in recognition of the quality of their research.

The awarding of the prize requires the submission of the paper for publication in the Special Issue of the Accounting and Management Review 

The “AMR” Award will be announced at the closing session and will be presented to authors registered at the 5^th Public Sector Accounting International Congress.