Most Recent CIMAPRO19-CS3-1 Exam Questions & Answers

From: Abdhulla Al- Waihabi, Regional Manager -- Middle East -- Slide

To: William Seaton, Director of Finance

Subject: Press article

Hi William,

I have just had a telephone call from a journalist at Business News to ask for a comment on a story that it plans to run. As you know, we purchased oil wells in the AZ40 field last year in order to bring them back to full production. We got the wells for a good price because the previous owner was struggling to maintain oil pressure and it appeared that the recoverable reserves in that field were close to exhaustion. Our experts worked out a plan to drill a hole and pump water into the well to force more oil to the surface. That is a standard industry technique. Our geologists are the best in the industry and so we are better than most at bringing wells back on stream.

It now appears that we are being blamed for an environmental catastrophe. Our pumping station is only one kilometre from the sea and there are reports of oil coming to the surface along the coast close to where we are operating. We have only just started operations and there are fears that we have ruptured a rock formation with our high pressure pumping.

I have ordered an immediate halt to all pumping activity, but the oil could continue to bubble up for years. The coastal area has some important coral reefs and there are fishermen who depend on shellfish that can be found there.

I told the journalist that she would have to wait for a response from Slide's Board. Business News is a European newspaper, so any comment from you will carry more weight anyway.

I am sorry to be the bearer of such bad news.

Abdhulla

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Six months have passed since you briefed William Seaton, Director of Finance on the relationship between Slide and Fouce Oil.

You have been called into William Seaton's office:

''We had a visit from the Chief Executive Officer of Fouce Oil yesterday. We had not received any prior notice of the purpose of the visit and assumed that he simply wished to make a courtesy call while he was visiting Fouce Oil's subsidiary in this country. Instead, he came to initiate discussions over a strategy of collaboration on oil exploration.

Rather than explain things myself, please read the memorandum of understanding that he has asked us to sign. It is self-explanatory.

Once you have read the memorandum, I would like you to email me your thoughts on the following:

The suitability of this proposal for Slide.

The likelihood that Fouce Oil's strategic interests will clash with our own.

The strategic risks that are likely to arise because of this arrangement.

The manner in which this strategic relationship should be communicated to the stock market.

I realise that this is a challenging request, but I need your response quickly because we need to respond to Fouce Oil.''

The Memorandum of Understanding can be found by clicking on the Reference Materials button.

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Two months have passed since the threatened disruption of the building work on the biomass power station. The threat has been resolved and work is again under way on the development.

You have received the following email from Peter Sorchi, CEO:

From: Peter Sorchi, Chief Executive Officer

To: Senior Finance Manager

Subject: Wildlife survey

Hi,

I tried to obtain some trustworthy advice from your boss this afternoon, but have come away feeling quite unsure that we are on the same wavelength.

As you know, the law in Marland is very clear concerning the protection of rare species of wildlife. Before building work commences on our new power station the Government will send a survey team to check for the presence of protected species. The attached article shows how sensitive an issue this can be.

As part of our corporate social responsibility, every one of Wodd's forestry teams has a small team of wildlife officers, whose job is to survey the forest and to identify all natural habitats. Trees can grow undisturbed for many years in a commercial forest before they are harvested and so natural habitats can become well established. Our wildlife surveys enable us to limit the harm done when trees are felled.

One of Wodd's wildlife officers in the North Forest has submitted a report on the sighting of a rare species of bat in the area that will be cleared for the power station. The report states that these creatures tend to be difficult to observe because they only come out very late at night and tend to roost in dense forest. This could, potentially, delay the start of work for six months while the bats are captured and relocated. Relocating the bats will also be expensive.

The Finance Director's advice was to ask the wildlife officer to change the report, stating that the original version was submitted in error and that the sighting occurred in a completely different part of the forest, well away from the planned construction site. There is only a small possibility that the Government inspectors will find the bats during their own inspection. In the event that they do then Wodd can claim that it was unaware of the bats' presence.

This whole exchange raises a number of issues for me.

Should we spend shareholder money on protecting wildlife in our forests?

What are the implications for our internal control system of the Finance Director asking for this report to be changed?

What are the difficulties in motivating our wildlife officers and how might we overcome these?

The Chairman is always complaining about how the executive directors are too aggressive when it comes to making a profit. How might I address that concern?

I would appreciate your response on each of the above issues.

Peter

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The following email has been forwarded to you by William Seaton, Director of Finance:

From: William Seaton, Director of Finance

To: Finance Manager

Subject: Email from CFO of Fouce Oil

Hi

This email arrived last night. I need you to help me to think through the various implications of doing what it suggests before I present it to the Board. I need you to focus on the following issues:

Would this proposal make sense from a strategic point of view?

If we did decide to go ahead, what would be the issues that we would have to consider with respect to informing the stock market?

Could you please email me your thoughts within the next hour? I have to brief the Board later today.

Thanks

William

The email referred to can be found by clicking on the Reference Materials button.

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You have received the following email from Marcus Svenson, Finance Director:

From: Marcus Svenson, Finance Director

To: Senior Finance Manager

Subject: News reports

Hi,

I have sent you a link to a news site on the internet. Things are getting complicated in Bravador.

Every Board member has been asked to attend a brainstorming session this afternoon, before the CEO flies out to Bravador this evening. We will be considering the following four matters:

Is it acceptable for us to develop this forest, given the commitment that we have made with respect to indigenous peoples' rights? They have been quoted at the end of the news article.

Is it fair for the environmental protestors to complain that our operations are unsustainable?

Would it be unethical to offer to build a village, with a proper school and medical clinic, for the tribe and to offer them work in our forestry operations?

Is it really a good idea for the CEO to fly to Bravador just to appear on the television news in his boots and overalls?

Please email me your thoughts on each of these matters before I leave for the meeting this afternoon.

Marcus

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