Reports submitted to the CAnFR program are reviewed by selected members of the GFOA professional staff and a review committee, which comprises individuals with expertise in Canadian public-sector financial reporting and includes financial statement preparers, independent auditors, academics, and other finance professionals.

Using checklist designed to determine compliance with both generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), as set by the Public Sector Accounting Board of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and program policy

GFOA staff and selected reviewers from government, the public accounting profession, and academe who possess specialized expertise in governmental financial reporting, typically as a result of either preparing or auditing a report that has received the award.