Audit & Risk Awards 2019: Top tips from the judges

The judging panel for this year's Audit & Risk Awards will be chaired by the editor of Audit & Risk and will include the chief professional practice adviser at the Chartered IIA, senior internal audit practitioners with a range of expertise and experience in different sectors and a representative from our sponsor, PwC.

Judging will take place in July 2019 and the shortlist will be published online and in Audit & Risk magazine in September.

Please note: the deadline for nominations is 30 August 2019.

The judges’ decision is final.

Judges will be asked to consider:

1. Did the entry answer the all questions required on the form?
2. Did the entry provide sufficient evidence to support its claims?
3. Did the entry provide evidence of exceptional performance?

Judges’ tips from previous years

• Read the full criteria carefully and ensure that you fulfil all the requirements. 
• Pick the correct category. Strong entries in the wrong category will not be considered. Entrants are advised to read the entire form before they start filling it in. For example, they should note that Best Newcomer is for individuals, not teams.
• The strongest entries provide plenty of evidence, demonstrate work over and above what is expected of an internal auditor, along with high-level endorsements, including from the audit committee chair. Team nominations benefit from a strong endorsement from the HIA and senior management in the business.
• Strong entries tell a clear story explaining as simply as possible the reasons for any changes/developments, how the nominee(s) implemented these, or addressed challenges, and the results their actions had. They avoid jargon and concentrate on the motives, actions and outcomes. The number of words allowed for entries is limited, so entrants should feel free to use bullet points and lists where helpful.
• Seek endorsements in good time – strong entries will suffer if they do not include strong endorsements and these can take time to gather together. The judges cannot judge what they cannot see.
• Read the notes attached to the fields on the entry form. These offer reminders of the most important points of information to include.
• Small teams are encouraged to enter. Large organisations do not have a monopoly on good practice and innovation.
• Self-nomination is fine as long as it is accompanied by the required evidence and endorsements.
• Organisations are free to enter in more than one category as long as they fulfill the criteria, fill out separate entry forms for each entry and provide the correct evidence and endorsements.
• Anyone with any queries about categories or entry forms should contact the editor of Audit & Risk at ruth.prickett@iia.org.uk.

This will be the fifth year of the Audit & Risk awards and each year they’re attracting more entries, more attention and more great stories that showcase the achievements of internal audit teams and leaders across the UK and Ireland. But we can’t do this without you. We need you to nominate individuals and teams and to tell us about the fantastic things you’re doing.

Key dates

• The deadline for all entries is 30 August 2019.
• The shortlist will be announced in September 2019.

This article was first published in May 2019.