Features
Stay up-to-date with topical issues from the world of internal audit and discover how industry professionals are shaping the market.
Explore our extensive back-catalogue of A&R features below
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2023
November/December
View from the Institute: Thank you – recognising the value of Council directors, staff and members
“Many Council members serve on Institute committees and all except the CEO contribute their time and energy free of charge to champion the profession and support the Institute for the benefit of all. We are hugely grateful to all of them for their ongoing and vital work," writes Anne Kiem OBE, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Culture – listen, understand and plan ahead
“Culture and behaviour interacts with so many other risk areas. There are many powerful undercurrents in our society today and we need to understand these to deal with them effectively,” says Sandro Boeri, President of the Chartered IIA.
If you ask one question this week, make it this one: Am I ambitious enough – for myself, for the team and for internal audit in my organisation?
What does it mean to be human? Nina Schick posed that question to the Internal Audit Conference in October and asked internal auditors to think deeply about the implications of generative AI and machine-created data.
Skills for the future: the times they are a-changin'
“You better start swimmin’/Or you’ll sink like a stone” – Bob Dylan may not have been thinking of internal audit when he wrote this in 1964, but we are being deluged with change and it is creating fast-flowing currents. What does it mean for the profession and internal audit skills development?
Award-winner case study – Kingfisher internal audit
A two-year change programme won Kingfisher’s internal audit team the A&R Award for Outstanding Team – Private Sector. What did they do and what have they achieved?
Winning combinations – Chartered IIA special interest networks
Among the Chartered IIA’s special interest networks, there are three communities that aim to support specific demographics, rather than those currently working in the same area – for internal auditors who are women, from an ethnic minority background or new to the profession. What do they offer and who can benefit?
Win-win opportunities – the benefits of nominating for the A&R Awards
There are more things to gain from submitting a strong nomination for the Audit & Risk Awards than a winner’s trophy. What are the potential benefits – and what do you need to do to get them?
Stay on track – changes to the IIA CPE requirements
Continuing professional education (CPE) is an essential component of membership – and everyone benefits from it. So what do you need to do and why is it more important than ever to stay up to date?
Q&A – You asked us – November 2023
Giving presentations on internal audit; the benefits of an internal audit manual; undertaking a fraud investigation; implications of a bankruptcy.
September/October
View from the institute: Change: develop and adapt
“At times of rapidly emerging risks, organisations need assurance, a critical view of their own exposure and advice on best practice more than ever. If internal audit does not provide this, they will look elsewhere,” says Anne Kiem, CEO, of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: transparently honest – what makes a strong anti-bribery programme?
“A proactive stance against bribery and corruption is about more than simply meeting your legal and ethical obligations. It is about contributing to long-term sustainability and stakeholder trust,” writes Armoghan Khan, Senior Director and Head of Internal Audit at Aetna International.
Outside the box: If you ask one question this week, make it this one.
Who could I nominate for the Audit & Risk Awards and what makes a strong nomination?
Creative curiosity – interview with Dr Rosa Vásquez Espinoza.
Dr Rosa Vásquez Espinoza explains why her experiences as an Amazon jungle scientist should resonate with delegates at this year’s Internal Audit Conference.
Influence builder – Steven Welsh on winning the A&R Inspirational Leader Award
Steven Welsh took up his role as Chief Internal Auditor at Funding Circle with a remit to increase internal audit’s impact. His abilities to win friends and influence people won him the Audit & Risk Award for Inspirational Leader.
Minds matter: the psychology of internal auditing strategies
Matt Cox considers the psychology of internal auditing strategies and why internal auditors need to understand each one for their reports to create real change.
Collect, connect and protect – internal audit's role in climate change assurance
Organisations have an urgent need for improved climate change assurance. Steven Brown argues that this is an opportunity that could unlock the unseen potential of internal audit.
Tools for the job – leadership styles
Internal audit leaders should understand how the impact they have on their team translates into team success. Colin Hunter, CEO at PotentialSquared, asks how you can assess your leadership impact and adapt your style in challenging times.
Training insights – Introduction to Professional Internal Auditing
We often hear that people don’t understand internal audit and what internal auditors do. That is why members of the Chartered IIA should encourage more people to go on the Introduction to Professional Internal Auditing course, says Stephen Maycock.
Q&A: You asked us – September 2023
Considering geopolitics; writing insightful audit reports; planning a payroll audit; embarking on unfamiliar internal audit work.
July/August
View from the institute: Vision – our three-year objectives
“With a new Chief Executive on board working closely with the Council, it seemed the perfect time to reassess where we are today and where we want to be in three years’ time,” write Peter Elam, President, and Anne Kiem, CEO, of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Success drivers – the factors that enable internal audit impact
“The process of submitting a nomination for the Audit & Risk Awards was both reflective and humbling. Even if the team had not been successful, the process recognised its achievements and we found it a rewarding experience. Winning the award led to benefits not only for the team, but also for the wider organisation,” says Maria Craig, Director of Internal Audit at Homes England and incoming Chair of the IIA Global Professional Certifications Board (PCB).
Outside the box: If you ask one question this week, make it this one.
What can I do to make internal audit attractive to the next generation?
Earn while you learn: the value of internal audit apprenticeships.
Internal audit apprenticeships are becoming ever more attractive – to candidates and to their employers. What is involved and why should more people consider them?
Shifting sands: navigating geopolitical risk
Geopolitical risks are escalating, yet many organisations and managers are unprepared and lack the skills to respond effectively. How can internal audit offer assurance in this area and support corporate risk management approaches, asks Derek Leatherdale.
Last issue we asked how internal audit is using artificial intelligence today. Now we ask what it may mean for internal audit in the future – and whether we are ready for it.
Tools for the job – understanding risk appetite
Risk appetite is one of those areas where theory and practice often diverge. Zoe Davies, Principal Auditor and Risk Manager at Cornwall Council, explains how establishing a clear framework changed her organisation’s view and led to a variety of benefits.
Training insights: Basics of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
You don’t need to give up days to explore an unfamiliar or emerging area. What can the Chartered IIA’s new online course on Basics of Sustainable Supply Chain Management offer you in just one hour?
Changing the audit opinion; timing audit engagements; data analytics; and auditing crisis management.
May/June
View from the institute: Trust – seize the opportunities
“What internal auditors do is satisfy the need or desire for trust. That is a gift that, more than ever, can counter the lack of trust elsewhere,” says Anne Kiem OBE, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Independent – not isolated
“Smaller financial services firms offer some of the most rewarding experiences, deploy the most cutting-edge tech, and have some of the sharpest, most innovative people out there. Moreover, opportunities within internal audit are equally fulfilling and diverse and offer a platform for driving transformational change in the business in a way I’ve not seen elsewhere. And that’s why we’re all here, right?” asks Philip Hart. chief internal auditor at ClearBank.
Outside the box: Accentuate the positive
If you ask one question this week, make it this one: how can we ensure we are as proactive about looking for opportunities as we are about spotting risks?
Geopolitical risk: Not if, but when
Geopolitical crises have rocketed up the risk agenda, so why do internal auditors spend so little time working on the risks and opportunities they create? As the Chartered IIA publishes a new report highlighting internal audit’s role in this area, its co-author, Gavin Hayes, explains why the profession must act now.
Non-executive roles: Get on board
Why do so few internal auditors become non-executive directors, asks Carolyn Clarke. Organisations need their skills and expertise
Audit & Risk awards case study: Bupa Group Internal Audit Team
The WoW factor: Active leadership, an annual internal audit Expo and multiple development streams all contributed to Bupa Group Internal Audit team’s Ways of Working programme – and won it the A&R Award for Best Innovation in Training and Development.
How are internal auditors using artificial intelligence already and why does the profession have a vital role in the AI conversation?
Tools for the job: leadership skills
What skills do you need to lead an internal audit team? Sharon Hardcastle and Stephen Moreton at PotentialSquared offer advice based on recent workshops held with the Chartered IIA.
Training Insights: "People auditing – assurance over employee engagement"
“Our people are our business”. If the cliché is true, why do people risks continue to move up the priority list for internal auditors? As the Chartered IIA launches a new course on “People auditing: assurance over employee engagement” later this year, course leader John Chesshire explains how this complements the existing course on “Auditing HR and People Risk” and why it is necessary.
Training Insights: The IIA Certificate in Internal Audit and Business Risk
The IIA Certificate in Internal Audit and Business Risk is aimed not just at internal auditors, but also at their colleagues in compliance, risk and other governance roles. Why should you be urging others to get accredited?
Out-of-scope audit work, communicating audit results, benchmarking the internal audit function, resource allocation, controls models.
March/April
View from the institute: Priorities – listen, learn, engage
“We can’t afford to sit and wait while the world changes around us. We need to be promoting the ways in which internal audit can help organisations to deal with the real dangers that beset us this year, and we also need to make your role far more widely known,” says Anne Kiem, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: integrating assurance – finding a risk-based pragmatic balance
“We have been transforming our control environment and approach to integrated assurance at SSE and I hope our experiences will be interesting and useful to others across the profession,” writes Ewan Currie, director of Group Risk and Audit at SSE plc.
If you ask one question this week, make it this one...
Good to chat: how much do you know about ChatGPT?
ChatGPT – what do you know about it? Have you used it? What can it do for you? So many questions. We asked ChatGPT and next we want to hear from you.
Perfectly formed: award-winning internal audit work at ClearBank
Established in 2016, ClearBank needed a professional internal audit function capable of supporting its rapid growth and technological evolution. The team’s success at balancing complex skills needs and team development while innovating and building its reputation and influence won it the Audit & Risk Outstanding Team – Financial Services Award.
The only one in the room: diversity and inclusion at senior internal audit levels.
Cyndy Nkyi-Acheampong asks why there is diversity at junior levels of internal audit, but far less at senior levels – and suggests ways in which senior teams can support talented Black women.
Tones from the top: the role of the Chartered IIA Council and the people who sit on it.
Who sits on the Chartered IIA Council, what do Council members do for the institute and why do they do it?
Power within: why self-knowledge is essential to good leadership
Drawing on a series of workshops held with the Chartered IIA, Sharon Hardcastle and Stephen Moreton at PotentialSquared discuss how self-knowledge is vital to being the very best version of yourself as an internal audit leader.
Tools for the job: forewarned and forearmed
How can audit functions deliver change assurance in a way that has a real effect on outcomes? Martin Masson, director of assurance practice at Proteus, offers some guidance.
Training insights: understanding sanctions risks
Forbidden fruit - Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought more organisations within the scope of sanctions regulations and legislation than ever before. If you are new to auditing sanctions risk, or are not sure whether sanctions could apply to your business or supply chain, take a look at the Chartered IIA’s new course “Sanctions: It’s a world of pain out there”.
Mapping assurance, quality self-assessment and EQAs, maintaining the internal audit manual, horizon scanning for emerging risks and continuous assurance.
January/February
View from the institute: Past and future – three years of change.
“The journey is not over, but we’ve come a long way. All my thoughts and best wishes are with the new CEO and the Chartered IIA staff as they continue along the next stage,” writes John Wood, outgoing CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Inclusion – socioeconomic status matters
“While many organisations now have diversity policies, even companies celebrated for their diversity and inclusion efforts often fail to consider the perspective of social class," writes Kate Ireland, chief internal audit officer at Yorkshire Building Society.
If you ask one question this week, make it this one.
Group rethink: understanding ecosystem risk
How well do you understand ecosystem risk? Richard Anderson explains its complexities and why internal audit should understand it better.
Supplying value: award-winning internal audit at Lidl
Lidl’s keen prices are driven by a mantra of efficiency, so it’s not surprising that its internal audit team has looked for new ways to increase its value to the business. In the process, it became a destination for talent and won the Audit & Risk award for Outstanding Team – Private Sector.
Makers & breakers: the perils of poor management
It’s a tough time to be a manager – changing workstyles, disruption and complex economic conditions necessitate new skills just when many feel they lack the time or opportunity to acquire them. Internal audit managers face the same challenges – but they should also consider the risks of stressed and poor management in the wider business.
Disruption: threats and promises
We are seeing more disruption to our organisations and our lives than most of us have ever encountered before. So how should internal audit respond? This was the topic of a discussion hosted by the Chartered IIA in partnership with Protiviti in November.
Training insights: auditing cash flow management
Cash flow is the oxygen of all organisations, but it’s often low on internal audit’s list of priorities. This must change, warns Raj Gandhi, course leader on the Chartered IIA’s new Auditing Cash Flow Management course.
Leading investigations; auditing the compliance monitoring function; post-auditee feedback and producing the internal audit opinion.
2022
November/December
View from the institute: Be prepared – change, change and change again.
“Strong governance becomes more vital at times of flux and stress. Those who watch to see where the cracks are forming elsewhere, and ensure that management and staff have contingency plans and guidance in place to cope with sudden shocks, can add real value,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Roots – help young internal auditors to thrive despite current storms.
“We must remember that we are nurturing the internal audit professionals of the future – we need to equip them to lead and develop the profession to make the world better for them, not for us,” says Richard Brasher, vice-president (corporate audit) at LKQ Corporation.
Outside the box: See the wood for the trees.
If you ask one question this week make it this one – how can I create more time to think?
Reality checkpoint – interview with Professor David Halpern, CEO of The Behavioural Insights Team
Professor David Halpern, CEO of The Behavioural Insights Team, was a speaker at the recent Internal Audit Conference. He shares his thoughts on how internal auditors and behavioural scientists could learn from each other to create a fairer, more rational world.
Trailblazers: award-winning work on diversity and inclusion at Nationwide Internal Audit.
Nationwide Internal Audit team has not only improved its own diversity and inclusion practices and data, but it’s used this experience to influence practices across the wider business. Its work won it the Audit & Risk Award for Enabling an Organisation to Gain Opportunities from its Diversity and Inclusion Agenda.
Virtual invaders: how geopolitics affects cyber security.
Magdalena Skorupa considers how geopolitics – in particular, the war in Ukraine – is affecting the risk of cyber attacks and how internal audit should respond.
Rules & regulations 2023: what to watch in the coming year.
Political events and global risks are changing by the minute, but it still makes sense to plan ahead. What regulatory shifts should internal auditors be watching in the coming year – and how can they factor uncertainty into their plans? We asked some experts for their views.
Tools for the job: stress busters
Moving to collaborative, agile processes helped the internal auditors at SWAP Internal Audit to meet the challenges of the pandemic and become more effective and resilient – however, unexpectedly, it also improved the wellbeing of the team. David Hill explains why.
Training insights: Set a date for data.
If you’re not currently talking about how to use data in your audits, or you’ve been tasked with finding out more, you should consider the Chartered IIA’s Data Analytics for Auditors course.
Q&A You Asked Us November 2022
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
September/October
View from the institute: Leadership – great leaders need great internal auditors
“Information is vital to good decision-making. We may not be able to head off the sharks, but we can find out where they are swimming, in what direction and how fast,” says John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
“View from the top: A fresh view – on joining IIA Global's board of directors.
“Collaboration across nations can only bring a greater vibrancy and diversity of thought to our future professional practices,” says Elizabeth Honer, chief executive of the Government Internal Audit Agency.
Outside the box: Value in variety.
if you ask one question this week make it this one - am I getting maximum benefit from my membership of the Chartered IIA?
Deep currents: interview with marine biologist Dr Helen Scales
Dr Helen Scales explains why she will be telling delegates at the Chartered IIA's Internal Audit Conference that they need to value and protect our oceans.
Bounce forward – tips for organisational and operational resilience
Rodrigo Souza explains why internal audit needs to help organisations reconsider operational resilience and improve strategic resilience.
Human focus – Kris Wallace on winning the A&R award for Inspirational Leader.
Kris Wallace became head of internal audit at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the first Covid lockdown; the job was in Geneva and he was unable to leave Scotland, and many of his team members had not met in person. The winner of this year’s Audit & Risk Inspirational Leader Award explains why, when your job is to run towards crises, you need to focus on the humans as well as the humanitarian.
How to audit for diversity and inclusion
Diversity and inclusion has never been more relevant and important, as organisations in all sectors struggle to attract and retain talent. It’s not always necessary to do a full diversity and inclusion audit – if internal auditors are aware of the main issues and reference these in all their other work, they can add considerable value.
Audit in Action – what internal audit can gain from active management.
Could active management techniques help internal audit leaders to make the function more efficient? Jonathan Chapman and Louisa Latham draw on a recent project to explain what it involves.
Training insights: Introducing behavioural risk into audit assignments.
If culture can be seen as the climate of an organisation, behaviour is the day-to-day weather – and a better understanding of behavioural risk can help organisations to focus their cultural efforts and help internal audit to identify and disperse future storm clouds. This is the basic premise of a new Chartered IIA course “Introducing behavioural risk into audit assignments”.
Budgetary controls and cashflow management; fraud risk assessments; reviewing management information; hybrid working.
July/August
View from the institute: transform – prepare for the future
“While we should congratulate ourselves about what we have achieved over the past couple of years, it is more important that we focus on where we need to get to if we wish to retain our relevance,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: share – lessons from the A&R awards
“If you conclude that your team has done nothing transformative in the face of so many new risks and opportunities, you should be asking why not,” writes Ed Moore, head of internal audit at the Bank of England.
Outside the box: The Red Queen
If you ask one question this week make it this one: How can I ensure that I and my team stay up to date with a rapidly changing risk environment?
Fraud up! Lessons from the Chartered IIA's report on fraud.
The motivations and opportunities for fraud are increasing and internal audit can do more to help organisations address this risk. The Chartered IIA’s new thought-leadership paper explains what the profession can do to help.
Public eyes – how to tackle rising fraud risk in the public sector
Simon Bleckly discusses the challenges – and the mitigations – when dealing with rising fraud risks in local authorities and explains why internal audit has an important role to play.
The government has published its response to the BEIS White Paper “Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance”. What does it mean for internal audit?
Investing in investigation – inside Nationwide's Audit Investigations Team
When Nationwide Building Society decided to develop and set up a new Audit Investigations Team it had to start from scratch. Darren Cooper, who created and leads the team, explains what this involved and what it has achieved.
Pay better – why payment practices matter to internal audit
Liz Barclay, the UK’s small business commissioner, explains why she welcomes the Chartered IIA’s guidance on payment practices and why this is an important issue for internal auditors and for their organisations.
Tools for the job – one-page wonders: better report writing
Focus on what matters and tell it straight – Sara I James explains how to produce reports that managers want to read.
The Prompt Payment Code; cybercrime; inflation risk and internal audit Standards.
Training insights: Geopolitical risk and the the role of the internal auditor
As the war in Ukraine pushes geopolitical risk ever higher up the corporate risk agenda,the Chartered IIA has launched a new course on “Geopolitical Risk and the Role of the Internal Auditor”. So,why does geopolitical risk matter to you?
May/June
View from the institute: resilience – people and culture are key
“Internal audit should be driving organisational awareness of the critical role of culture and the way in which a strong culture underpins so many of the elements that make a business resilient and strong in the face of constant disruption,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: the CAE and the audit committee – engage, engage, engage
“Continuous and effective communication is a vital part of engaging the audit committee chair and building up the kind of relationship and trust that is necessary when you need to have a difficult conversation on an audit finding, or in relation to resourcing,” writes Jeremy Lawson, group internal audit manager at Persimmon Homes.
Outside the box: conversation pieces
If you ask one question this week, make it this one: How can I develop and improve the conversations I have with key stakeholders?
Geopolitical risk – misfortunes of war
As companies focused on recovery following the travails of the pandemic, few had a European war on their risk radars. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a wake-up call, showing that geopolitical risk should never be ignored.
The Chartered IIA’s recent publication “Cultivating a healthy culture” has attracted widespread media and business attention, yet it highlights the way this crucial area is still underappreciated in many organisations. What can internal audit do to raise awareness?
Human capital and talent – happy hive
A new overview examining the challenges and opportunities for chief audit executives around “Human Capital, Diversity and Talent Management” has been produced jointly by the Chartered IIA and institutes of internal auditors across Europe. What does it tell us about what internal auditors need to know and what can they do now?
Talent management – make internal audit cool again
What options do CAEs have when they are struggling to attract the people they need to their team? Is it true that internal audit isn’t seen as “cool”? Richard Brasher, vice-president of corporate audit at LKQ Corporation, offers a personal perspective on a common experience.
Bigger, closer, faster – award winning work at Allianz Insurance
When Allianz Insurance Internal Audit had to refocus and integrate after the largest merger in the business’s 115-year history, it wasn’t expecting to do it under lockdown conditions. Its success won it the Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding
Team – Financial Services.
The Chartered IIA Audit Committee Subscription Service – the knowledge
The Chartered IIA is launching a new Audit Committee Subscription service offering resources and a network for audit committee members. What will this offer and who should be interested?
Tools for the job – Connect and correct
Gerry Mansey explains how he and his internal audit team used data to delve into the root causes of audit findings and support business-wide improvement.
Training insights – bespoke benefits
The Chartered IIA’s training courses are also available as in-house courses for teams to attend together. Why can this be a better option?
Corporate criminal offence controls; the EU directive on human rights; supply chain disruption; the evolving risk of fraud.
March/April
View from the institute: change – supporting growth
“Internal auditors have helped to steady the ship – but now they must help management teams to navigate the stormy seas and start to chart new courses and move ahead in a changed and changing world,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Forewarned – stay one step ahead
“In response to Covid-19, and AstraZeneca’s decision to partner with Oxford University to develop a vaccine, the internal audit team decided to strengthen and formalise our processes for identifying and tracking emerging risks,” writes Rachel Harper, vice-president internal audit at AstraZeneca.
Outside the box: Laws of attraction
If you ask one question this week, make it this one: How can I attract the people I need into my team?
Green reveal: internal audit, TCFD and ESG compliance
The UK’s largest companies will have to comply with mandatory standards on climate change risk disclosure from April. Are they ready – and why should internal auditors in smaller organisations also pay close attention?
Responsible reckoning: how internal audit can support new ESG controls
Francesca Passalacqua examines the need for new ESG controls and how internal audit can support these.
Green vision: how technology can help to connect views of ESG
How can internal audit use technology to move from a disconnected approach to risk to an integrated risk management solution that provides a connected view of governance and ESG risk, asks Keith Fenner MD, International, at Diligent.
Out of the comfort zone – award-winning internal audit at DFS
The internal audit team at DFS Furniture Group has been pulled apart, put back together and emerged from the Covid pandemic stronger than ever. Its success won it the Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding Team – Private Sector, but it has no intention of standing still now.
Test-setters: could you write CIA questions?
Who writes the questions for candidates taking the CIA exams – and could you join them? Mark Harris, from IIA Global’s Test Development Team (TDT), explains what's involved and who could benefit.
Tools for the job: Black swan opportunities
From disruption to innovation – why the upheaval of, and lessons from, the pandemic could be internal audit’s best opportunity in a generation.
Training insights: Auditing fraud – shout about the F word
Opportunities for fraud proliferate in times of disruption, while the attention of management and internal audit is distracted. This is why the Chartered IIA’s Auditing fraud and financial crime course has never been more relevant.
Rating the maturity of controls; establishing a skills matrix; handling disagreements.
January/February
View from the institute: 2022 challenges – change, learn, adapt and improve
“As a profession, we have learnt huge amounts from the crises we have faced in the past couple of years and we have moved at a pace that no one would have previously thought possible, let alone likely. We are not in the same place we were before the pandemic,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Strategy – focus on the process
"Going beyond the realm of strategic risks, we must audit the strategy process itself, and its execution, to determine its impact," writes Veesh Sharma, chief assurance officer at Save the Children.
Outside the box: Fair and free
If you ask one question this week make it this one: How inclusive is our internal audit team and how can we foster better understanding of diversity and differences?
Internal audit leaders' New Year's resolutions
What do CAEs want to see and achieve this year?
Brave for Scotland: Award-winning work at Scottish Enterprise
The internal audit shared service team at Scottish Enterprise has survived and thrived in a period of rapid change and expansion throughout the pandemic. Its work won it accolades from its stakeholders and the Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding Team – Public Sector.
Wanted: Dealing with a staffing crisis
UK businesses are facing the worst staffing crisis since the early 2000s with unfilled vacancies in all sectors and roles. For many internal audit functions, understanding this risk and how effectively it is being managed by their business will be a top priority in 2022.
Compare & contrast: EQA performance report 2020/21
The annual “External quality assessment: internal audit performance” report for 2020/21 was unusual because it covered a period of intense pressure on, and rapid transition in, internal audit functions across all sectors. What does it tell us about internal audit today – and where do we go from here?
Honesty brokers: internal audit and fraud
Heads of internal audit from a variety of sectors attended a recent roundtable event hosted by Liz Sandwith, chief professional practices adviser at the Chartered IIA, and in collaboration with Workiva, on the challenges of tackling fraud. These are the highlights of the discussion.
Training insights: Focus on the fundamentals
A close examination of the details of your work programmes may prove the key to overcoming many of the challenges facing internal auditors today. This is why the Chartered IIA has launched a new training course on “The Basics That Matter: Scoping and Work Programme Design”.
Tools for the job: Think local
The pandemic has changed how and where we work, and how and where we network and find inspiration. The Chartered IIA has therefore developed new forums and working groups, and adapted the way it offers training and events. How has this affected its events at a regional level and can members gain more from their local contacts?
Audit programmes, climate change, budget approval, co-sourcing, reports and more.
Audit & Risk Awards: Top tips for a great nomination
Our top tips for submitting a great nomination for the Audit & Risk Awards, including video insights from former Audit & Risk Awards winner, DFS.
2021
November/December
View from the institute: Consequences – time to reassess your risks
“Complex risks usually have multiple causes as well as multiple, hard-to-predict consequences. This makes internal auditors’ jobs even more challenging right now,” says John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Advocacy – a route to the future
“Internal audit functions of the future must be data led, data literate and data analytical to understand their businesses and deliver assurance with valuable insight. This is not easy, but it is no longer optional, and it represents an exciting challenge,” says Jeremy Eagles, group chief audit officer, Group Internal Audit, Bupa Group.
Sophie Malleson challenges audit committees to ask themselves whether they’re taking full advantage of their internal audit functions in tackling the growing risks from climate change, drawing on the Chartered IIA’s new guide, “Harnessing internal audit against climate change risk: a guide for audit committees and directors”.
Your future – you decide: the future of the profession.
Richard Chambers on how internal audit needs to develop over the next decade.
Pulse of change: award-winning internal audit at the British Heart Foundation.
When Covid struck in 2020, the Risk and Assurance team at the British Heart Foundation responded with innovations that will significantly change the way it works long after the pandemic is over. As a result, the team won the A&R Award for Change and Innovation in a Crisis.
Business models are being disrupted at a dizzying pace. Many companies are having to seize upon new markets and revenue sources to recapture growth and ensure their long-term relevance. Amid this strategic pressure, what can internal audit bring to the table?
Climate change; assurance mapping; comparing audit models; drafting an Audit & Assurance Policy.
Out of the box: Use your influence
How can you help your team/function/organisation to be more sustainable?
Training insights: strong foundations
The IIA Certificate in Internal Audit and Business Risk is aimed not just at internal auditors, but also at their colleagues in compliance,
risk and other governance roles. Why should you be urging others to get accredited?
September/October
View from the institute: Planning for the unknown
Hear what our CEO John Wood has to say on planning for the unknown and why it's important.
View from the top: Holly Sykes and Nicholas Crapp, winners of the A&R Inspirational Leader Award
The joint winners of the Audit & Risk Award for Inspirational Leader offer their reflections on, and answers to, critical issues affecting all internal audit leaders.
Internal Audit Conference 2021: Cyber clarity
We must dispel the myths around cybercrime and develop corporate governance structures to improve the way we manage cyber risks, Ciaran Martin, founding CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, will tell delegates at the Internal Audit Conference in November.
The pandemic has been a wake-up call for businesses, forcing rapid change as companies adapt to new challenges, threats and opportunities in order to survive and thrive. For internal audit, too, speed is of the essence.
Diversity in internal audit: Balanced agenda
Research by the steering group of the Chartered IIA’s Women in Internal Audit network has highlighted key developments in diversity and inclusion – but there is still a long way to go. Change does not happen by accident, they warn.
Risk in Focus: The power of knowledge
The latest edition of the Chartered IIA’s annual “Risk in Focus” research is released this month. Sophie Malleson explains the value and importance of this unique European project and offers a peak into what the 2022 edition has in store.
How to choose internal audit software: Tech know-how
It’s not often that you get a chance to choose and implement a whole new internal audit software system and the opportunity can be daunting as well as exciting. So how can you ensure you get the full benefit and avoid the pitfalls?
Tools for the job: Carbon countdown – auditing climate change
What can internal auditors do to help organisations monitor and tackle climate change risks, asks Neil Kitching.
Q&A You Asked Us September-October 2021
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
Outside the box: The race for pace
If you only ask one question this week, make it this one: Could we move faster and work more flexibly without compromising internal audit credibility?
Training insights: Pick and mix
John Chesshire explains the thinking behind our new accelerated series of short, flexible training courses and why they could be just what you need to keep up with topical issues.
July/August
Disruption: Challenges for the future
“The pandemic brought out the best in internal audit teams, however we will need all this agility and flexibility to rise to the challenges ahead,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Resilience – time to celebrate and prepare
Unlock key resilience lessons from Maxine Grainger, group audit & risk director for Sofology and a recent Audit & Risk Awards winner.
View from IIA Global: ESG – internal audit's role
Hear what IIA Global president, Anthony J Pugliese, has to say about internal audit's role in ESG reporting and why it's important.
Out of the box: If you ask one question this week make it this one:
How resilient were we over the past 18 months and how can lessons learnt help us to deal with future disruption?
Spotlight on trust: the Chartered IIA's response to the BEIS White Paper on audit reform
Ever since the government published its White Paper on audit reform, the Chartered IIA has been consulting members and stakeholders to inform its response. Gavin Hayes lays out the institute’s case.
The human factor: auditing culture
Culture is rising up the corporate agenda – just as working practices are changing radically. How can internal audit find new ways to offer the assurance that its customers need?
All change: internal audit and disruption
Periods of disruption create opportunities and threats. What has internal audit learnt over the past year and how well do chief audit executives feel they are equipped for whatever the future holds?
Guarding the guards: how to prepare for an external quality assessment (EQA)
An EQA is an investment and an opportunity – how can you prepare to ensure you get the most from it?
Pros and comms: Communication in a virtual world
Do you make the most of virtual meetings? The pandemic has changed the way we interact with others, presenting new opportunities and risks.
Ben Rawal highlights some of the challenges.
Training insights: Reassess, reform, reposition
Top training insights from Chartered IIA trainers John Chesshire and James Paterson, including common elephant traps for CAEs.
Q&A: You asked us - July/August 2021
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
May/June
View from the institute: Change – expect the pace to accelerate
The past year has shown us how we can transform rapidly in a crisis. We must build on this to meet the challenges ahead, writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from the top: Could you be a great chief executive?
Ask yourself some important questions – and answer honestly, advises David Hill, CEO of SWAP Internal Audit Services.
Who is on the Audit & Risk Awards shortlist?
See which nominees have made their way their way onto the Audit & Risk Awards 2021 shortlist.
Outside the box: Could I collaborate better?
Could I collaborate better to share, explore and find out what others already know?
Collaboration: A problem shared – a problem halved
Internal audit forums, networks and roundtables are greater than the sum of their parts. As businesses continue to navigate highly uncertain terrain, seeking the counsel, knowledge and insights of fellow audit practitioners has never paid greater dividends.
The government has launched a major consultation on audit reform. Sir Jon Thompson, CEO of the FRC, recently addressed the Chartered IIA’s Internal Audit Leaders’ Forum to explain what this could mean for large companies.
Interview: Anthony J Pugliese - President of IIA Global
Anthony J Pugliese, president and CEO of IIA Global, explains why the future of internal audit lies in mastering new skills, collaboration and ensuring that others appreciate the profession’s true value.
80 years of the IIA: Time to reflect and project?
As the IIA globally celebrates its 80th birthday, what issues should internal auditors be discussing and improving? James C Paterson offers a personal view.
Interview: Dev Daworaz - A&R Awards 2019 Best Newcomer
When Dev Daworaz joined Deutsche Bank he was already passionate about risk and controls and driven by a commitment to increase efficiency and support other people keen to enter the profession. Winning the Audit & Risk Award for Best Newcomer in 2019 was, he says, the cherry on the cake.
Tools for the job: Ethical decision-making for internal auditors
Ethical decision-making has never been more important for internal auditors. Matej Drašček offers some tips to improve ethical competencies.
Training insights: Remote auditing
John Chesshire explains why our training course on effective remote internal auditing is so crucial for internal audit – both now and for the future.
Q&A: You asked us - May/June 2021
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
March/April
View from the institute: Recovery - focus on the future
“Resilient” does not mean “reactive”. Opportunities are as important in surviving disruption as threats, writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from IIA Global: Own the future as agents of change
“We have incredible opportunities to be the trusted advisers that our organisations need. But as we move into the future, internal auditors must not only be trusted advisers, we must also be agents of change.”
View from the top: Expectations | trust, balance and influence
“I don’t want just to receive 100 audit reports, but also to hear what the chief audit executive thinks," writes John Devine, audit committee chair at Standard Life Aberdeen PLC.
Outside the box: if you ask one question this week, make it this one
If I were to start our internal audit function again from scratch what would it look like?
Cybercrime may involve high-tech criminals and solutions, however auditing cyber risk does not necessarily require specialist resources. As Covid-19 has driven the world online, so the risks have multiplied. Now, more than ever, organisations need internal audit to assess their security culture and recovery plans.
Interview with Peter Elam, president of the Chartered IIA
Peter Elam will be the president of the Chartered IIA for the next two years. Who is he and what does he hope to help the institute achieve in this period?
The rapid changes and organisational crises prompted by the global pandemic have created fertile soil for fraud. Internal auditors
do not manage fraud risk, but they can help to eradicate any weeds that have emerged.
Roundtable discussion: The internal audit tipping point is now
Heads of internal audit from a range of sectors attended a recent roundtable event hosted by the Chartered IIA and supported by Galvanize to consider the proposition that internal audit has reached a tipping point. Here are the highlights of the discussion.
What are the implications of changes to the Chartered IIA’s Financial Services Code and why did it need to change? Sophie Malleson, senior policy and external affairs executive at the Chartered IIA, explains.
Chartered IIA Tutor Stephen Maycock explains why internal auditors should now be concerned about the integrity of their evidence and findings, and outlines what they could gain from attending our new training course on ethics.
Q&A: You asked us - March/April 2021
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
January/February
View from the institute: Opportunities for the future – position yourself now
“We need to reset our plans from where we are today, not from where we were before the pandemic. This raises a host of questions for the internal audit profession,” writes John Wood, CEO of the Chartered IIA.
View from IIA Global: Disconnected – differing perceptions of risk
Latest views from Richard Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global, on differing perceptions of risk.
View from the top: Local authorities - a new focus on internal audit
Insights from Sir Tony Redmond, author of a critical independent audit review, on why the relationship between external audit and internal audit needs to change.
Positive steps: If you ask one question this week, make it this one
Re-focus your personal development and enhance your profile with the help of this brilliant self-reflection question.
Skills for the future: Your company needs who?
Organisations are changing, the world is changing – does internal audit have what it takes to be relevant?
Lessons from the pandemic: Best foot forward
What changed in 2020 – and what can this teach us for 2021?
Audit & Risk Awards case study: Agents of change
A case study of the Government Internal Audit Agency's BEIS/DCSM team. A former winner of the Outstanding Team Public Sector award at the 2019 Audit & Risk Awards.
EQA at ARA Gloucestershire: Time to talk
When the head of ARA Gloucestershire invited in the external quality assessors, she was determined to get the maximum benefit from the experience and to emerge with fresh inspiration. So how did it go?
Read about our Chartered by Experience route, including who is eligible for it and why it matters.
Tools for the job: Public interest
The recent publication of a review into the quality of local government audit by Sir Tony Redmond reveals a lack of understanding of the local authority framework and highlights“lost”areas.Can internal audit help to transform the form and focus of public sector audit?
Training insights: Agile – aim higher, react faster
Find out why an agile mindset is the starting point for any audit team that wants to change. With insights from Mark Williams, founder of Agile Outside IT.
Q&A: You asked us - January 2021
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked us.
2020
November/December
View from the top: Helen Clarkson, CEO of the Climate Group
Helen Clarkson, CEO of the Climate Group, shares her thoughts on climate change and why we should view it through a risk lens.
View from IIA Global: Scepticism - whose job is it, anyway?
IIA Global president Richard Chambers shares his thoughts on professional scepticism and how it should be applied.
Internal audit and climate change: Bigger than Covid?
COVID-19 has shown what people and businesses can do in a crisis. Internal auditors can harness this collaboration, energy and experience to tackle the crisis of climate change.
A&R Awards 2019 case study: Essentra
Read all about the success story that is Essentra's internal audit team and how it won 'Outstanding Team - Private Sector' at the 2019 Audit & Risk Awards.
Mergers and acquisitions: two into one
We asked heads of internal audit in different sectors with experience managing mergers or acquisitions for their views on a fictional merger scenario.
Virtual internal auditing: remote control
Read about the impact COVID-19 has had on remote working. With contributions from industry experts.
Training: The new Internal Audit Practitioner programme
Everything you need to know about the new Internal Audit Practitioner programme, including what it is, who it's for and how we're supporting it.
Explained: The new Three Lines Model
Read all about the new Three Lines Model and how it applies to internal auditors in the UK and Ireland.
Q&A: You asked us - November 2020
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked us.
September/October
View from the top: Bottling the lessons from COVID-19
Nicholas Crapp, Group Chief Audit Executive for NatWest Group, uncovers how key learnings from COVID-19 can help improve the way we work in the future.
New lines: A fresh look at the Three Lines Model
The new Three Lines Model replaces the previous Three Lines of Defence model. IIA Global President Richard Chambers gives his insights on the framework and its application.
Diversity and inclusion: Unequal shares
A current look at inequalities in the UK and to what extent they've been exacerbated by COVID-19.
Interview: Stevie Spring, Chair of Mind, the mental health charity
Internal Audit Conference keynote, Stevie Spring, chair of mental health charity Mind, explains why every business needs to take mental health more seriously.
Lessons from Rugby Union: an interview with Ollie Phillips
Get to know former rugby player and Internal Audit Conference keynote Ollie Phillips and the life skills he has to offer.
Pillars of Progress: award-winning internal audit at Santander UK
What is the future of internal audit? Find out how Santander UK addressed this with the launch of its Internal Audit: Assuring the Future programme in 2019.
Leading lights: what makes good leadership?
Explore what good leadership looks like and what internal audit can take from these learnings.
Q&A: You asked us - September 2020
See what questions our technical helpline was asked this September.
Resilience training: How to bounce back
Institute tutors Ros Goodall and Marian Silltow explain the aims behind our new live virtual course “Resilience – bouncing back from adversity” and why resilience is more important now than ever.
July/August
View from the top - Sir Jon Thompson explains why good governance is more important than ever.
“This is no time to slacken off; if anything, organisations should be focusing more on internal audit in the months ahead,” writes Sir Jon Thompson, chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).
Disruption - how to deal with it and how to be more disruptive
Where were you during the great pandemic of 2020? Crises happen all the time, but few in the past 50 years have affected as many countries, sectors and people as the Covid-19 virus. What can businesses learn from disruption, what is the “new normal” for internal audit and should auditors be more disruptive themselves?
Power to the people: An interview with bio-genome engineer Andrew Hessel
What can biotechnology do for us? Here to answer that question is Andrew Hessel, President of Humane Genomics, who explores how bio-engineering can help solve long-term challenges and create a more sustainable world.
Best of both: Award-winning innovations at Standard Life Aberdeen
The internal audit team at Standard Life Aberdeen has undergone a “once in a lifetime” transformation programme, which won the Audit and Risk Award for Best Innovation in Training and Development in 2019. How did they do it?
Culture shock: auditing culture
The economy and organisations are in crisis and culture is more important than ever. What can internal auditors do to ensure their organisation’s culture is what they think it is?
Tools for the job: How to audit innovation
Will it fly? Matej Drascek and Miha Skerlavaj suggest a checklist for auditing innovation and explain why internal auditors need to get involved in this difficult area.
See what questions our technical helpline were asked this July.
View from IIA Global: Internal audit’s response to COVID-19
“Too many internal audit functions are not being invited to help address some of the biggest risks their organisations are confronting. This is unacceptable," writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Training insights: Managing your career to map your future success
What do you want from your career? Martin Robinson, leader of our live virtual course, 'Managing your career to map your future success', says now is a good time to take stock. Find out why.
View from the Institute - Risk: challenges and opportunities
“At an uncertain time, if we can't demonstrate our relevance in the chaos the world is facing today, when will we be able to?” asks Liz Sandwith, our chief professional practices adviser.
A day in the life of: internal audit at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ
What's it like to be an internal auditor at M15, MI6 and GCHQ? This article, written in association with MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, explains what a job here would involve.
May/June
Crisis management – predictable unpredictability?
The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic has shocked the world and led to unprecedented state and corporate reactions. Should organisations re-think how they prepare for high-impact, lower probability risks and could they do more to ensure their operational resilience in future?
Cyber security for remote workers: safe connections?
The onset of the global pandemic was accompanied by a new wave of phishing emails, malware, spam and other security threats. Stephen Watson of Watson Hepple Consulting offers four top tips for internal auditors
to help ensure organisations are managing IT risks and controls during a period of business disruption.
Net zero: risk lessons from Covid-19
At a single swoop, Covid-19 has changed our view of business as usual. But what are Chapter Zero - the UK chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative - doing to address the concern? Find out now.
Auditing the NHS in the pandemic - behind the front line
Who are the NHS's internal auditors? What are their priorities? And how can they best support their frontline colleagues during the current crisis? Audit & Risk Magazine explore.
Training insights: live virtual training with the Institute
Social distancing is no barrier to learning - our live virtual courses are proof of that. Read about the success of them and why new skills will be more vital than ever once lockdown ends.
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked us.
Codes for crises: IIA research
Clarence Arciuch, our senior policy and external affairs executive, reveals the findings of a new Institute survey and explains why our two codes of practice for internal auditors are particularly important at times of crisis.
Interview: David Hill, CEO of SWAP Internal Audit Services, on the new normal
David Hill, CEO of SWAP Internal Audit Services, explains how his organisation is working through the pandemic crisis and why he thinks internal audit will grow and develop from the experience in the long term and transform the way it works.
Disaster recovery: lessons from a crisis
Richard Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global, shares his thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic and the potential opportunities to come from it.
March/April
Guiding light: the new internal audit code
Corporate crises continue to happen, so is internal audit doing enough to highlight risks at the appropriate level, are its warnings being heeded and what can auditors do to improve the type and level of assurance they offer? The Chartered IIA has launched its Internal Audit Code of Practice to help internal auditors address these questions, and more, at the highest levels.
Snakes and fakes: the value of trust
How can we rebuild trust in an untrustworthy world?
The transformers: how do you transform the third line?
Expectations of internal audit have never been higher. But how can those expectations be met? What does first-class audit look like? And how should one go about transforming the third line?
View from the top: we need to talk about audit
“It is essential that the new Internal Audit Code of Practice is a living document. It is not something to read and file in a drawer – share it with your board and audit committee," explains Brendan Nelson, chair of the audit committee at BP.
View from IIA Global: staff and skills: the gig economy
“In ‘Uber auditing’, audit executives who need a specialist auditor might turn to an app and ask someone to be there at an appointed day and time, just as we now go to an app and order a taxi," writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Q&A: You asked us - March 2020
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
Lean audit and Agile audit – what's the same and what's different, asks James C Paterson leader of the Chartered IIA's course on Lean Auditing.
January/February
Climate change: If not now when?
We asked a panel of lawyers, insurers, academics and heads of internal audit in critical industries what is at the top of their climate change agenda.
Internal Audit Careers 2020: tools for tomorrow
What skills will you need to further your career in the 2020s? Audit & Risk Magazine explores.
Independent viewpoint: lone rangers
How do you tell a fad from a genuine business opportunity and what can internal audit do to stay objective in the face of executive enthusiasm for the next big thing?
Audit & Risk Award winners 2018: John Lewis Partnership
In the last of our features on the winners of the Audit & Risk Awards 2018, we talk to the head of internal audit at John Lewis Partnership about how her team transformed the way they work.
Climate change for internal auditors: Project Zero
We chart the history of environmental audit regulations and how they have changed the way internal audit works.
Philippa Foster Back CBE, outgoing director of the Institute of Business Ethics, explores how views of the role of ethics in business have changed and what still needs to be done.
Smart work: the AI Audit Revolution
“Just as all internal auditors should be able to spot indicators of fraud, we should be knowledgeable enough about artificial intelligence to spot potential risks and opportunities,” writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Q&A: You asked us - January 2020
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
2019
November/December
Risk: Can you spot the Next Big Thing?
“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. It’s important to pay attention to risk trends, but each organisation is unique, and trendy risks may not be those that concern us most,” writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Charities: Raising internal audit's profile
“After a string of scandals, we need to focus on improving public trust and effective governance in the sector, yet internal audit has been largely overlooked as a vehicle for driving improvements,” writes Vanessa Clark chair of the Charities Internal Audit Network (CIAN).
Crisis scenario: What would you do in a crisis?
What would you do in a crisis? We gave three heads of internal audit in different sectors a crisis scenario and asked them what they would do if this happened to their business.
Goodbye LIBOR: What the end of the interbank lending rate means for you
The LIBOR interbank interest rate got a bad name when its widespread abuse came to light in 2012. However, now the time has come to say farewell and the transition to new rates could cause a wave of new problems. Internal audit has a key role to ensure that the hidden reefs are exposed and mapped so that management can plan a safe course to fresh waters.
A robotic audit assistant, user-generated automation and behavioural science techniques are helping to transform the way UBS is incorporating data analytics capabilities into everyday internal audit processes.
On the money: Time to revisit financial risk?
Against a backdrop of an over-leveraged economy and global growth losing steam, there is increased impetus for internal audit to assess financial risk. If your treasury function has not been audited recently, now might be a good time to revisit it.
Angels or demons? The ethics of AI
What are the ethical considerations of artificial intelligence? Stephen Watson explains why internal auditors need to get involved – now.
Training insights: Compliance Audit and Assurance
Drawing on her experience running the Chartered IIA’s Compliance Audit and Assurance course, Marian Silltow highlights the main concerns raised by attendees, and suggests that internal auditors could add immense value if they offered more support to compliance teams in the second line of defence.
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
September/October
Internal Audit 2019 Highlights
Interview with Jonathon Porritt
Climate change is the greatest existential threat faced not only by business, but by humankind. In the warm-up to his guest speaking appearance at Internal Audit 2019, we asked longtime environmentalist Jonathon Porritt about changing corporate and political attitudes towards this era-defining risk.
Interview with Sean Tompkins, CEO of RICS
Diversity and inclusion matter to everyone in an organisation and have profound effects on risk mitigation and talent management – and, therefore, ultimately, on financial performance. Sean Tompkins, chief executive of RICS, will tell delegates at Internal Audit 2019 why CEOs need internal auditors to look at diversity and culture in every audit they do.
Interview with Charlotte Valeur, chair of the Institute of Directors
Charlotte Valeur, chair of the Institute of Directors, has sat on the boards of a number of financial services companies. Ahead of her session at Internal Audit 2019, she explains what she needs to hear from internal audit and why a strong internal audit function is so vital for a healthy company.
Interview with Stephen Grey, investigative journalist
Internal auditors are liable occasionally to find a few nasty surprises lurking under an innocuous-looking corporate stone. However, few will find anything as unpleasant, or as personally dangerous, as the things Stephen Grey has uncovered in the course of his career as an investigative journalist. He will tell delegates at Internal Audit 2019 how revealing the darkest secrets makes positive things happen.
Ringing the changes: interview with Marie Lauri, head of professional practices at Deutsche Bank
Marie Lauri, head of professional practices at Deutsche Bank,has risen rapidly through the ranks transforming various areas of the bank’s internal audit function on her way. She recently turned her attention to diversity and is participating in the Chartered IIA’s Women in Internal Audit network.She explains why this matters.
Keep it real: what is real-time auditing?
Real-time information is becoming ever more important to delivering modern internal audit. It’s not enough to show what happened last year, you need to know what happened this morning. Data is critical to this and progressive internal audit functions are getting more experimental about the ways they use it.
Bright sparks: award-winning work at HMRC internal audit
Improved technology, faster processes, simplified reports and stronger communications are all important reasons why the internal audit team at HM Revenue and Customs won an Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding Team in 2018. However, according to its director, the vital ingredient behind all these improvements is curiosity and imagination.
Developments in governance: stay on the ball
The past year has seen a significant shift in the intensity of debate over the future of corporate governance. What do you need to know now?
Purpose: the governance imperative
“We have an in-depth understanding of processes, policies, procedures, risks and controls. Comprehensive governance assurance may be the most important service we provide,” writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Strategic risk: the Heathrow experience
“The main risk for the aviation industry is safety and security, but we also grapple with risks such as political uncertainty and climate change, particularly because of our plans for a third runway,” writes Carol Hui, chief of staff and general counsel for Heathrow Airport Holdings.
Q&A: Some of the questions you've recently asked us
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
Top tips on managing mass redundancies
Mass redundancies are sometimes unavoidable, but the risks – legal, operational, reputational and personal – need to be well managed. Employment lawyer Merrill April explains what internal auditors can do to ensure damage is limited and their organisation achieves the best outcome from a risky situation.
Operational resilience: a holistic approach
What happens when you lose access to your main workplace? Dr Sandra Bell explains why organisations need to consider more than just alternative working arrangements in their disaster recovery plans.
July/August
Risk: accountability and guidance
“A group of organisations, professional bodies and regulators have come together as the Risk Coalition to create guidance for risk committees and risk officers. It is an overdue and essential step," writes Bryan Foss, non-executive director.
What makes a good question and why do we need podcasts? Journalist and presenter Louise Minchin, who will host the first day of the Chartered IIA’s Internal Audit 2019 conference, explains why we need to keep ourselves open to new insights and experiences.
Code red: Brendan Nelson on why we need an internal audit code of practice
The Chartered IIA is launching a consultation on a proposed new Internal Audit Code of Practice. Brendan Nelson, who is chairing the committee developing the new code, and will be presenting a session at Internal Audit 2019, explains why it is so necessary and so timely – and why your views matter.
Talking about revolution – what you need to know about political volatility
Political risk has risen up the agenda and the world seems to be enduring a phase of unusually high political volatility – from trade wars to revolutions, terrorism and insurrections. What can internal audit do to ensure that their organisations prepare for the worst without missing vital opportunities?
Fresh starters: why the internal audit team at Quilter Plc won an Audit & Risk Award 2018
When the former wealth management business of Old Mutual became Quilter Plc and listed on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges in June last year, its internal audit team rose to meet the many challenges with aplomb. Their efforts won them the Audit & Risk Outstanding Team – Financial Services Award 2018.
Pulling together: new publications on the power of internal audit
Internal audit is the greatest tool for boards to assess how effectively risks are being managed within the organisation. Two new publications from the Chartered IIA, in collaboration with the Institute of Directors, explain how boards can harness this tool to best effect and why developing a closer alignment between these two pillars of strong corporate governance is a must.
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
Tools for the job: managing social media risks
What can internal audit do to protect organisations from the risks of social media – and help to ensure they benefit from the opportunities. Chris Errington, Kevin Alvero and Wade Cassels offer some advice.
May/June
Man of the Match: the winner of the 2018 Audit & Risk Awards Inspirational Leader category
Winning the Audit & Risk Inspirational Leader Award may not quite make up for Gareth Cronin’s early disappointment at not making the Irish football team. However, it does demonstrate his continuing commitment to teamwork and his ambition to coach the best performances out of his colleagues.
Innovation: the transformation imperative
“When business environments evolve at the speed of risk, innovative internal auditors must be willing to venture beyond process improvement to envision complete process transformation,” writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Innovation in internal audit: think tanks
The best internal audit functions are tackling innovation head on. Whether developing advanced analytics capabilities, moving into uncharted territory with new types of audits or dedicating time to generating ideas, forward-thinking functions are becoming crucibles of change.
Employee risk: friends or foes?
It is often said that an organisation’s workforce is its most valuable asset, but it can also be its biggest liability if an employee – accidentally or deliberately – causes a problem that produces potentially calamitous results.
Our technical helpline provides valuable advice to members on a host of professional issues. Here are some of the questions you’ve recently asked.
Internal audit apprenticeships: grow your own
All organisations with a payroll of more than £3m are currently paying into a government-run apprenticeship levy, but much of this money remains unclaimed. Heads of internal audit who are keen to train up their teams should therefore be setting the new apprenticeships in internal audit in their sights.
March/April
Project management risk: solid foundations?
Modern technology, data analytics software and communication aids ought to have made project failures a thing of the past. Yet as customers of Govia Thameslink and TSB, among many others, discovered in the past year, too many projects still fail or experience significant teething problems. What can internal audit do to help?
Health assurance: how Sanofi integrated its global controls
Healthcare giant Sanofi adopted Wolters Kluwer’s TeamMate+ to integrate processes across a new internal control department and internal audit. It soon found that it opened up far greater assurance possibilities across the global organisation.
Mental health at work: grey matters
Employee mental health problems are still not addressed as openly and supportively as physical ill-health issues. But more companies are now proactively addressing mental health at work, and the good news is that there are simple things all organisations could do.
Evolving corporate governance: Raising the bar
UK corporate governance is set for change: recent months have seen the publication of the Wates Principles, which establish a new code for large private companies, and a scathing indictment of the Financial Reporting Council by Sir John Kingman. Further reviews of the audit profession are in progress.
The Audit & Risk Awards 2018 supplement
The Audit & Risk 2018 Awards winners were announced and celebrated at an event hosted by PwC in London on 5 December. The awards were presented by Paul Manning, president of the Chartered IIA.
A civil future: internal audit and the Civil Society Strategy
In the light of the government’s new Civil Society Strategy, Professor Jeffrey Ridley CIA FIIA explains why internal audit should be involved in social responsibility auditing.
Getting warmer: climate change risk
Climate change risk has been slow to get on the boardroom agenda in many organisations, but there are signs that the subject is getting hotter and that the regulators are keen to make it a priority. What can internal auditors do?
Opinion – Support and stability amid rapid change
"Civil servants are used to getting on with the job despite external pressures, but this has been unique in its complexity and the nature of its challenges," says Margaret Stephens, chair of the audit committee, Department for Exiting the European Union.
Be prepared: mastering the art of conflict
“Handled poorly, even a minor conflict can escalate into a fight, and nobody wins when auditors battle with their clients," writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Change: adapt and adopt or die
“Many traditional practices are enormously effective and we should retain these, but we must also try new approaches. We have to change, both internally and externally. Our future depends on it,” says Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Keep digging: the importance of curiosity
“Intellectual curiosity has been identified as a fundamental characteristic of the best internal auditors. And truly intellectually curious internal auditors are not satisfied until they know not just how things happen, but why,” writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Opinion: Addressing the courage deficit
Having courage in auditing areas that are challenging, or raising and negotiating difficult recommendations, enhances our reputation. It shows we can bring value to ensuring the continued success of our organisations, writes Steve Stanbury, director of internal audit at City, University of London.
January/February
Points of view: the value of a diverse workforce
A diverse workforce is essential for teams to benefit from fresh ideas, the best pool of talent and varied experiences. How can auditors help?
Leaders' Conference preview: Ben Hammersley on cognitive security
What is the future of internal audit? Futurist Ben Hammersley explains why the super powers created by new technology make an impartial human view more vital than ever.
How Nationwide made internal audit more agile and effective
When Janet Chapman became chief internal auditor at Nationwide Building Society, she saw an opportunity to use existing technology more effectively and to introduce agile techniques. The results have exceeded her most optimistic expectations.
Push: how to beat action plan inertia
Management is responsible for corrective action, but internal auditors can make a huge difference to whether action plans are completed within set timeframes, says Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
2018
November/December
Communication: we need to talk
We deserve a seat at the top table, but our potential is sometimes limited when we don't have the benefit of the broader perspective and deeper insight that a more connected profession could deliver, says Derek Jamieson, senior manager KPMG and non-executive director.
Internal Audit 2018: Misha Glenny on crime and cybercrime
Organised crime thrives at times of disruption, but the increasing power of technology means that its tentacles can now reach out from key operating regions in new and more effective ways. Journalist Misha Glenny, author of McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld, considers what businesses can do to protect themselves.
Internal Audit 2018: assurance with assurance
Impact guru Esther Stanhope explains why everyone can benefit from brushing up their communication skills – and, more importantly, how to do it.
Internal Audit 2018: Faith, hope and clarity
What part can internal auditors play in helping executives to reduce bias and promote deep-rooted trust in their brands? Read on to find out.
Lessons from Carillion: what next for corporate governance?
The final report of Parliament’s Work and Pensions, and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committees into the collapse of Carillion highlights a catalogue of errors, oversights and wildly reckless behaviour. Once again, MPs are asking how we can improve corporate governance. What role should internal audit play and how can it make its challenges heard more clearly?
Get involved: the Chartered IIA regional network
Enlightened organisations with qualified and fully resourced internal audit teams are trailblazers and should be celebrated, but there are many others out there who could benefit from greater exposure to good internal auditing. Regional Chartered IIA volunteers can help this, both by helping to provide events that hone auditing skills and, perhaps more importantly, helping to spread the word about what good looks like and where people can find out more.
Buildings risk: safe as houses?
The Grenfell Tower tragedy has cast a long shadow. Boards in relevant sectors want to know that fire and other buildings’ safety risks are being effectively managed and mitigated, but without adequate regulation and guidance, there’s every chance mistakes will be repeated.
The value of reputation: keeping up appearances
Reputational risk can be seen as an intangible that is too conceptual to audit, but that is not the case. As metrics become more sophisticated, and given that reputation can make or break a company, internal audit will be expected to offer assurance in this area.
Self-service audit analytics: transform your approach
Despite the fact that data analytics and Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAAT) have been part of auditing for nearly 30 years, many organisations are still struggling with the implementation of effective data analytics to enhance internal audit quality and effectiveness. Experts at Beinex Consulting offer advice and help.
Traditional innovation: how Barilla streamlined its internal audit processes
Wolters Kluwer’s TeamMate solution is already used by organisations across the world to streamline their internal audit processes, generate reports, produce dashboards and monitor follow-up actions. Now TeamMate+ takes the software to a new level. We find out what this means in practice to a global food manufacturer.
Fieldwork follies: learning from mistakes
Good internal auditors learn from their own missteps and try not to repeat them – but the best learn from the blunders of others, says Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
September/October
Internal Audit 2018: Rights versus wrongs
Dr Helen Pankhurst is the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Suffragettes and,100 years after her ancestors helped gain women the vote, she will explain to delegates at Internal Audit 2018 why this is a crucial time to continue the campaign for women’s equality.
Internal Audit 2018: Trust issues
Rebuilding this trust was one of the topics on the agenda at the Chartered IIA’s Internal Audit 2018 conference, where it was discussed by a panel chaired by Liam Halligan, economist, broadcaster and Sunday Telegraph columnist.
Collaboration – key areas to work together
Once the head of internal audit would report major concerns to the audit committee and that would be that. Now there are a number of areas that are so complex that the conversation needs to go deeper, writes Chris Jones, audit committee chair, Santander UK, and audit committee member, Wellcome Trust.
The tomorrow auditors: the workforce of the future
Organisations and their risk profiles are evolving rapidly, and so too must internal audit if it is to stay relevant and deliver changing assurance requirements. What will you and your team need to be in future?
History lessons: Barclays Internal Audit and data analytics
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Barclays Data Analytics Team won last year’s Audit & Risk Award for Best Use of Technology. They explain how they are using historical data to identify what is likely to be significant in the future.
As technology develops and IT departments become ever more crucial it can be easy for others in the organisation to leave critical decisions to the IT experts or, conversely, to become paralysed with fright about the risks. So what can internal auditors offer IT?
How to ensure the effectiveness of the audit committee
It is critical for for internal auditors to understand how effective audit committees function and their role in ensuring this, says Taff Gidi. Understand why.
In each internal audit staffing decision, we perform a strategic balancing act between risk mitigation and such factors as headcount, qualifications and budget, writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
July/August
The role of internal audit in creating a better civil society – and why it matters
Professor Jeffrey Ridley CIA FIIA explains why he believes professional internal auditors should be responsible for auditing to create a better civil society for all.
Mechanical minds: internal audit and artificial intelligence
Whether you believe artificial intelligence is the key to a glorious future or a one-way route to a machine-dominated dystopia, recent developments mean that many organisations can no longer afford to ignore its potential benefits – or its risks. What questions should internal audit be asking?
Daniel Finkelstein: the future of liberal capitalism
Liberal capitalism is a force for good and for progress – but we need major changes to make our systems fit for a brighter, more civilised future that benefits everyone, says Lord Daniel Finkelstein, a keynote speaker at Internal Audit 2018.
Strength in diversity at Standard Chartered Bank
Alison McFadyen, group head of internal audit at Standard Chartered Bank, explains why diversity in banking and in internal audit is critical, why technology is too important to leave to external experts and why the last thing you want is a homogeneous internal audit team.
Change space: transforming internal audit at Lloyds Banking Group
The world is changing, but changing a large internal audit function to keep pace is never easy. Lloyds Banking Group has come up with an innovation hub to generate ideas and evolve, develop and implement change projects.
A public good: the case for a career in public sector internal audit
A new piece of research by the Chartered IIA shows that internal audit in the public sector is a varied, challenging and rewarding career that is increasingly valued by management and the public – however, it is still under-publicised as a career option. Why?
Fast off the blocks: the winner of the A&R 2017 Best Newcomer Award
Identifying and attracting people who have the potential to be leaders is a constant challenge. Sophie Henderson opted to join Standard Life Aberdeen’s internal audit team straight from school and went on to win the Audit & Risk Award for Best Newcomer in 2017. What singled her out and what effect has the award had on her career?
Tips on managing third-party cyber attack risks
Tom Turner, CEO of BitSight, argues the case for the need for effective third-party risk management in financial services.
May/June
Scrum formation: how Barclays Internal Audit became agile
When Barclays Internal Audit looked into the benefits of adopting “agile” techniques its managers had little idea about what these would mean in practice, or what they could offer their sector. Two years later, agile is transforming the way they conduct audits.
The human factor: internal audit and HR
In the first of a series of articles on different organisational functions we look at the relationship between internal audit and HR and ask how it is changing – and how it will need to develop further – to meet the needs of organisations in future.
Data rules – are you ready for GDPR?
Long-awaited European rules on the handling of personal data come into effect on 25 May, and there are stiff penalties for organisations that fail to comply. What do internal auditors need to ask?
Team transformers: award-winning internal audit at DWP
Find out how DWP won the Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding Team Public Sector in 2017.
Cyber crime: sharing the data with IT and risk functions
IT security is now too important to be left to IT alone. Jim Doggett, SVP and CISO, Panaseer explains why IT teams must work together with risk functions and combine crucial data to address cyber risks. If they do not, crucial links may be missed. What does internal audit need to know and what should auditors be checking?
Are you privileged? What is legal privilege and why does it matter?
Recent regulatory cases have highlighted the concept of legal privilege. Susan Hopcraft, partner at Wright Hassall LLP, explains what internal auditors need to know.
March/April
Charity donation risk: unjust giving
Charities must tread carefully when raising money. Accepting cash today may deter future donations, so consistent, formalised due diligence is a must to mitigate donor risks.
Expectations of internal audit: view from Craig Donaldson, CEO Metro Bank
Craig Donaldson, CEO of Metro Bank, addressed delegates at the Chartered IIA’s Leaders’ Conference on 15 March 2018 on “The CEO and audit committee’s expectations of audit in a rapidly changing world”. Here's a snapshot of what he had to say.
Crisis resiliency: preparation is key
It’s a safe bet that, in organisations where internal auditors are unaware of crisis-response procedures, other employees also are uninformed. This is a recipe for disaster: critical events don’t happen by appointment,” writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Audit transformation: a continuous cycle
Change is not an easy process. A theme running through any transformation is clear and honest communication. This builds trust and allows a cycle of feedback and improvement to occur, says Andrew Baker, group audit director, BGL Group.
Innovation: nurturing golden geese
Risks associated with innovation, and failure to innovate, have risen to the top of boards’ agendas – yet innovation programmes are notorious for soaking up cash and management time with no guaranteed results. What can internal audit do to help organisations hatch the precious golden eggs, while keeping a close eye on strategy, progress and results?
Internal audit training: bottom-up benefits at GIAA's Trainee Network
Shortly after most of the civil service internal audit function was amalgamated in the Government Internal Audit Agency, trainees studying for their audit qualifications were invited to form a Trainee Network, run by trainees for trainees. This proved such a success that it’s now struggling to meet demand. What’s its secret?
Internal audit at Rolls-Royce has been busy – while supporting an SFO investigation and completing their audit schedule they have implemented a total assurance programme, introduced root-cause analysis, transformed reports and introduced new communications. These and other improvements won them the Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding Team Private Sector 2017.
Deep roots: root-cause analysis for internal auditors
Why should internal auditors all be thinking more about root-cause analysis? We explain.
Due diligence: how well do you monitor your contracts and contractors?
In many ways the writing was on the wall for Carillion long before its demise. Why, then, did its customers and suppliers not take heed, and what lessons can be learned from the collapse of one of the government’s largest contractors?
January/February
Risk in Focus – CAEs' top risks for 2018
Chief audit executives across Europe have revealed the key risks that feature highest on their agendas for 2018. What is in the report and why should you download it today?
Mike Taylor: Interview with the Chartered IIA president
Vision and values: After 24 years in internal audit, Mike Taylor, the new Chartered IIA president, still believes that audit is exciting, life is fun and challenges should be relished. He explains what he and the institute plan for the year ahead and why he wants others to get involved.
Fraud: taking a proactive role
Internal auditors who sit on the sidelines and fail to call out inefficiency, waste, fraud or mismanagement are spectators. Ideally, they will spot troubling issues as they form and blow the whistle before play begins, writes Richard F Chambers, president and CEO of IIA Global.
Reversal: a client's view of internal audit
Hear from Katey Arrowsmith, then head of finance strategy at Medway Council, on internal audit from a client's perspective.
Next in line: auditing for succession crises and skills gaps
Some sectors have been highlighting problems recruiting and retaining the skilled staff they depend on for years, but the Brexit negotiations, increased pressure for greater diversity on boards and demographic shifts mean that the risk of skills gaps and problems filling key roles should be on every organisation’s agenda. So what should internal audit look for?
Work in Progress: how an EQA helped IA transform performance at Progress Housing Group
Gemma Smith explains why inheriting a far from perfect EQA report when she embarked on a new head of internal audit job gave her guidelines for an improvement plan that, three years’ later, led to a very different EQA result.
Balancing the risks and benefits of social media
A known target for rogue employees and criminal hackers, social media can look like a portal to peril, so should we continue to use it? My view is yes we should, but we must do so with caution, writes Ross Thomson, principal consultant at Amethyst Risk.
2017
November/December
Time for reform: corporate governance review
The FRC’s Corporate Governance Code was launched 25 years ago, yet corporate governance has never been higher on the political agenda. This is why the Chartered IIA believes it is the ideal time to advocate the work of internal auditors at the top table. The clock is ticking. What has happened so far and what do you need to know now?
Broad band: BT's award-winning internal audit team
James Grigor, director of group audit and risk at BT, explains how his team has risen to meet substantial challenges over the past couple of years and what it meant to win the 2016 Audit & Risk Award for Outstanding Team – Private Sector.
Lights on rights: new guidance on human rights assurance
Guidance to help organisations meet human rights obligations has thrown the spotlight on internal audit as a function ideally placed to provide assurance to stakeholders. What do internal auditors need to know?
Speak up, speak out: how good are your whistleblowing procedures?
Well-functioning whistleblowing procedures help draw attention to misconduct and can mean the difference between an organisation’s success and failure. But all too often employees fear speaking up or are victimised for doing so.
Governance: how can non-executives better balance challenge and scrutiny?
Steven Kelly asks what internal auditors can do to help ensure that non-executive directors and the independent boards they sit on are truly effective at challenging management.
September/October
Assurance mapping: adding real value
Assurance mapping is becoming essential for modern, relevant internal audit, but it remains a challenge for many teams, partly because it can't be done in isolation. Explore what is meant by assurance mapping.
Katya Adler: why internal auditors should follow the Brexit negotiations
Hear from Katya Adler on the Brexit situation and what it means for businesses.
Mutual support: Karen Bassett, CAE at Leeds Building Society on winning an A&R award
Karen Bassett, chief internal auditor for Leeds Building Society, explains how she helped to set up an internal audit panel for the mutual sector, embarked on an organisation-wide culture audit and put her team through an external quality assessment, all of which contributed to her winning an Audit & Risk Award for Inspirational Leader in 2016.
The Modern Slavery Act: is it working?
The Modern Slavery Act is prompting companies to think more carefully about their unwitting engagement in forced labour, with some positive results. But how many companies are looking widely enough?
Willing & able? How good is your diversity policy?
The government has made clear its intention to improve one of the country’s starkest inequalities: the disability employment gap. Understand what role internal audit has to play in that process.
Critical friends: getting the most from an EQA
An external quality assessment is always nerve-wracking, even when you know you’re doing well. The Chartered IIA completed a review of the EQAs it has undertaken. So what did it learn?
Maximum impact: how to write effective reports
Ian Douglas offers advice on how to ensure your reports inform, rather than confuse, your readers.
July/August
Supply chains: the weakest link?
Organisations are increasingly at risk from problems in their supply chains – from physical issues that disrupt supplies or services to legal demands for accountability over practices such as forced labour and bribery. What can internal audit do to help?
New horizons in internal audit: how to be more flexible, risk-based and agile
As the corporate risk environment grows ever more complex, the expectation of – and pressure on – internal audit increases. This requires new ways of thinking about risk and effective, efficient audit approaches, as we explore.
Value: helping managers sleep well at night
"Managing a business is not just about driving top-line growth, it should also be about managing the risks to growth. Internal audit plays a vital role in assessing whether we are doing both well,” says Rogerio Ribeiro, senior vice-president pharmaceuticals, emerging markets and Australasia, GSK.
May/June
Vince Cable on on Trump, Brexit and uncertainty
Sir Vince Cable discusses Donald Trump, Brexit, the role of economists in forecasting the future and how to deal with global uncertainty.
Unrealpolitik: How to deal with geopolitical risk
Boards need assurance that the executive has taken pertinent geopolitical risks into consideration. Find out what this means for internal audit.
Check point: how the European Stability Mechanism fared in an EQA
There are always challenges involved in setting up an entirely new internal audit function, but these multiply when the organisation concerned is also new and working in a critical and highly sensitive, yet also untested area.
Bot nets: how is internal audit using data analytics?
A key report by the Chartered IIA examines the pros and cons of data analytics and finds out how internal auditors are using these tools.
Pick yourself up, dust yourself down: how to build resilience
We cannot prevent worst case scenarios from happening, but we can ensure that we pick up the pieces and keep operations going in even the most nightmarish of situations. What is resilience and how do you get it?
Hard sense and soft skills: the winner of the 2016 A&R Best Newcomer award
Strong technical and analytical skills helped Christine Sylvain, internal audit trainee at DWP, to identify improvements to internal audit systems when she joined the organisation in 2015. But it was her ability to create solutions and persuade others to take these seriously that won her the 2016 Audit & Risk award for Best Newcomer.
What does machine learning mean for internal auditors?
As an increasing number of companies start to use machine learning tools. Thomas Baumann, IT performance architect at Swiss Mobiliar, asks how machine learning can help internal auditors in their work and how technology with a machine learning core can be audited.
Phishing: how to avoid the baited hook
Cyber criminals are employing ever more sophisticated ways to hack into organisation's databases to steal information, hold them to ransom and disrupt their businesses. Matt Rhodes from Quiss Technology explains how organisations can protect themselves.
March/April
In an age when democracy itself depends on the resilience of an email server, cybersecurity has never been more important. Find out why.
Professional independence: Two chevrons apart
It is a familiar story: boards want more assurance from an internal audit function that is already juggling stretched resources. While that scenario presents more than enough logistical and planning problems, heads of internal audit are facing other challenges too. Understand what those challenges are.
Chartered status: full spectrum
While the CIA exams offer internal auditors a recognised international qualification, full chartered status provides something more – higher salaries, a breadth of experience and admission to a circle of senior peers across a wide range of sectors. Get to know the importance of chartered status.
Spreadsheet risk: unreliable evidence
Does your organisation recognise the risk from spreadsheets – and what can internal audit do about it. Matthew Wood gives us the lowdown.
SFO investigations: An investigator calls
Alun Milford, general counsel at the Serious Fraud Office, explains what internal audit needs to know about the consequences of an SFO investigation.
Communication skills: how to interview and listen
Good internal auditors are good communicators, says Ian Musgrave CMIIA. He explains how all auditors can benefit from polishing up their interviewing and listening skills.
Audit communications skills: building relationships
In his second article on essential audit communications skills, Ian Musgrave CMIIA discusses how to get to know your audience and build effective relationships – face-to-face and via reports.
Miscellaneous
Lean auditing – what, how and why?
Internal audit professionals are increasingly under pressure to deliver more with less. As James Paterson explains, lean auditing provides an insightful and practical way of doing this.
