Special interest groups
As well as technical guidance, courses and events, we offer various special interest groups for members to get involved in, based on where you work, where you live and what you’re interested in.
Skip to: The Aspire Community | Women in Internal Audit | The Data Analytics Working Group | The Fraud Forum | BFSSAP | Change Forum | CIAN | CIAF | CHEIA | HIAF | The Insurance Internal Audit Group | RAF | Internal Audit Race and Ethnicity Community | The Student Community
The Aspire Community
Aspire is a community of the Chartered IIA that provides support to internal auditors who are new to the profession and would like to get a head-start in their careers through developing their knowledge, skills and expertise in internal audit.
The group aims to facilitate four events a year with a focus on both technical and soft skills, as well as provide networking opportunities to help connect those new to the profession with their peers and industry experts.
Aspire is currently led by Jon Darling, Head of Internal Audit for the University of Birmingham. For details on our all Aspire events, visit our Training & Events section. To join our Aspire Community, please email us at: aspire@iia.org.uk
Women in Internal Audit
Women in Internal Audit is a dedicated community of the Chartered IIA that promotes the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in the internal audit profession, as well as support the professional development of women in internal audit.
Its aim is to empower women in internal audit by helping them to grow and develop in their careers, as well as provide them with the opportunity to build their professional networks.
WIIA is being led by Frances Hawkins, Managing Director for Goldman Sachs. The community is open to both members and non-members of the institute. To get involved, please email wiia@iia.org.uk.
The Data Analytics Working Group
The Data Analytics Working Group is dedicated to all aspects of data analytics for internal auditors. It's a collaborative initiative, established in early 2021, and now has members from well over 200 IA functions from all sectors, all sizes of IA function and all levels of DA capability.
The group shares experiences and members support each other in growing data analytics capability across all participating functions.
The group is facilitated by Derek Jamieson, our Head of Member Services, and a core group of seven volunteer members. Participants include Heads of Audit, Data Scientists, Data Analysts and all other levels of internal auditors.
If you require more information on this ever expanding group, including how to join, please contact Paola Petritoli at Paola.Petritoli@iia.org.uk
The Fraud Forum
The Fraud Forum was established in September 2021 as a direct response to requests from a number of our members.
The forum seeks to develop the knowledge and skills of all internal auditors, whether involved in fraud investigations or in providing assurance over fraud risk management activities in their organisations. It's a collaborative initiative and operates on a very similar basis to the Data Analytics Working Group.
The forum meets bi-monthly and is currently open to both members and non-members of the Chartered IIA. It's facilitated by Mandy Coleman, our Regional Manager, and a core group of four volunteer members. We have participants who are specialist fraud investigators, academics, auditors and risk managers. We aim to share key takeaways or presentation materials from each meeting.
If you require more information on the forum, including how to join, please contact Paola Petritoli at Paola.Petritoli@iia.org.uk
Slides from previous sessions
2023
2 February | Banking fraud including case studies
27 March | Fraud strategy and policy
31 May | Using DA to Identify and Investigate Fraud
25 July | Fraud in a Changing World
2022
27 January | Fraud risk assessments
24 March | Appraisal of the unexpected
26 May | Current trends in fraud | Global integrity report | Bribery digest
19 July | Governance and risk appetite in fraud
22 September | Proactive audit approach to fraud risk management
24 November | Increasing your effectiveness as a fraud auditor | ACFE | CIPFA | ACI
The Banking and Financial Services Sector Advisory Panel
The Banking and Financial Services Sector Advisory Panel (the BFSSAP) is the group that supports us in developing a vision for the development of the profession in the sector and our annual plans of activity. It acts as a key link between us and our members on the ground.
BFSSAP works with us to draft bespoke technical guidance, research and policy papers that are essential to supporting internal auditors operating across the banking and financial services sectors.
More details coming soon.
The Change Forum
The purpose of the Change Forum is to come together as a group of Internal Auditors who primarily review business change initiatives and projects, to share insights, best practice and common themes, and forge new relationships.
Some of the key focus areas include:
- Stakeholder management and engagement
- Report writing
- Testing and collection of evidence
- Reliance models (with first and second lines)
- Requirements traceability
- Benefit realisation
- Project and programme methodologies and how to audit them (Agile / Waterfall / Prince2)
- Strategy alignment and auditing
The core group of volunteers who make up the Change Forum are:
- Ruth Prior, Natwest
- Munya Vengesa, Natwest
- Sharon Mistry, Yorkshire Building Society
- Sally Gaudion, Nationwide
- Martyn Noble, Santander
For more information, including requesting to join the forum please contact Paola Petritoli at Paola.Petritoli@iia.org.uk
The Charities Internal Audit Network (CIAN)
The Charities Internal Audit Network (CIAN) is an organisation dedicated to promoting internal audit best practice in charities and not for profit organisations. A charity that works in conjunction with us – The Chartered IIA – to provide effective internal audit services against a bedrock of strategic objectives.
With a network of over 150 member organisations, CIAN offers opportunities for internal auditors to network, benchmark and skill-share. Membership of CIAN is free and is available to any not for profit or charitable organisation.
For further details on the Charities Internal Audit Network, including how to join as a member, click here.
The Construction Internal Audit Forum
The Construction Internal Auditor Forum (CIAF) is an independent group that provides a platform for internal auditors, risk practitioners and other professionals who work within the construction industry to network and share best practice.
The aim of CIAF is to discuss the relevant issues, common problems and risks in the construction industry, and to work with us to promote and develop internal auditing in construction.
For more information about the CIAF and to join the mailing list, please contact one of the following committee members:
Alistair Craig, Chair
alistair.craig@morgansindall.com
Jed Turnbull, Committee Member
Jed.Turnbull@rsmuk.com
Jesus Leon, Committee Member
Jesus.Leon@rsmuk.com
The Council for Higher Education Internal Auditors (CHEIA)
The Council for Higher Education internal Auditors (CHEIA) is a dedicated group for higher education internal audit service providers in the UK. Formed in 1992, CHEIA enhances the effectiveness of internal audit in higher education by delivering a network for its members to lead from the front.
CHEIA’s key aims include promoting good practice for internal audit providers – in line with the needs of the higher education sector – and developing the role and status on internal audit in HE.
For further details on the Council for Higher Education Internal Auditors, including how to join as a member, click here.
The Housing Internal Audit Forum
The Housing Internal Forum (HIAF) works with registered providers of social housing to ensure internal audit best practice.
Its mission is to embed best practice within the work of these providers, in terms of risk management, governance and internal controls assurance. This it achieves, among other things, through the delivery of events offering best practice insights and upskilling opportunities.
Membership of the HIAF is available to all social housing organisations, regulators and external providers of internal audit services, along with trade bodies and professional bodies.
For further details on The Housing Internal Forum, including how to join as a member, click here.
The Insurance Internal Audit Group
The Insurance Internal Audit Group is a membership body which serves to advance the practices of risk assurance and governance in financial services.
Starting life as an informal association of individuals, The Insurance Internal Audit Group stands as a highly valued forum for internal audit development. A forum that helps internal auditors and related compliance and risk practitioners to develop their skills and practices through the organising of events offering critical discussion of key risks, issues and opportunities.
For further details on The Insurance Internal Audit Group, including how to join as a member, click here.
Retail Audit Forum
The Retail Audit Forum (RAF) is an independent group that provides a platform for internal auditors, stock auditors, loss prevention and risk professionals and others in similar assurance roles who work in the retail sector to network and share best practice.
It’s an open forum and welcomes non-members as well as members of the Chartered IIA.
For more information about the RAF and to join the mailing list, please contact one of the following committee members:
Garry Hooton, Chair
garry.hooton@postoffice.co.uk
Razia Gent, Committee Member
razia.gent@bdo.co.uk
Sam Wood, Committee Member
sam.wood@Greggs.co.uk
Internal Audit Race and Ethnicity Community
The Chartered IIA Internal Audit Race and Ethnicity Community is a safe space for internal audit professionals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds (and their allies). It is a forum for people to openly share and discuss their unique career-related challenges, barriers, and experiences, as well as get support from their peers. The community aims to support, empower, and enable the ethnically and racially diverse internal audit community to thrive in the profession.
The group delivers this by providing networking and mentoring opportunities, delivering an engaging and informative programme of events, along with other activities that help to promote and celebrate diversity, inclusion and equity across the internal audit profession.
The group is being led by Roza Watson and Cyndy Nkyi alongside a committee of eight volunteers of internal audit professionals from a range of backgrounds and sectors.
For details on the Chartered IIA Internal Audit Race and Ethnicity Community events and activities, please visit our Training & Events section. The community is open to both members and non-members of the institute, as well as open to both those from racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds and their allies. For more information about the event please contact the group’s coordinator Emma Ekpo at emma.ekpo@iia.org.uk.
The Student Community
Our student community is for students studying with us. It is open to all student members and offers drop-in sessions for students to discuss their studies, ask questions and share insights. These sessions take place once a month virtually and are facilitated by our regional committee members, with support from our learning academy. Studying to be a globally recognised internal auditor can be a busy time, but with our student community, help is on hand.
For details of how to get involved, please email student support at: student.support@iia.org.uk.
