As the pace of change continues to increase, organisations of all shapes and sizes struggle to adapt, meet stakeholders’ expectations and increase their profitability. Typical challenges include: new market entrants and increased competition, innovation and disruptive technology, new regulations, increased expectations from the workforce and external stakeholders, as well as external factors including political changes and the global economy. All these changes increase risk and also mean that organisations cannot become complacent – what worked five years ago (or in some cases, even last year) may no longer be enough. In order to thrive, organisations have to become more agile and efficient in the way they do business. Against this background, Internal Audit departments have to be able to demonstrate that not only are they providing assurance over the organisation’s risks, but that they are also adding tangible value. The Board and Audit Committee are becoming more demanding and less willing to accept an internal audit function that continues to do what it has always done. This highly interactive and pragmatic course will look at what the leading internal audit functions do to provide assurance over key risks, as well as adding value by helping Management respond to the threats that face them and, most importantly, demonstrate that they are doing this. Participants will learn a range of skills, which will equip them to understand what the leading internal audit functions are doing and “raise the bar” for their team. We will also cover topical areas such as ethical behavior, fraud and forensic auditing as well as other areas that challenge internal auditors, Finally, we will spend time looking at some key “soft” skills that nearly all business professionals (but particularly internal auditors) need to improve, covering effective communication in all its forms, both at the individual but also department level.

You will walk away with a clear understanding of “what good looks like” when it comes to internal audit departments. You will learn how to “raise the bar” for your own team, so that your department is seen to be providing effective assurance over the organisation’s risks. We will discuss what are the expectations of internal audit departments, by a variety of stakeholders, including regulators and the Institute of Internal Auditors. Through exercises and discussion you will be given real-life examples and the opportunity to share knowledge with your peers regarding what leading departments do when it comes to:

• Engaging with stakeholders
• Ensuring that the department is properly positioned to carry out its work in an effective and independent manner
• Creating a strategy for the internal audit function
• Developing a mindset of continuous improvement and ensuring proper Quality Assurance
• Creating an annual plan that aligns with business strategy and addresses key risks
• Are you providing appropriate coverage across the organisation? How do you know?
• Resourcing the internal audit team to ensure that you have a suitable number of staff and can access the right skills for today and tomorrow
• Developing your people to meet their aspirations and create managers for the future
• The latest thinking around performing the audits themselves: scoping, sampling and documentation
• Using data analytics in sampling, including for fraud investigations
• Performing forensic audits: tips and pitfalls to avoid
• Agreeing findings and crafting recommendations that ensure “buy in”
• Ensuring a rigorous audit is performed and that risk areas are properly audited
• Tracking findings to ensure that change actually happens
• Reporting work performed: individual audits, status reports for Executives and summaries for the Audit Committee
• Avoiding “Groupthink” and “Speaking truth to power” to help prevent corporate failure

In a series of highly interactive sessions you will learn how to improve your “Executive presence”, make the right impression on senior Executives and get your message across in an effective and persuasive way. We will look at peoples’ communication preferences and you will be given practical tips and techniques on how to succeed in a range of encounters from impromptu one-on-one conversations through formal, scheduled meetings to presentations to larger groups.

• Chief Audit Executives (Heads of Internal Audit / Chief Internal Auditors)
• Chief Risk Officer
• Chief Compliance Officer
• Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) Staff
• Compliance Audit Committee Members
• Head Legal / General Counsels
• Head of Vigilance
• Head of Fraud & Inspection Regulators
• Corporate Governance Professionals, including Second Line of Defence (Other Assurance Providers)
• Chief Finance Officer
• Company Secretary
• Internal Audit Mangers
• Account Mangers
• External & Internal Auditors