ceo message: The Year of Internal Audit

Pugliese focuses on the year of internal audit. For the first time in three years, they begin a year with something other than COVID-19 as the undisputed main headline. To be clear, COVID remains one of the top issues, and it continues to have global implications on everything from supply chains to budgets. But, after years of dealing with the pandemic, businesses have mostly accounted for COVID-based disruptions and incorporated adjustments and accommodations into their business plans. Businesses are now beginning to return to operations that resemble pre-COVID "normalcy," and 2023 is a blank slate that presents internal auditors with a tremendous opportunity to reaffirm our value and claim our space in emerging areas. Top issues for the year once again include cybersecurity, ESG topics, and fraud, not to mention increased scrutiny on cryptocurrencies following the FTX collapse. With a spotlight on these issues, their profession is sure to remain front and center.

Evidence on Internal Audit Quality from Transitioning to Remote Audits because of COVID-19

As in-person audits were banned by governments and by company policies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, internal auditors had to transition to remote audits to perform their work. Based on survey responses of internal auditors who have conducted both remote and in-person audits, we find that internal auditors perceive no difference in the efficiency and effectiveness of and stakeholders' reliance on results from remote and in-person audits when considering all responses. However, we also find that perceived efficiency and effectiveness increase the more experience internal auditors have with remote audits. Supplemental analyses show that support from the auditee, but not management or the audit committee, is a central determinant of perceived remote audit success. It is important for internal auditors to consider this later finding in the design of remote audits as it indicates the importance of building support with the auditee to have a successful remote auditing experience.

INTERNAL AUDIT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IMPACT AT THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY IN GREECE AND THE UK

Метою цш cmammi е вивчення важливостi корпоративного управлтня та внутршнього аудиту в cекmорi нерухомостц твестицшно! нерухомоcmi та будтництва в ГрецП та Велико! Британ!!. Ми провели опитування серед велико! KW-bm

Remote-operated drones are enabling internal audit fieldwork to soar to new heights

Salierno discusses remote-operated drones which are enabling internal audit fieldwork to soar to new heights. Drone technology has been around for some time. Drones have been used for decades in military and commercial applications, as well as recreationally by hobbyists. But for internal audit, adoption had been relatively slow--until COVID-19 struck and changed everything. As working from home became the new norm for many audit practitioners, the idea of gathering information remotely gained greater acceptance--much like the way distance-bridging technologies such as videoconferencing saw wider adoption. Especially in the early days of the pandemic, necessity became a driving factor--some practitioners simply had no other way of performing certain audits and had to rely on drones.

A Stronger Pulse

Wamsley discusses that with the COVID-19 pandemic moving toward remission in many places, the internal audit profession is showing signs of recovery. The IIA's latest North American Pulse of Internal Audit says, audit functions saw significantly fewer budget decreases in 2021, with 17% reporting budget cuts, down from 36% in 2020. The 2021 figures are closer to the pre-pandemic 13% reported in 2019. The Pulse also presents valuable insights on organizational risks, with cybersecurity, IT, and third-party risks continuing to rise in rankings and prominence on audit plans.

TRUSTED ADVISORS in Times of Uncertainty

Silva talks about the need for soft skills. While soft skills are always needed, they may be even more crucial during times of uncertainty and change. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the importance of soft skills and why internal auditors should use them to solidify their role as trusted advisors in organizations. Worldwide, internal auditors have had to adjust to an increasingly challenging business environment, with the global pandemic significantly impacting the way they perform their duties. In particular, remote auditing has changed internal audit engagement dynamics because it limits face-to-face contact and physical observations. As a result, collaboration and effective communication with audit stakeholders is more complicated, requiring flexibility, teamwork, and empathy on the part of internal auditors.

The IIA at 80

Celebrating its 80th anniversary this month, The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) finds itself in a world of unprecedented turmoil. The transformations taking place in response to dynamic risks, reality-bending technology, and a once-in-a-century pandemic make many practitioners consider this the turbo version of internal auditing. The profession is relevant, fast-paced, and more exciting than ever. The world's principal provider of standards, guidance, and training for internal auditing faces a formidable challenge in guiding its 200,000+ members and the profession, itself, into a turbulent and uncertain future. However, internal audit leaders from around the globe have a clear and consistent message: We are entering an era of near-constant disruption, and technology won't just drive that disruption, it also will be the answer to successfully managing it. Here, several thought leaders seek to define internal auditing in a post-COVID-19 world.