
Guillermo Casal introduces the internal audit function and its role in corporate governance. He highlights independence, when it is needed, and adherence to IIA standards and best practices.
Position the internal audit function under the chief audit executive, define reporting lines and resources, and use benchmarking and an approved charter to address change and align with IIA standards.
Establish an internal audit charter approved by the board to define authority and independence, mandate reporting to the audit committee, and guide engagement processes and ethics compliance.
Develop a risk-based internal audit annual plan by distinguishing plan from program, aligning engagements with baseline and incremental business risks, and prioritizing with a risk scoring matrix that rotates engagements.
Set the internal audit annual plan by benchmarking current performance, visualizing the desired outcomes, and closing gaps with a milestone-driven action plan aligned to best practices.
Learn how to staff the internal audit unit through benchmarking, mirroring core skills, and optimal team sizing—consider outsourcing and recruitment—while evaluating performance with objective metrics and leadership traits.
Learn how to assign engagements, compose audit teams, and supervise audits through dynamic scheduling, committee approvals, engagement letters, and auditee surveys for effective internal audit governance.
Coordinate the issuing of internal audit reports with a clear sequence and structured contents, including a draft for comments and a final report with corrective actions.
Benchmark the internal audit function using quantitative and qualitative data to identify gaps, align with best practices, set objectives, and drive corrective action for continuous improvement.
Establish a quality assurance program for the internal audit function by defining quality, aligning with internal audit standards from the IIA, and using a balanced scorecard to monitor KPIs.
Good internal audit management is the key to the success or failure of this function. The challenges faced by the Audit Director, whether from a pre-existing role or from a new one, are to meet the audit committee's expectations to provide complete and comprehensive assurance of the organization, on the one hand.
And, on the other hand, establish an adequate relationship with management so that the Internal Audit is perceived as a value-added gear, whose diagnoses can be reliable, and whose recommendations are based on good intention and are made with wisdom and professionalism.
In this course we will examine the International Standards for The Professional Practice of Internal Audit with the proper administration of internal audit, and also explore the best practices for the administration of internal audit.
All this based on the experience of an instructor who led three Internal Audit units, and obtained several international adequacy certifications. Mainly the CIA - Certified Internal Auditor, but also the QAR - Quality Assurance Reviewer, both issued by the IIA.
This course is of great value to those facing the challenge of leading an Internal Audit unit that seeks to respond to the diverse and complex challenges presented by today's business world, both in the private and public spheres, and, also, in non-profit organizations.