Transcription
NORTH AMERICANINTERNAL AUDITAWARENESS TOOLKITBUILDINGAWARENESSA TOOLKIT WITH TIPS AND TEMPLATES FOR ELEVATINGAND ADVOCATING FOR THE INTERNAL AUDIT PROFESSIONMAY 2021
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICABUILDING AWARENESS:ESSENTIAL FOR THE INTERNAL AUDIT PROFESSIONMany professions enjoy an inherently universal understanding of theirvalue. Most people understand the role of a doctor, for example, so acampaign designed to build awareness of what doctors do is generallynot necessary. Unfortunately, this may not be true for the internal auditprofession. In fact, even internal auditors’ close friends and family don’tunderstand exactly what an internal auditor does.The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) supports efforts to raiseawareness of the internal audit profession and its value. The aim is notonly to dispel misperceptions of the profession, but also to enhancethe business community’s knowledge of the essential role internalauditing plays in strong organizational governance, internal control,and effective risk management. When management and boards ofdirectors come to fully appreciate the value of internal auditing, they ensure the internal audit activity isadequately sourced and effectively utilized. Similarly, as the general public becomes more familiar withwhat internal auditors do, the number of individuals who consider it a viable career option rises, fueling theprofession with greater talent.As an internal audit professional, you play an important role in raising awareness and elevating theprofession. Whether you are actively involved in your local chapter, new to the field, part of an extensive auditteam, or the sole practitioner at your organization, there’s something you can do to elevate the profession.To guide you in this effort, The IIA is pleased to provide this comprehensive toolkit, offering a variety ofcreative ideas — from the simple to the elaborate — as well as tips, multimedia tools, and templates.This toolkit is designed to be engaging and motivating, and we hope you will use the many tools provided toactivate your own creativity and passion for the internal audit profession. Start today: Show the world you’reproud to be an internal auditor!2
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICATABLE OF CONTENTSPart I: Tools for Individuals. 4Celebrate May.4Engage in Person .5Use Printed Materials.6Connect Online. 7Reach Out to the News Media. 7Part II: Tools for Chapters . 8Celebrate May.8Form an Advocacy Committee.9Engage in Person .10Engage Local News Media . 11Recognize Members . 11Develop a Presence . 12Part III: How The IIA Does It . 133
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAPART I: TOOLS FOR INDIVIDUALSThere’s a lot you can do as an individual to build internal audit awareness. When you make a concerted effortto depict internal auditing accurately to people outside the profession, you heighten others’ understandingof the profession and influence opinions.CELEBRATE MAYMay is International Internal Audit Awareness Month, the perfect time to promote the profession.1.3.During May, customizeyour email signatureand social mediaaccounts with theInternational InternalAudit AwarenessMonth digital iconand a friendly quote:4. “May is International Internal AuditAwareness Month. Please ask me about it!” “This month is International Internal AuditAwareness Month. What can I do for YOU?” “May is International Internal AuditAwareness Month. Please stop by myoffice for a visit!”2.Host a workplace celebration. Decorate the room with large picturesof audit staff and quotes that describe thepersonality of each and how long they havebeen at the organization. Have executive management welcomeattendees, make a value statementabout internal auditing, and introducethe internal auditors. Serve a cake inscribed with “HappyInternational Internal Audit Awareness Month!” Invite a department head to provide apositive testimonial on how internal audithas provided valuable insights, ideas, andrecommendations for improvement.4At the beginning or end of each week inMay, bring in sweet treats decorated forAwareness Month and hand them out withan educational flyer on internal auditing, orask staff members to speak with someonein the department about the purpose andimportance of internal auditing.View The IIA’s International Internal AuditAwareness Month video for additional ideas.
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAENGAGE IN PERSONReach out to coworkers and other stakeholders yearround to explain the importance of internal auditing andhow it can benefit them.5.Conduct a lunch-and-learn with people who workin your organization. Explain what you do and why you do it, andanswer questions to clarify their perceptions. Make sure they understand what it means to holda professional certification, such as the CertifiedInternal Auditor (CIA), including how you work toensure and improve quality, how you conform toThe IIA’s Code of Ethics and Standards, and howyou engage in continued learning. Use the Your Internal Audit Team or Getting toKnow Internal Auditing template PowerPointdecks to depict how your activity is structured,and explain your roles and responsibilities.6.Let your organization know when you obtain a newIIA professional certification — and celebrate yourachievement with coworkers! If someone in yourorganization earned an IIA certification in the pastyear, host a celebration for them this month!5
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAUSE PRINTED MATERIALSReview the resources developed by The IIA to helpyou explain internal auditing to your coworkers andother stakeholders.7.Obtain printed copies of IIA brochures (ordownload PDFs) to help you speak to executivemanagement and audit committee members.ALL INA DAY’SA LOOKAT THEOF INTEVARNAL AU RIED RESPONSIBDITORILITIESSINTERNWORKAL AUD All in a Day’s Work – Describes internal auditors’roles and responsibilities.ITING:ALL INA DAYSWORK Adding Value Across the Board – Provides anoverview of the internal auditor’s relationshipswith governance entities.8.9.Display a fun poster in your department tomotivate your audit team.Help correct misperceptions about yourprofession by sharing Five Classic Myths AboutInternal Auditing with non-auditors.TOP TONEat the10. Encourage members of your audit committee,board, and senior management to subscribeto Tone at the Top, a complimentary, bimonthlypublication that covers governance-relatedtopics important to them. Issues are availablein English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish,and Turkish. When you meet with members, givethem printed copies of the publication, and use itto open discussions on key issues, such as auditindependence and resources.6Providing senior management, boards of directors, and audit committeeswith concise information on governance-related topics.Issue 91 February 2019Boards Look to HarnessBlockchain DisruptionBy Matt KellyThough blockchain technology holds enormous promiseto transform how businesses operate, it also has thepotential to cause significant issues for boards and seniorexecutives alike.After all, nobody really knows what a transformationaltechnology will do until that transformation is alreadywell underway. Recall the internet in 1994, or social mediain 2005. Everyone knew that each technology would havea huge effect somehow — just not precisely how.Blockchain is in a similar place today. At its fullestpotential, it could (emphasis on could) bring perfect,immutable transparency to all sorts of transactions.Walmart is experimenting with blockchain so it can cutthe time to trace the source of produce on its shelvesfrom seven days to 2.2 seconds. Maersk wants blockchainto transform the shipping industry, so importers,exporters, customs agencies, and others can automatethe process of moving goods from one port to another.HSBC said in January that the bank had settled 250billion in forex trades in 2018 via blockchain.Those are just three examples already underway.Ultimately, blockchain could transform health care (bettertracking of opioid medications), real estate (no needfor title insurance), and even auditing itself: Who needssampling when all transactions are available all the time?Tone at the Top February 2019In other words, blockchain has the potential to be adisruptive technology — one that changes how wholeindustries work.The truth, however, is that disruptive technologies leavecorporate boards uneasy. In Protiviti’s 2019 survey ofenterprise risks, the top concern among board directorsand executives was the inability to embrace innovationand new technology. Yet that is exactly what blockchaincould — again, emphasis on could — bring about, for allsorts of industries in all sorts of ways.“Technology is massively disrupting corporate America,”says Christa Steele, a former bank CEO and now boarddirector very much in the pro-blockchain camp. “So wehave to come up with new ways to mitigate that risk,and educate ourselves in the boardroom to ask the rightquestions.”So what questions might those be? Boards have alegal and fiduciary responsibility to manage risks. Forblockchain, that means evaluating how it improvestransparency and reliability in operations, and whetherthe potential added benefit exceeds the benefit of whatthe company is already doing.Powered by
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICACONNECT ONLINEREACH OUT TO THE NEWS MEDIAUse email and other electronic communicationchannels at your disposal to promote your internalaudit function and correct misperceptions.Expand your reach by letting the news mediaknow about important topics or milestones ininternal auditing.11.15. Place an article in your employee newsletterChange your email signature on a monthlybasis, depending on what’s going on in yourorganization. Customize it with eye-catchingquotes such as “Internal auditing adds value.Let’s talk about what I can do to help youincrease effectiveness and efficiency!”or other internal publication, or author anarticle for a professional journal that reachesnon-auditors. Provide positive informationthat enhances internal audit’s image.Possible topics include: Internal audit as the key to cybersecurity.12. Create an intranet or internet web page that Internal audit’s focus on emerging risks andcontinuous audit planning.promotes your internal audit function anddemonstrates the value of internal auditing.See sample pages below for ideas: Internal audit’s conformance to The IIA’sCode of Ethics and Standards. Florida Lottery Governance and internal audit. Western Washington University The importance of professional skepticism.16. Write an article for your local newspaper.Refer to sample articles for examples ofwhat a business journal, guest blog, or op-edpage might publish.13. Share AuditChannel.org videos with yourcolleagues and internal audit stakeholders —and upload your own!14. Start or join a conversation about buildingawareness on The IIA’s Facebook, Twitter, andLinkedIn pages with the hashtag #IIAMAY.7
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAPART II: TOOLS FOR CHAPTERSThere is strength in numbers, and your chapter can make an enormous impact on your community’sunderstanding of and appreciation for internal auditing. Building awareness can even strengthen yourchapter’s membership and level of involvement.CELEBRATE MAYPlan for and participate in International Internal Audit Awareness Month (May) as a chapter or affiliate.1.Establish an Awareness Month Committeeto plan activities for the month of May. Consistently engage all members inactivities throughout the month. Use the InternationalInternal AuditAwareness Monthdigital icon inchaptercommunicationsthroughoutthe month. A photograph of the signing adds to thepublicity potential. Remember to send a copy of yourproclamation to your chapter’s newslettereditor for inclusion in an upcoming edition,along with a copy to [email protected]. Send a message to your membersreminding them May is InternationalInternal Audit Awareness Monthand explain the importance ofbuilding awareness. Click here for asample message.2. Spread the word about your proclamation onFacebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, using #IIAMay.3.Obtain a proclamation from your local, state,regional, or federal government official toincrease the visibility of your IIA chapter.Participate in the Building AwarenessChampion program. Chapters that successfully complete thisprogram will receive a specially designedBuilding Awareness Champion digital award. Proclamations often can be obtainedannually through a simple request to thedesignated official’s office. Click herefor proclamation request guidelinesand procedures. When you contact your official, it ishelpful to include the suggestedwording for the proclamation.8
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAFORM AN ADVOCACY COMMITTEEAdvocating for the internal audit profession is a year-round effort. Beyond celebrating International InternalAudit Awareness Month in May, chapters are encouraged to form a Chapter Advocacy Committee toenhance relationship-building and promote the profession throughout the year. The Chapter AdvocacyCommittee should:4.5.6.Establish the committee’s objectives, structure,and responsibilities. Click here for a sample. All in a Day’s Work (brochure describingwhat internal auditors do). Adding Value Across the Board (brochuredescribing internal auditors’ relationshipwith governing bodies).Engage with stakeholders at the local,regional, and national levels. Thesestakeholders include: elected officials,regulators, standard-setting bodies, boardsof directors, audit committee members,executive management, external auditors,shareholders, and the business community. U.S. Fact Sheet. Global Fact Sheet.7.Become familiar with The IIA’s advocacymaterials and resources:8. InternationalProfessionalPracticesFramework (IPPF)(which includesthe Definition ofInternal Auditing,Code of Ethics,and InternationalStandards forthe ProfessionalPractice of Internal Auditing).9.Identify local, state, and federal electedofficials. These resources will assist U.S.residents in identifying their members ofCongress: Representatives and Senators.Become familiar with your elected officials’websites, and sign up to receive newslettersor other communications from them.Look for opportunities to meet with yourelected officials when they are visiting the area.10. Schedule a visit with your elected officials attheir district offices. The IIA can help chapter leaders prepare forsuch a visit (contact [email protected]). Value Proposition: Internal Auditing’s Valueto Stakeholders. Click here to view suggestions for meetingwith elected officials in the United States. Global Advocacy Platform (available inChinese Traditional, Croatian, Dutch, English,French, German, Korean, Polish, Serbian,Slovenian, and Turkish).11. Frequently Asked Questions. Position Papers.9Host an IIA event and invite your electedofficials to attend. Click here for tips on howto encourage officials to come to your event.
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAENGAGE IN PERSONThere are plenty of opportunities for IIA members to join the effort and build internal audit awareness inthe community.12. Conduct a program on why awareness15. Contact your localis important and how the chapter andindividual audit teams can collaborate.For the program:Junior Achievementoffice and invitechapter membersto volunteer to helpeducate students(grades K-12) onbusiness ethics.16. Schedule individual luncheons with thosewho are not part of The IIA to discussmembership benefits; sponsor a year’smembership for free. Have a roundtable discussion aboutinternal audit awareness targetmarkets and any gaps in awarenessat members’ organizations.17. Brainstorm how awareness gaps mightbe filled. Prepare and disseminate a checklist of ideasresulting from the discussion.Customize the following PowerPointpresentations in your awareness-buildingefforts: Your Internal Audit Team – A customizabletemplate for internal auditors to use forprograms in their organizations or for postingto their intranet.13. Invite special guests, such as area Getting to Know Internal Auditing – A highlevel overview of internal auditing.business leaders, to an open meetingfeaturing a roundtable discussion oncorporate governance or riskmanagement and internal control, orconduct a stakeholder panel discussion.18. Use IIA videos for programs, outsidepresentations, college classes, andstakeholder meetings.14. Host a CAE-CEO breakfast featuring a Internal Auditing: A Career for Today, A Careerfor Tomorrow – An overview of why internalaudit is a viable career choice.panel discussion or keynote address oninternal auditing’s roles, responsibilities,and relationships. Use this to encouragenonmembers’ involvement in the local IIAaffiliate or chapter as well as CEO buy-in. AuditChannel.org – Various topics.10
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAENGAGE LOCAL NEWS MEDIARECOGNIZE MEMBERSDesignate one or more spokespersons torepresent your affiliate or chapter and makethese spokespeople available to the newsmedia when a relevant, internal audit-relatedissue appears in the news.Spread the word when an IIA member goes aboveand beyond expectations or becomes certified.24.Recognize newly certified members in aspecial ceremony and encourage them topublicize their accomplishments throughtheir organization’s internal newsletter.Honor an “Internal Audit Practitioner ofthe Year” and publicize the recipient’saccomplishments.19. Consult the Media Relations Primer forplanning awareness-building activitieswith the media.20. Notify the media of all newsworthyhappenings.21. Become familiar with IIA advocacyand official position on topics suchas internal auditing’s value, role, andideal reporting line, and use these keymessages in preparing chapter programsand conducting news media interviews.When in doubt, contact The IIA’s GlobalHeadquarters Corporate Communicationsand Public Relations Departmentat [email protected]. Pay tribute to an Internal Auditor by makinga donation to the Internal Audit Foundation.An online tribute page makes it easy tocontribute and write words of appreciationto your honoree.22. Refer to the News Release Tips and SampleNews Release Template before issuing anews release.23. Share your media relationsaccomplishments with The IIA’s GlobalHeadquarters at [email protected] and throughFacebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.11
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICADEVELOP A PRESENCEMake your affiliate or chapter known in the local community.26. Help form a new IIA affiliate or chapter, or strengthen asmaller existing one.27. Establish a college outreach program. Read 20 Ideas for Getting the Word to Students AboutInternal Auditing. Tap into The IIA’s Chapter Achievement Program (CAP),discuss ideas provided there, and earn recognition forall of your awareness-building efforts.The PossiBiliTies Aredless For individuAls Sponsor a gift subscription toe neInternaln T e r i n g T h e AuditorField oFinTernAl AudiTingmagazine for a local college or publiclibrary.InTernAl AudIT:The Future is Yours To CommandThe IIA is Here to HelpOne of the best ways to find out more about internal auditing is tojoin your local IIA chapter. Membership in The IIA can provide youwith valuable opportunities to meet with those already practicingin the profession and to learn what you can do now to prepareyourself for a dynamic career in internal auditing. Many IIAchapters plan activities specifically for students and faculty. Use the Sample Lesson Plan to lead a class discussionon the profession at a nearby college or university.ProfessIonof ThefuTureJoin The IIA now, rather than wait until you graduate, and gain anadvantage over your peers who are competing for the same jobs.Take control of your future by identifying and selecting aprofession offering a great starting salary, travel benefits,opportunities for fast-paced advancement, life balance and more.Take a closer look at internal auditing now, before you graduate.Talk to your professors, faculty advisors, attend a chapter meetingor contact us, The Institute of Internal Auditors. Distribute Internal Audit: Profession of the Future, aninternal auditing educational and awareness brochure,to high school and college classes.GlobAl heAdquArTers247 MAITlAndAvenUe1035GREENWOODBLVD., #401,AlTAMOnTeFl 32701 USALAKEMARY,SprIngS,FL 32746Although internal auditing is one of the most misunderstood professions, itAlthough internal auditing is one of the most misunderstood profession, itis one of the top five highest professions in demand throughout the entireis one of the top five highest professions in demand throughout the entireworld. So much so, organizations are paying higher entry level salaries,world. So much so, organizations are paying higher entry level salaries,providing challenging and diversified projects and offering more flexibleproviding challenging and diversified projects and offering more flexibleschedules to entice future employees. Whether you’re embarking on aschedules to entice future employees. Whether you’re embarking on acareer or pursuing a second career, the internal audit profession deservescareer or pursuing a second career, the internal audit profession deservesa closer look.a closer look.T: 1-407-937-1100F: 1-407-937-1101W: www.theiia.orgTo learn more about Internal Audit education, please visitwww.theiia.org/academic or e-mail us at [email protected]. Make your own sticker or pin to disseminate.@TheIIAThe Institute of Internal Auditors7/130731/AA/BT2017-1649ACAdeMiCrelATionsAs always, The IIA encourages you to share your creative internal audit awareness-building ideas and accomplishments with ourCorporate Communications and Public Relations Department at [email protected] and on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.12
BUILDING AWARENESS TOOLKIT - NORTH AMERICAPART III: HOW THE IIA DOES ITFor more than a decade, The IIA has devoted significantresources to building awareness of internal auditing’s value.From its extensive media relations program, to connectingwith legislators and regulators on behalf of members, toits many outreach efforts with like-minded organizationsand influential governing and standard-setting bodies,The IIA has increased the profession’s visibility and set thestandard for the way internal auditing is practiced aroundthe world.In advocating for the profession, The IIA has developedIIA President and CEO Richard Chambers meets withimportant relationships with key internal auditmembers of the Congressional Caucus on CPAs.stakeholders. In Washington, D.C., we inform and raiseawareness among regulators and legislators on CapitolHill. The IIA works hard to broaden the world’s understanding of and appreciation for internal auditing and toelevate its professional practice.The IIA collaborates with key internal audit stakeholder organizations, including: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Financial Executives International (FEI) Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Federal Reserve System Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ISACA Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)The IIA uses a multimedia approach to advance the profession by sharing key messages online, in printedmaterials, and through AuditChannel.org, Tone at the Top, social media, traditional media interviews, and theInternational Professional Practices Framework (IPPF). The IPPF Oversight Council, an important collaborationin advancing internal audit awareness, was formed in 2010 to ensure the rigor of The IIA’s standard-settingprocess. Organizations represented on the IPPF Oversight Council include NACD, International Federationof Accountants (IFAC), International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), World Bank, andOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).13
See sample pages below for ideas: Florida Lottery Western Washington University 13. Share AuditChannel.org videos with your colleagues and internal audit stakeholders — and upload your own! 14. Start or join a conversation about building awareness on The IIA’s Facebo
