Operational Auditing: Principles and Techniques for a Changing World Flashcards
Internal audit has undergone a significant transformation, adapting to changes in management and organizational behavior.
True
What challenged the standard model?
Globalization, technological advancements, and a new business model
What is the disadvantage of the standard model?
It limited creativity and adaptability.
Why did many internal auditors become irrelevant?
They missed the changes and were slow to adapt to the changing landscape.
What happened when the standard model has became impractical?
- Irrelevance of auditors
- Loss of confidence of management and board of directors in internal audit functions that focused on outdated practices and failed to provide valuable insights.
- Managers questioned the value of internal audits, finding them overly focused on compliance and lacking in strategic relevance - disenchantment.
What are the three (3) new era of audit?
- Stakeholder focus
- Risk-based Approach
- Integrated Auditing
Why did the focus of internal audit shifted toward broader organizational objectives?
Due to the emergence of stakeholder theory and corporate governance principles.
What is the risk-based approach?
It focuses on identifying and mitigating risks that could impact the organization’s goals.
What is integrated auditing?
It combines operational, financial, and compliance audits. It became essential for providing a comprehensive view of organizational performance.
Give three (3) importance of operational audits
- Strategic Alignment
- Efficiency and Effectiveness
- Risk Mitigation
How does Operational audit help in strategic alignment?
Operational audits help ensure that business processes are aligned with strategic objectives and contribute to organizational success.
How does operational audit result in efficiency and effectiveness?
Operational audits identify opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of business processes.
How does operational audit result in risk mitigation?
Operational audits help identify and mitigate operational risks that could impact the organization’s performance and reputation.
What is the future of internal audit?
- Data Analytics - leverage data analytics to gain deeper insights into organizational performance and identify emerging risks.
- Technology Expertise - Need to develop expertise in emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain, to effectively audit complex systems.
- Strategic Advisory - IA will evolve from a compliance function to a strategic advisor, providing insights and recommendations to support organizational goals.
What are the key takeways? (3)
- Adaptability - adaptable and responsive to changing business environment.
- Risk-based Approach - Essential for identifying and mitigating risks that could impact organizational success.
- Strategic Alignment - IA should be aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives and contribute to its overall success.
What should be done by internal auditors to cope with the changing landscape?
- Embrace Change
- Develop Skills
- Build Relationships - foster relationship to build trust and collaboration
- Contribute Value - focus on providing valuable insights and recommendations that support organizational goals.
It is the primary international professional association, organized on a worldwide basis, dedicated to the promotion and development of the practice of internal auditing.
Institute of Internal Auditors
It is the recognized authority, chief educator, and acknowledged leader in standards, education, certification, and research for the profession worldwide.
Institute of Internal Auditors
It provides professional and executive development training, educational products, research studies, and guidance to more than 80,000 members in more than 100 countries.
Institute of Internal Auditors
It is the conceptual framework that organizes authoritative guidance promulgated by the Institute of Internal Auditors.
International Professional Practices Framework
It is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.
Internal Auditing
Why is it important to understand the purpose behind activities?
Understanding the purpose behind activities provides provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of processes.
What does the questions “who, what, when, where, and how” provide?
They provide valuable information about the process and its behavior.
Value of Sustainability Report (4)
- Transparency
- Risk management
- Competitive advantage
- Stakeholder pressure
How does internal auditors add value?
- Risk Management - Internal auditors play a crucial role in identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks. risks.
- Governance - Internal auditors provide assurance on the effectiveness of corporate governance structures and practices.
- Control - Auditors evaluate the effectiveness of controls in preventing and detecting errors and fraud.
It is a future-oriented, independent, systematic, and business-focused evaluation of management and the organization’s activities controlled by management and third parties.
Operational auditing
What is an important aspect of the modern manager and auditor’s job?
Identify relevant stakeholders and to understand their interests.
Who are the primary (economic) stakeholders?
- Employees
- Investors
- Creditors
- Customers
- Suppliers
Who are the secondary (noneconomic) stakeholders?
- Governments
- General public
- communities
- Business support groups
- Activist groups
- Media
It is an important aspect of modern internal auditing because it gives the auditor an appreciation for the various parties interested in the outputs and outcomes of the organization, its programs and related processes.
Stakeholder analysis
It requires a broader view of organizational risks, going beyond accounting and financial risks.
Risk-based auditing
They must identify, measure, and assess mechanisms to mitigate risks such as delays, waste, inefficiency, poor customer service, and system failures.
Internal auditors
Why is it beneficial to diversify auditing?
This enriches the department and provides valuable insights into other risks affecting the organization.
It focuses on identifying and evaluating internal controls without enough regard to their value to the process.
Controls-based auditing
What are operational threats? (3)
- Strategic threats
- Technological threats
- Environmental threats
What are the essential skills (3) for effective operational audits?
- Communication skills
- Problem identification and solution skills, such as conceptual and analytical thinking
- Industry and Regulatory Knowledge
In the IIA Research Foundation Core Competencies Report, what are the top general competencies of internal auditors?
- Communication skills, such as oral, written, report writing, and presentation skills
- Problem identification and solution skills, such as conceptual and analytical thinking
- Ability to promote the value of internal audit
- Knowledge of industry, regulatory, and standards changes 5. Organization skills
- Conflict resolution/negotiation skills
- Staff training and development
- Accounting frameworks, tools, and techniques
- Change management skills
- IT/CT 13 framework, tools, and techniques
- Cultural fluency and foreign language skills
What are the behavioral skills that internal auditors should possess?
Confidentiality
Objectivity
Communication
Judgment
Work well with all management levels
Possess governance and ethics sensitivity
Be team players
Relationshp building
Leadership
Influence
Facilitation
Staff management
Change catalyst skills
