Chaired a very interesting panel discussion on internal audit independence for the IIA UK Leaders Conference in London in March 2017.
I have written up the key points in an article that includes some great advice, but also looks at the real world challenges and dilemmas that internal auditors face to balance “value add” and being a “trusted advisor” with independence. It also includes the results from two polls outlining the views of the audience of heads of internal audit on the extent of these pressures. The article concludes with some specific ways heads of audit might test their independence, but builds most welcomed to me on jcp@RiskAI.co.uk.
James has helped me and my team in a number of areas, examples being improving the way we conduct and report on our audits and helping with our assurance mapping. This has all been done in a positive and supportive manner, helping the team to embed learning from these sessions.
I contacted [James] for advice as to how Assurance Mapping techniques could be applied in my own authority. Not only were his ideas very constructive, his approach was very professional yet carried out in a friendly, easy going manner which greatly helped my understanding of the issues involved. James was then always happy to deal with any follow up queries I had and he helped to fine tune and discuss the approach with the rest of my team who similarly very quickly formed the same positive view of James’s style and manner. We have recently introduced this new approach into my authority and the results and comments to date have been very encouraging, thanks in no small way to James’s advice and assistance. I would have no hesitation recommending James to anyone.