Audit and Governance

The aim of the Certificate in Audit Skills (CAS) is to develop the skills and knowledge of public sector internal auditors in order to carry out effective audits and make a greater contribution to the governance of their organisations.  The Certificate is an issues-based course focused on skills enhancement to meet the ever-changing needs of the auditor in delivering an added value and quality service. The programme examines in detail, and in a very practical manner, the key areas of the work of an internal auditor.

To respond to pressing global issues and delivering on corresponding Governments policies, public sector entities and public benefit organisations are embracing and implementing a range of sustainability and climate initiatives. In addition, the manner, nature and extent of sustainability reporting is evolving which requires companies and organisations (be they public, private or non-profit) to report beyond the financials and product or service delivery performance. More is expected of organisations today than has been the case heretofore, including, how they interact with the environment, with the local community, how they treat their staff and stakeholders and other factors.

Sustainability reporting can incorporate environmental considerations (e.g. energy usage and savings, waste, carbon footprint), social considerations (e.g. gender pay metrics, Human Rights, support of staff development and well-being) and governance considerations (e.g. transparency, ethics, code and statutory compliance), and gives stakeholders a better picture of the health of the company or organisation  encapsulated in its triple bottom line (TBL).

This Essentials of Internal Audit webinar will cover a range of key topics including the roles and responsibilities of the Internal Auditor,  key stakeholder engagements including with external audit and the audit and risk committee, the audit process and the relationship with management, key performance indicators and issues to consider in reviewing the quality of internal audit.

The Introduction to Internal Audit is a four-day programme, delivered over two modules. The course explores the role of the Internal Auditor, the audit process and the relationship of the internal auditor with management, the audit committee and external audit. The course is very participative with a high emphasis on the theoretical and practical aspects of auditing.  The content of the course has been designed specifically for public sector internal auditors who are new to the function in their organisation.

This Introduction to Fraud and Control in Organisations webinar will provide an introduction to the concept of fraud and key controls in organisations.  The session will consider the concept of the fraud triangle, the characteristics of fraud and the opportunities that may exist in organisations as well as key elements of an anti fraud policy. The nature and extent of the control environment and control procedures and the role internal control plays in prevention and detection of fraudulent behaviour.

Fraud affects the whole organisation. Boards and Senior Management have an important role to play in developing a fraud culture.

With the level of scrutiny and accountability that is required from organisations, fraud is a significant risk and Internal Audit plays a significant role when auditing internal controls.   

The expectations and obligations on audit committees continue to evolve in response to governance developments and the need for Boards and governing bodies to demonstrate that they are adhering to relevant audit, assurance and risk management requirements. The Audit committee charter will set out the duties of the Audit Committee in areas such as internal control, internal audit, external audit, financial reporting, risk management, reporting relationships within the organisation and its interaction with other committees. This course will be delivered as a two-hour online specialist-led course.

This Board Secretary online workshop, delivered in conjunction with ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute, is designed for those who have been newly or recently appointed to the position of Board Secretary in the public and not-for-profit sectors, and those who feel they would benefit from further or formal training.  The workshop will examine the role and responsibilities of the Secretary, both as prescribed, and in practice.  It will also look at good practices which a Secretary can introduce and foster to support good governance within their organisation.

The updated revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies applies from 1 September 2016. This is the key guidance document on the corporate governance expectations of State Bodies and other organisations operating to state body and public sector norms. The Code updates and expands on the previous code with additional guidance on several areas.

State Bodies were given two options in relation to adoption of the provisions of the Code.  For those organisations who chose to adopt for the 2017 year-end, this session provides State Bodies with an ideal opportunity to revisit the key provisions of the Code.  This is a Specialist-Led online course.

Public bodies and many other organisations in receipt of public support must insure that their corporate governance frameworks are of a best practice standard and that they are in compliance with specified corporate governance codes. This Corporate Governance For State And Public Sector Bodies course will give insights into the principles on which codes are based, provide an overview of the key issues for the different stakeholders and discuss the implications of how governance practices can be assessed.