Internal Auditors Benefit from Symposium

Over 200 Government auditors have benefited from a symposium recently hosted by the Internal Audit Directorate (IAD) of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

The symposium, which was held at The Summit in New Kingston on February 29, targeted internal auditors within central Government.

Audit Specialist for Quality Assurance and Performance at the IAD, Michelle Miller told JIS News that the symposium returned after being on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There have been updates in the international standards for the internal auditor, as well as recent revisions in the Government of Jamaica internal manual. We used the symposium to bring awareness to these changes and the emerging trends that is within the internal audit function, to encourage full conformance so the auditors can add more value to their respective entities,” Mrs. Miller explained.

Five internal auditors, as well as three internal audit units who displayed outstanding performance, were awarded for their contributions for the year 2023.

“The three audit units were the Ministry of Education and Youth, which is led by the chief internal auditor, Mrs. Audrey Gentles-McCallum, Ministry of Justice led by Keisha Simpson, as well the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) headed by Mrs. Gayle Hutchinson McCleod. So, we had the ceremony within the symposium to acknowledge and encourage them and others,” Mrs. Miller said.

The five auditors received a prize of a free subscription for one year to the Institute of Internal Auditors, where they can pursue certification and keep abreast of things impacting auditors.

Mrs. Miller noted that the symposium helped to develop awareness of new and current best practices, principles for effective management of audit units, as well as execution of impact audits.

“It also equipped the auditors to plan strategically to see how best they can contribute to the achievement of their respective entities’ strategic objectives, and we also looked at how they can make use of their limited resources,” Mrs. Miller told JIS News.

She further noted that the auditors were pleased to have presenters from the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), an arm of the International Monetary Fund.

“We looked at governance and professional ethics, as well as … applying these new standards or current best practices, which would foster growth as a unit and as individuals,” Mrs. Miller stated.

“We also looked at several other topics, such as risk-based audit plan, leveraging information technology, effective planning of the audit engagement and how to prepare and communicate results, because we have to ensure when we prepare our reports, it can be used by management to improve or strengthen their internal controls within their respective areas,” she said.

She noted that the feedback from participants has been positive, with many auditors commenting on the wealth of information they received.

“They’re looking forward to the next one because they did enjoy it. We had motivational speaker Jeffery Azan. He was also a presenter, and he did deliver; he came with the vibes and the message, and we do appreciate that,” Mrs. Miller said.

The IAD is responsible for policy development, promulgation of audit standards as well as capacity development of internal auditors within Government.