Taking African Auditors to the 'top table”

Internal Auditors Zimbabwe President Mr Barnabas Vera shared his vision for the institute under his tenure with Creative Writer Lynn Murahwa. We give it to you in his own words:

I intend to enrich the institution by implementing the following key strategies: Legislation: The process of legislating Intenal Audit practice in Zimbabwe is key in bringing us to the high table. We have been lagging behind in this aspect and I believe we should target to be legislated by an Act of Parliament by year 2020. Advisory: To enhance the status of Internal Auditors through hearing their concerns and speaking with one voice as we battle to market and promote our services. This will also enhance visibility and awareness. In this regard awareness campaigns through various media and means will be pursued. International and local stakeholder relations: We will continue to build and nature strategic international relations through contributions toward its global strategic and policy formulation. We will also continue to be an active member of the African Federation of the Institute of Internal Auditors (AFIIA). This is key in actively bringing the intents and advancement of African Auditors to the said 'top table'. On the local front apart from continuing to develop already existing relationships with universities and other institutions such as ACCA, there is need to work closely with the Office of the President, Corporate Governance Unit in order to enable members of our institute to sit on boards of parastatals in line with the theme of coming to the 'top table' Close collaboration between universities and the institute in processes such as updating of curriculum will be pursued. Increasing members of the Institute: They say 'the strength of any institute lies in its membership growth'. In this regard, we intend to continue to push for growth of membership, targeting a growth rate of 20% per annum in the next three years. Building the Profile of Internal Auditors: We intend to build the Internal Auditors' profile through the following strategic initiatives: Certification and Continuous Professional Development: The institute will aggressively persuade its members to be certified through various professional certification in particular C.I.A. among others. We believe that certification is a big step in members achieving the objective of being at the 'top table'. In this regard the institute will target the certification of at least 60 students per annum. The offering of various continuous profession development courses to members and prospective members will be continued. Flight to quality: In order to easily go on the 'top table' there is need for our service to be recognised as adding value and being of acceptable world standards. In this regard the institute will encourage internal audit departments to be subjected to external quality assurance and implement recommendations for improvements. Contributions by members towards standard setting and the participation in various regional, international and local relevant events will be pursued. Capacity Building: The institute will continue to pursue the completion of the good work that had been started by the previous boards, one such important one being the civil works at our New Marlborough offices. Indeed there are plans already in place for the construction of facilities such as library, examinations centre and study centre. I believe this is all part of the process and journey to truly be on the 'top table' and enriching the institution. Background The Institute of Internal Auditors is an international professional association with global headquarters in Lake Mary, Florida, USA. The IIA is the internal audit profession's global voice, recognized authority, acknowledged leader, chief advocate and principal educator. Its members work in internal auditing, risk management, governance, internal control, information technology audit, education and security. IIA Global was established in 1941 in the USA. IIA Zimbabwe was formed in 1988 as an affiliate chapter to the global Institute of Internal Auditors.The role of IIA Global is to set the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing and the Code of Ethics, which all members agree to follow. IIA Zimbabwe commits to the ongoing development of internal auditors, and providing a range of training courses and seminars, networking opportunities, publications, and other services. To register as a member, the following are the minimum requirements A minimum of 2 A levels. A first degree or be a full member of CIMA, CIS, ACCA or CA (Z) Once registered, one is eligible to sit for the IIA core designation of Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). IIA has a Student Member category that is open to all students engaged in the study of internal auditing or related courses in colleges or universities, provided such persons cannot qualify as a member, an Associate Member and Educational Associate Member. Membership benefits IIA's CIA certification a highly regarded qualification in the auditing professional. An opportunity for internal auditors to network with colleagues at various fora: - seminars, workshops, symposia, Heads of Internal Audit, Annual Conference. Access to the online “Internal Auditor Magazine" Access to the quarterly newsletter Advocacy work by the Institute to help the internal auditors to perform their work effectively Access to books on internal auditing and research results Access to material for the Certified Internal Auditor to enable members to become certified Access to up-to-date IIA standards, practice guides and advisories that provide good guidance Facilitation of high performance in the execution of duties of the internal auditor. Student membership comes with the following benefits: Year round networking opportunities with over 180,000 members; Access to numerous guidance resources to help internal auditors worldwide to implement best practice; Access to thought-leading research, publications and resources; Access to best-in-class training through conferences, seminars and eLearning; Connection to potential employers right in the student's backyard.