Working with Other Assurance providers, Coordination and Effective Assurance Mapping

Overview

One of the key responsibilities of an organisation’s board is to gain assurance that processes are operating within the parameters it has established to achieve the defined objectives. It is necessary to determine whether risk management processes are working effectively and whether key or business-critical risks are being managed to an acceptable level.

With responsibility for assurance activities traditionally being shared among management, internal audit, risk management, and compliance, it is important that assurance activities be coordinated to ensure resources are used in the most efficient and effective way. Assurance Mapping can help. 

This course will provide best practice advice and coaching on how to undertake assurance mapping in a straightforward, logical, and practical way. You will learn a range of techniques that will give you the confidence and skills to help you engage with key stakeholders to develop and deliver simple assurance maps while avoiding the many pitfalls and over-complexity.

The results can also inform how internal audit could work more effectively with colleagues in the second line and with external parties who may also be commissioned to provide assurance. Coordination with and reliance upon other assurance providers are important topics and ones that we - as internal auditors and second line teams - do not always fully obtain benefits from. This course will show you how we could achieve more by closer working, where it right to do so.

Target Audience

Heads of internal audit, internal audit managers and senior internal auditors, as well as second line colleagues, involved in working with key assurance providers and other stakeholders to help the board develop assurance mapping in their organisations.

Course Content

This course will take you through a blend of theoretical, technical, discursive, and practical approaches covering: 

• a brief refresher covering risk management and assurance
• identifying assurance providers and sources of assurance
• providing assurance over risk management 
• developing an effective assurance map
• engaging with key stakeholders in assurance mapping
• coordination with and reliance upon other assurance providers
• common pitfalls and challenges to manage or avoid

The course includes facilitator input, topical examples, short practical discussions and exercises to reinforce the learning and build upon your existing knowledge.

IIA Global competency areas covered

• Performance (Risk Management)
• Leadership (Audit plan and coordinating assurance efforts)
• Leadership (Internal audit strategic planning and management)

John Chesshire, CFIIA, QIAL, CRMA, CIA, CISA, has over 24 years' experience working in the internal audit, risk management, business improvement and governance fields. John is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute in the UK, an Independent Internal Audit Committee Chair, and was Chief Assurance Officer for the States of Guernsey until the start of 2021. He has delivered many well-received courses to IIA Belgium in the past, as well as to many other European Institutes of Internal Auditors. 

His other recent clients include FTSE listed companies, multinationals, central and local government, law enforcement, charities, professional services companies, and international organisations such as NATO, the OECD, and UN Agencies. He is a principal examiner for the Institute of Risk Management and has been a visiting lecturer in the Governance and Assurance Hub at Birmingham City University. 

He loves internal audit, is a great friend of IIA Belgium and particularly enjoys working in new and emerging areas of assurance interest.