This plenary meeting, in the format of a SIT, takes place more than a year since the IACOP’s last plenary. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly challenged all of us and impacted our lives during that time. Nevertheless, with the great effort and flexibility demonstrated by IACOP leadership and its members, IACOP is holding up well in these extraordinary circumstances. It has been able to provide timely and stakeholder-oriented support through the organization of virtual events, joined IACOP-country events, and developed additional knowledge products.
We all recognize that strong public services are essential both during the pandemic and in its aftermath. The entire public sector must seek to work effectively and efficiently, despite the pressures and challenges. Public authorities now more than ever must strive to meet their objectives. This requires more modern and efficient tools to be provided to management, to address their increased expectations regarding both internal control and internal audit. Facing many burning challenges, managers seek more advisory internal audit services. Central harmonization units and managers need more assurance on whether internal control operates properly. While maintaining a focus on public internal financial control implementation, the audit committee topic returns to PEMPAL countries’ reform agenda and as well to the IACOP agenda. To better fits clients’ expectations, agile auditing creates opportunities to transform audit processes, to better address the audit environment, and ultimately to create more value for the stakeholders of internal audit services.
Based on demand from member countries, the plenary meeting will consider three topics in some depth, with expert speakers, discussion of country experiences, and commentary and advice from PEMPAL IACOP, the World Bank, country senior officials, and external experts. The topics selected are how audit committees can assist in advancing public internal control reforms and support managerial accountability; how agile auditing can transform the internal audit process; and how to ensure consultancy engagements meet the needs of all involved. There will also be updates on public internal financial control reforms and on IACOP’s progress and plans. Participants will have opportunities to share their views and questions, and to reflect on others’ challenges and shared plans.
