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"Where will the next generation of qualified internal auditors come from?" In an effort to address that question, the Atlanta Chapter of The Institute of Internal Auditors hosted a Student Day event in February in conjunction with Kennesaw State University (KSU) and 21 metro Atlanta area employers. Attended by more than 200 students from 18 colleges and universities who were looking for internships or employment in internal auditing, accounting and finance fields, IIA-Atlanta Academic Relations Committee Chair Fred Masci said the event was a "win-win situation for KSU, Atlanta metro employers, and especially the students." To read more about IIA-Atlanta's Student Day event, click here.

Read along with internal auditors across the globe! Every profession has a body of knowledge on which practices, performance, and new initiatives are based, and internal auditing is no exception. Recently, influences such as technology, globalization, corruption, fraud, changes in regulations, and expectations of stakeholders have all affected the practice of internal auditing. To determine just how much these and other internal and external factors have changed the roles internal audit practitioners play in organizations all around the world, The Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation (IIARF) conducted a global survey in 2006 to contribute to the profession's "body of knowledge."In December 2007, The IIARF's A Global Summary of the Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) survey was made available to all members of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) as a free download from The IIA 's Web site. The results of CBOK will drive many critical aspects of the profession and will help define its future and ensure that it remains a valued profession. Each month, you can read an article on a featured research topic along with a recommended course of action. The article will provide some insight from the data of the featured topic and is something you can reproduce and use as needed. If you have questions about "CBOK of the Month" or need further assistance with interpretation of CBOK data, please contact research@theiia.orgMay's "CBOK of the Month" research topic: "Staffing" (PDF)

Addressing Stakeholder EngagementThe May edition of Tone at the Top examines the need for two-way communication between boards and stakeholders. "In Pursuit of Consensus" encourages boards to provide accurate and relevant information to stakeholders, based on assurance provided by the internal auditors. If your executive management and audit committee members are not already receiving Tone at the Top, please provide their mailing and e-mail information to pr@theiia.org.

The May edition of Tone at the Top examines the need for two-way communication between boards and stakeholders. "In Pursuit of Consensus" encourages boards to provide accurate and relevant information to stakeholders, based on assurance provided by the internal auditors. If your executive management and audit committee members are not already receiving Tone at the Top, please provide their mailing and e-mail information to pr@theiia.org.

The Institute of Internal Auditors' auction will run from April 1, 2008, to April 30, 2008, with proceeds going to both the Internal Auditing Academic Advancement Fund (IAAAF) and The IIA Research Foundation (IIARF). Participate in the auction.

The Board adopted Rule 3526 to enhance communication between audit committees and registered firms regarding the firm's independence. Rule 3526 will require a registered public accounting firm, before accepting an initial engagement pursuant to the standards of the PCAOB,...

When auditors seek evidence of fraud, they take a careful look at a company's financial statements. Maybe they should examine other statements, such as those uttered by company executives. That's the theory behind new fraud-detection software developed by two professors at...

The IIA's popular Operational Auditing seminar has been reengineered to better meet your needs.We've reworked our four-and-a-half day course into two separate two-day courses that target more specific objectives and today's best practices, and are structured to your knowledge level.Operational Auditing: An Introduction provides a basic understanding of internal audit and control frameworks, and the tools you need to perform your first operational audit. (Two-day / 16 CPE credits)Operational Auditing: Advanced includes audit techniques and best practices, and encourages you to discuss yoru own operational auditing experiences. (Two-day / 16 CPE credits)Attend them individually or together for a comprehensive review of this important aspect of your job. Save US $200 when you attend both!Two-day seminars: US $1,150 IIA members / US 1,280 nonmembers / 16 CPE creditsFour-day seminars: US $2,100 IIA members / US $2,230 nonmembers / 32 CPE creditsClick here for more information on NASBA information and compliance.

New Webinar Series from The IIA and DeloitteThe Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) and Deloitte are pleased to present two exciting new interactive Hot Topics webinar series focusing on fraud and information technology. The first fraud Hot Topics webinar - The Fraud Control Gap: Implications for Internal Auditors - will highlight the implications for internal auditors of a recent Deloitte Forensic Center study focusing on fraud controls. Extensive Q&A time will be provided to address your questions.The information technology Hot Topics webinar series will kick off on May 29. The webinar - Spreadsheet Management Solutions - will highlight internal controls that are designed to help mitigate spreadsheet risk. More information and how to register will be forthcoming.The Fraud Control Gap: Implications for Internal AuditorsIn the absence of detailed fraud control standards, many companies are uncertain how their anti-fraud practices compare with those of their peers. In this webinar, hear about:Practices that differentiate companies that have been successful in controlling fraud. Ways to enhance the performance of existing fraud controls and fraud risk assessments. Concerns regarding hotlines and employee anti-fraud training and opportunities for improvement.Thursday, May 81:00- 3:00 p.m. ET (GMT-5)US $85 per person2 CPE credits (Auditing)Presented By Toby Bishop, Partner, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, Director, Deloitte Forensic Center Deborah Temkin, Senior Manager, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLPRegister today and view the entire schedule Click here

Knowledge Management (KM) is more than a buzz phrase running through organizations, so if you were hoping this discussion was going to abruptly end, think again. With so many organizations facing labor shortages as the baby boomers look toward retirement, it becomes not...

I appreciate when readers share their challenges in applying issues and concepts, as invariably there are an additional dozen people also struggling with this same topic. One professional writes: I am new at this and need to understand about SOX and SOD, do you have any...

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has scheduled an open meeting for Tuesday, April 22, at 9:30 a.m. in the Board's open meeting room at 1666 K St. NW, Washington, DC. The Board will consider adopting Rule 3526, Communication with Audit Committees Concerning...

Let Us Come to You!Get a sneak peek at the On-site Training courses to be featured in our next mailer. Mention that you saw this on the home page of The IIA's Web site, and we will offer you special pricing on these as well as many other courses! Learn more.

Another resource available for those seeking to better understand and manage their SOD risks and issues. Corporate and IT executives continue to feel the pressures of assuring federal regulators, auditors, boards of directors, and stockholders that corporate financial...

Recently, the US Government implemented a new rule and proposed yet more rules regarding ethics and corporate compliance programs for government contractors. This marks a continuing shift towards adopting a more aggressive approach in addressing government contractor fraud,...

Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Christopher Cox asked Congress to approve his nearly $1 billion budget request for fiscal year 2009. If lawmakers agree the SEC needs its first budget increase in three years, the commission will have realized a roughly 4 percent...

April/May IIA Research Foundation (IIARF) Report Available The current edition of RF Report is now online. Share Rod Winters' reflections on highlights from the past three years and the focus for the future as he steps down as IIARF president; CBOK's next steps are announced; St. Louis Chapter research addresses the dreaded m-word (meetings); and a long-time supporter explains why research plays an important role in taking the profession to the next level. You can also read about five new products that bring a higher level of competency to both the practitioner and the profession.

Read along with internal auditors across the globe! Every profession has a body of knowledge on which practices, performance, and new initiatives are based, and internal auditing is no exception. Recently, influences such as technology, globalization, corruption, fraud, changes in regulations, and expectations of stakeholders have all affected the practice of internal auditing. To determine just how much these and other internal and external factors have changed the roles internal audit practitioners play in organizations all around the world, The Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation (IIARF) conducted a global survey in 2006 to contribute to the profession's "body of knowledge."In December 2007, The IIARF's A Global Summary of the Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) survey was made available to all members of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) as a free download from The IIA 's Web site. The results of CBOK will drive many critical aspects of the profession and will help define its future and ensure that it remains a valued profession. Each month, you can read an article on a featured research topic along with a recommended course of action. The article will provide some insight from the data of the featured topic and is something you can reproduce and use as needed. If you have questions about "CBOK of the Month" or need further assistance with interpretation of CBOK data, please contact research@theiia.orgApril's "CBOK of the Month" research topic: "Continuing Professional Development"(PDF)

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has been viewed as a watershed event in dealing with corporate fraud. In addition to its extensive provisions dealing with internal controls and corporate accounting procedures, the law adopted new crimes and pushed the United States...

Dreading your pending SOX initiative? Or the thoughts of IPO? Or how you might refine your implementation? Hopefully, "Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404A Guide for Small Business" from the SEC takes some of the sting out of it. This incorporates much of the thinking and...

Sometimes after announcing they need to restate their financials, companies go into shutdown mode. For up to two years, investors won't see a regulatory filing or hear a significant financial peep while a company tidies up its past. The Securities and Exchange Commission's...

The frequency of financial restatements by U.S. public companies began to increase before the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate reform law was passed in 2002, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department and released on Wednesday. But restatements associated...

The growing number of companies restating their financial results has been cited as a reason to ease U.S. accounting standards by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Treasury Department. But the restatement problem may not be the big bad wolf it was originally...

In 2005, federal authorities concluded that a Monsanto consultant had visited the home of an Indonesian official and, with the approval of a senior company executive, handed over an envelope stuffed with hundred-dollar bills. The money was meant as a bribe to win looser...

Maybe so much of the Sarbanes Oxley legistlation has been to simply bring US filers up to par with governance and risk management practices that have been maturing around the globe. Standard and Poor's, one of the leading credit rating agencies for capital markets, has...

Since the advent of Sarbanes-Oxley, non-financial corporations have faced increasingly strong regulatory and compliance requirements aimed broadly at increasing transparency in their business practices. Risk management has been addressed at times, but usually as an...

The Board of Regents and The IIA's Certification Department are pleased to announce the initial launch of computer-based testing (CBT) registration for the Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®) exam, which is the first step toward a full roll out of CBT. Registration for the specialty exams (CCSA®, CGAP®, and CFSA®) will begin in May. Candidates can now go online to register for the CIA exam, schedule their appointment with Pearson VUE, and track their certification progress. The initial launch version of the new candidate handbook is also posted online with complete instructions for applying to the certification programs, registering for exams, and scheduling appointments with Pearson VUE. Read more about this historic milestone!

from KPMG's "Audit Committee Insights" for March 5, 2008, originally published in the February 2008 issue of The CPA Journal. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002's requirements regarding internal control over financial reporting requirements for management and auditors...

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board today announced the 2008 series of its Forums on Auditing in the Small Business Environment. These forums are designed to help share important information with registered public accounting firms and public companies operating in...

Two IIA Programs Partner to Enhance the Professionalism of Your Staff and DepartmentThe IIA's premier benchmarking program, Global Audit Information Network (GAIN), and On-site Learning have joined forces to provide you and your staff the knowledge you need to reach maximum potential. With GAIN as the most trusted name for benchmarking services in the internal audit profession and On-Site Learning providing world-class training at your location, it only makes sense for these two programs to come together with a great opportunity. Now when you complete the GAIN Annual Benchmarking Study (ABS) and submit your data, you will receive a certificate for US $500 off any IIA on-site training program (two days or more in length). So don't wait another day. Participate in ABS, submit your data, and get your on-site training discount certificate today! Click here to learn more about GAIN. For a list of on-site training, click here.