IN THIS ISSUE

From the President's Study

Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to read this issue of The IIA Research Foundation Report. I am pleased that we have already made huge strides toward these priorities I outlined in the last issue of Report.

• Pursuing leading researchers to perform global internal audit studies     
• Researching and releasing eSAC (see article in this issue)     
• Beginning work on the monograph Research Opportunities in Internal Auditing (see article in this issue)

As The Foundation enters its 26th year, I have a new proposal for action for us. We will build upon our existing role as a financier of significant research, and take on a new role as a performer of significant research. Both of these roles are critical to our success

By tapping into the incredible knowledge and competency of The Foundation's headquarters staff, we can work faster, smarter, and more consistently. We can provide global, long-term strategic direction to our products and the The Foundation as a whole.

How can this be accomplished? By taking advantage of the expertise already available to us — both staff and resources. For example, we hope to issue timely and concise technical bulletins on emerging topics such as eSAC technology, recovering internal audit costs, business continuity planning, and salary surveys for internal auditors and chief audit executives (CAEs). We may tap into the findings of the some of the Global Auditing Information Network’s Flash Surveys, or may perform similar surveys ourselves.

Additionally, IIA headquarters is a clearinghouse for research performed by IIA affiliates worldwide, and because our vast international network can keep staff abreast of current issues, we may be able to increase the relevance of products to our customers worldwide.

We will continue to fund outstanding research as we have for 25 years, and hope that this new role — performer of significant research — will mean faster delivery of products to the marketplace, consistency and high quality in those products, and of course, cost efficiency.

Dr. Larry Rittenberg, CIA, is Research Foundation president and IIA vice chairman of the board-research. He has been an IIA member since 1975 and is currently a professor of accounting at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.