Progress Through Sharing

As The IIA continues to work toward its strategic goal of making internal auditing a universally recognized profession, the full involvement of institutes is vital. IIA institutes around the world are at varying levels of maturity and capacity, representing a broad spectrum of cultural, political, and economic environments. The IIA's Institute Relations department is reaching out to institutes to support their efforts to grow and to build lasting relationships.

The IIA currently has 100 institutes, from Argentina to Zimbabwe. The Institute Relations team serves as the liaison between institutes and The IIA, and has visited most of the institutes since it was put in place three years ago. "We act as their point of contact at IIA headquarters by coordinating their agreements, services, and communications," says Sylvia Boyd, IIA director of Institute Relations. "The information we are able to share when visiting the institutes, particularly the new and developing ones, has greatly increased their ability to serve their members and advocate for the profession in their countries."

World Travelers

The Institute Relations team travels the world to collaborate with and assist institute partners. In 2007, the three regional managers made 76 trips throughout the world, helping build new relationships and strengthen existing ones. "The regional managers are essential to building bridges between the IIA global headquarters and our members worldwide," Boyd says. "In many cases, it might be the first time anyone has ever visited them from global headquarters, as was the case when we went to Algeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, and Zambia last year."

According to Boyd, regional managers are given their assignments not only based on geography but also on language skills to enhance the support and facilitate communication with local leaders. Sunil Saluja, a Canadian citizen born in India, supports institutes in the Asia Pacific region, and parts of Africa. Because Saluja covers such a large area, he is posted in Delhi part of the year to ease his travels. Denis Bergevin, CIA, a French-Canadian, covers Europe and all French-speaking institutes. He has met with IIA leaders and members in places such as Algeria, Haiti, and Mali, where he attends local institute board meetings, meets with government officials, and speaks at conferences. Victor Garcia, originally from Ecuador, is responsible for all Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking institutes, covering all of Latin America and a few countries in Europe and Africa.

This year, Bergevin has focused his efforts in Eastern European nations, where The IIA and the profession are just now emerging including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovakia, and Croatia. Among stops on his recent visit to Eastern Europe, was the Republic of Serbia's capital, Belgrade. As a potential candidate for European Union (EU) membership, Serbia is preparing to adopt certain EU guidelines and standards. "I met with a group of 35 individuals, representing 25 different organizations, half of whom were either IIA group members or members at large," he says. "I polled the audience on how many were in favor of creating an IIA institute, and the response was overwhelmingly in favor, so I will be working with a formation committee toward that goal."

Next, Bergevin visited Sarajevo, the Bosnia and Herzegovina capital, which is also a potential candidate for the EU. According to Bergevin, the purpose of the visit was to assess the existing Association of Internal Auditors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as they have requested to become an institute of The IIA. He also stopped in Prague, the cultural and political center of the Czech Republic. "IIA-Czech Republic has a very active program, which includes regular seminars, training, and certifications," he says. "I discussed the possibility of IIA-Czech Republic mentoring IIA-Slovakia, and they agreed wholeheartedly. This is a perfect example of how institutes can work together to enhance the profession of internal auditing around the globe."

In his many trips, Bergevin has had the opportunity to meet with senior government officials to advocate the benefit of creating an internal audit function and its importance within a good governance structure. "I find it interesting and rewarding to meet with representatives from different government entities in Europe and Africa and to see that they all have the same concern - improving the overall control environment in the public sector - and to be able to offer them products and services from The IIA or from the local institutes that will help them meet their needs," he explains.

Saluja has had similar experiences in his travels. He recently visited Azerbaijan, which is the oldest institute in the Middle East and has been very successful in advocating for internal auditing. "IIA-Azerbaijan was instrumental in bringing about legislation that established the legal framework for internal audit services," Saluja says. The legislation was recently approved by Parliament and signed by the president, resulting in an increased interest in the profession. "With the expanding economic development in the country, the introduction of internal audit legislation, and the increase in overall awareness, IIA-Azerbaijan is expected to continue its growth and success," he explains. Saluja added to that awareness by appearing on the local primetime news while in Azerbaijan, which prompted many inquiries to the institute.

On a recent visit to IIA-Bolivia, Garcia gave a presentation on certification and quality programs at its national conference. "While I was there, I was able to meet with members of the board and discuss issues that need special attention, as well as some initiatives they are working toward," Garcia says. "The visit helped local board members improve their communication and reporting requirements with IIA headquarters, and it strengthened communications within IIA-Bolivia and its sub-offices."

Garcia was also the first IIA representative to visit IIA-Colombia when he participated in its first national conference and met with IIA members, company representatives, and students interested in pursuing internal audit careers. "I was able to see first-hand the level of organization and participation of all members and volunteers in the institute," he says. "IIA-Colombia has developed very good relationships with government entities, private enterprises, and universities to foster the growth of the profession within the country."

Making Contact

"Because of IIA staff visits and the close relations we maintain with institute leaders, we have a much better idea of the services our members need around the world and the support our institute leaders expect from us," Boyd explains. "This year, we are implementing several new services, including an online repository of all resources and tools available for institute leaders to manage their institutes, as well as collecting data for our global footprint which tells us where The IIA has a presence and where we still have opportunities to develop."

"IIA institutes are key to advancing the profession," says Dave Richards, CIA, IIA president. "Engaging with stakeholders at the local, national, and international levels will help The IIA achieve its strategic initiative of making internal auditing a universally recognized profession."

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