Fall Government Auditing Conference, Co-Sponsored by Illinois State Internal Audit Advisory Board and the Springfield Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors

Registrations for the upcoming Fall Government Auditing Conference is now open.  To register, please download and print the registration form.  Registration forms need to be sent to:

Jewel Bishop
Illinois Office of Internal Audit
401 South Spring Street, Room 604
Springfield, IL 62706

or fax the completed registration form to 217-782-2649

For additional information, including conference registration fees and hotel accommodations, please download a copy of the seminar flyer and agendas.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

November 3, 2009 Presentation on "New IIA Standards: International Professional Practices Framework"

• MS PowerPoint Format

Article II - Section 5.1 Continuing Professional education was amended by SIAAB on October 10, 2007 to incorporate the GAO's Continuing Professional Education Requirements and will become effective on January 1, 2008

5.1 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Internal auditors are responsible for maintaining their knowledge and skills. They should update their knowledge and skills related to improvements and current developments in internal auditing standards, procedures, and techniques. Auditors involved in the planning, directing, performing fieldwork or reporting on an audit or attestation engagement need to maintain their professional competence through continuing professional education (CPE).  All internal auditors must complete a minimum of 80 hours of CPE that directly enhance the auditor's professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements. At least 24 of the 80 hours of CPE should be in subjects directly related to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entity operates. At least 20 hours of the 80 should be completed in any one year of the two year period. 

The 80 hours of CPE must be satisfied during two successive (non-rolling) calendar years such as, 2007-2008 or 2009-2010. Internal auditors hired after the beginning of an audit organization's 2-year CPE period should complete a prorated number of CPE hours based on the number of full 6-month interval remaining in the CPE period.

1. Auditors hired during January 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007 would need to obtain 60 CPE hours (3/4 x 80=60)
2. Auditors hired during July 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007 would need to obtain 40 CPE hours (2/4 x 80=40)
3. Auditors hired during January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2008 would need to obtain 20 CPE hours (1/4 x 80=20)
4. Auditors hired during July 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 would be exempt from the 2007-2008 CPE requirement.  

Auditors required to take the total 80 hours of CPE should complete at least 20 hours of CPE in each year of the 2-year period. The 20-hour minimum for each CPE year would not apply when a prorated number of hours are being used to cover a partial 2-year CPE period.  

An Agency's Chief Internal Auditor is responsible for establishing and implementing a program to ensure that staff auditors meet the CPE requirements. 

The Internal Audit Advisory Board, upon written request, may grant exceptions from a portion of the CPE requirements in the event of extended absences or other extenuating circumstances if situations such as leave of absences, military service, or disasters prevent the internal auditor from meeting the requirements.  However, no exceptions will be granted for reasons such as workload, budget, or travel constraints.

The Board may grant auditors, who have not completed the required number of CPE hours for any 2-year period, up to two months immediately following the 2-year period to make up the deficiency. Any CPE hours completed toward a deficiency in one period should be documented in the CPE records and should not be counted toward the requirements for the next 2-year period.

5.2 QUALIFYING CPE ACTIVITIES

Group programs including:

• Internal training programs (e.g., courses, seminars, and workshops);
• Education and development programs presented at conferences, conventions, meetings, seminars, and meetings or workshops of professional organizations;
• Training programs presented by other audit organizations, educational organizations, foundations, and associations;
• Web-based seminars and structure programs of study;
• Audio conferences;
• Accredited university and college courses - credit and noncredit. (Each unit of college credit under a semester system equals 15 CPE hours, and each unit of college credit under a quarter system equals 10 CPE hours. For university or college noncredit courses, CPE hours may be granted only for the actual classroom time);
• Audit organization staff meetings when a structured educational program with learning objectives is presented (e.g., that portion of the meeting where a structured educational program is used to teach auditors about how auditing standards apply to their work or topics related to the government environment);

For group programs, participants should receive CPE hours only for the actual time they attend the program.  Preparation time for students participating in a CPE program should only be counted if the CPE provider has designated a portion of the CPE program as individual study.

2. Auditing and accounting.
   
   
   1. Web-based courses;
   2. Correspondence courses, individual-study guides, and workbooks;
   3. Courses given through Internet web-casts, televised presentations, DVD, CD-ROM, audio cassette tapes, videotapes, and computer programs;

For individual study programs where successful completion is measured by a summary examination, participants must complete the examination with a minimum passing grade of at least 70 percent before receiving CPE credit for the course. Participants in other individual-study programs should be granted CPE hours when they satisfactorily complete the requirements of the self-study program.  The number of hours granted should be based on the CPE provider's recommended number of CPE hours for the program.

3. Other professional activities, subject to limitations as specified:

1. Serving as speaker, panelist, instructor, or discussion leader at programs that qualify for CPE hours.  (One CPE hour should be granted for each 50 minutes of presentation time where the subjects matters contributes directly to their professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements, including subjects directly applicable to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which audited entities operate with a maximum of 40 hours per 2-year period);
2. Developing courses or the course material for programs that qualify for CPE hours. (Up to 2 CPE hours may be granted for the developing, writing, or advance preparation for each 50 minutes of the presentation where the subjects matters contributes directly to their professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements, including subjects directly applicable to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which audited entities operate with a maximum of 40 hours per 2-year period); or
3. Publishing articles and books that contribute directly to the author's professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements. (One CPE hour should be earned for each hour devoted to writing articles, books, or materials that are published with a maximum of 20 hours per 2-year period.)

Auditors who complete a professional certification review course should receive CPE hours only for those segments of the review course that are relevant to performing audits or attestation engagements, or are directly related to government auditing, the government environment, or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entities operates. However, successfully completing professional certification examinations would not quality for CPE hours. (See Subjects and Topics That Do Not Quality below).

Subjects and Topics that Qualify:

Directly Related to Government Environment CPE Requirement:

1. Subjects and topics directly related to the government environment may include but are not limited to the following:

Economic conditions, fiscal trends, and pressures facing the government entity;

• Appropriations, accounting, budgeting, financial management, procurement, contracting, and financial reporting in government;
• Partnerships between governments, businesses, and citizens;
• Government ethics and independence;
• Government program management;
• Government financial management issues, such as debt collection, credit management, cash management, grant management, etc.;
• Legislative polices and procedures;
• Relevant laws and regulations affecting government programs and the administrative aspects of those programs;
• Compliance with laws and regulations;
• Fraud, waste, abuse, or improper payments affecting government entities;
• Evolving issues of homeland security and safety of citizens;
• Measuring and reporting the results of government programs;
• Assessing trends among the population of citizens receiving government services;
• Risk assessment and risk management for the government entity;
• Global trends affecting the government environment;
• Opportunities and challenges presented to the government by advances in science an technology;
• Information technology developments and applications that affect or could affect the government entity or program; and
• Government transformation issues dealing with evaluating the role of government programs in the future and related to techniques for restructuring government entities, including streamlining operations, improving organizational efficiency, or outsourcing or privatizing certain functions or activitie.

1. Subjects and topics directly related to standards, laws or regulation used in government auditing.
   
   
2. Subjects and topics directly related to the specific or unique environment of the entity under audit may include but are not limited to the following:
   
   
   • Economic, operating, technical, or regulatory developments in the specialized area in which the audited entity operates;
   • Current risks or major changes affecting the government environment;
   • Current fiscal trends and other developments affecting the entity or the government environment; and
   • Relevant laws and regulations.

Satisfy Remaining CPE Requirement:

CPE that would satisfy the remainder of the 80-hour requirement should be in subjects and topics that directly enhance the auditor's professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagement but may not qualify as government-related as described above. Examples of such subjects and topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Accounting principles and standards;
• Acquisitions management;
• Actuarial techniques and analysis;
• Asset management;
• Assessment and evaluation methodologies;
• Audit methodologies, including those developed by audit organizations;
• Audit risk and materiality;
• Audit standards;
• Audit documentation preparation and review techniques and tools;
• Budgeting;
• Cash management;
• Compilation and review of financial statements;
• Computer security, including general and application controls;
• Contracting and procurement;
• Corporate governance;
• Cost accounting;
• Current industry risks;
• Data analysis;
•  Economics;
•  Enterprise risk management;
•  Ethics and independence;
• Evaluation design;
• Environment in which the audited entity operates;
• Finance;
• Financial analysis;
• Financial management;
• Financial reporting;
• Financial statement analysis;
• Forecast and projections;
• Forensic auditing;
• Fraud, waste, abuse, improper payments;
• Human capital management;
• Information systems management;
• Information technology;
• Internal control;
• Internal control assessment;
• Interviewing techniques;
• Management and leadership;
• Operations research;
• Oral communications;
• Organizational change management;
• Pension and other employee benefits accounting;
• Performance results, measurement and management;
• Principles of management, supervision, and leadership;
• Program evaluation;
• Project management;
• Public finance;
• Public policy and administration;
• Quality control;
• Research methods;
• Sampling methods;
• Social and political sciences;
• Software applications used in conducting audits and attestation engagements;
• Statistical techniques and analysis;
• Taxation, but only when applicable to the subject matter of an audit or attestation engagement; and
• Writing.

Subjects and Topics that Do Not Qualify:

Examples of programs and activities or subjects and topics that do not qualify for CPE hours include but are not limited to the following:

• On-thejob training;
• Basic or elementary courses in subjects and topics in which the auditor already has the knowledge and skills being taught;
• Programs that are designed for general personal development, such as resume writing, improving parent-child relations, personal investments and money management, and retirement planning;
• Programs that demonstrate office equipment or software that is not used in conducting audits or attestation engagements;
• Programs that provide training on the audit organization's administrative operations;
• Business sessions at professional organizations, conferences, conventions, and meetings;
• Preparation and presentation time for repeated presentations on the same subject mater within the 2-year period unless it can be demonstrated that the content was changed or adapted such that additional study or research was needed prior to presenting the course;
• Conducting external quality control reviews; and,
• Sitting for professional certification examinations.

5.3  RECORDING CPE ACTIVITIES

The Chief Internal Auditors are responsible for maintaining documentation of the CPE hours completed by each auditor subject to CPE requirements.  The audit organization's records, which may be kept electronically as appropriate, should include the following information for each CPE program or activity attended or completed by an auditor:

1. The name of the organization providing the CPE;
2. The title of the training program, including the subject matter or field of study;
3. The dates attended for group programs or dates completed for individual study programs;
4. The number of CPE hours earned toward the 80-hour and 24-hour requirements;
5. A certificate or other evidence of completion from the CPE provider for group and individual-study programs;
6. Documentation of CPE courses presented and/or copies of course materials developed by or for speakers, instructors, or discussion leaders, along with a written statement supporting the number of CPE hours claimed; and
7. Copy of the published book, article, or materials that names the writer as author or contributor, a written statement from the writer supporting the number of CPE hours claimed, and the name and contact information of the publisher, if applicable.

Required records for CPE participation shall be maintained by the Chief Internal Auditor for at least five years.