Jun 20, 2016

Interactive Environment of CEF Events Creates the Space for Learning and Sharing

After becoming the new director of CHU for Public Internal Audit, Mioara Diaconescu tried to find new information sources in order to improve her knowledge in internal auditing and add value to her previous experience as internal auditor. She wished to find new methods and tools to improve the organizational culture at the level of public entities, and some new techniques to promote internal auditing to the top management. Ms. Diaconescu shares with us her experience from attending CEF workshop on Maximizing the Value of Internal Auditing in Public Sector.

In April 2016 I was invited to participate at the CEF course “Maximizing the Value of Internal Auditing in Public Sector”. This was an excellent opportunity to meet experienced experts and share knowledge with internal auditors from different countries and public entities.

The interactive manner of the experts, the professional level of the participants, and the support of the CEF created the premises for sharing and learning. The group exercises were excellent for debating practical case questions, and I appreciated the opportunity of exchanging opinions with auditors from other counties with different levels of implementation of internal audit. This seminar was certainly one of the top learning courses from the point of view of the professional quality of participants. A good course is based, first of all, on good participants as regards professional experience.

After attending the seminar I have tried to apply some of the topics discussed with the Dutch experts in my everyday work, such as efficient communication with the top management or ways of improving the structure of the Annual Report. I have also had contact with some of the participants at different meetings.

I would like to thank the CEF people for the excellent organization of the workshop, and for their positive attitude and approach; especially Kaja, a young and enthusiastic member of the administrative team. I know about the CEF since 2005 but every year the CEF is reinventing itself with new and interesting subjects, a wide panel of speakers and participants, modern and interactive ways of debating the topics, and very good premises for organizing the meetings. I appreciated good Wi-Fi connection, spacious classrooms, and the design of the lobby that encourages social interaction. It was also great to have one staff member, who was responsible for the seminar, present all the time with us. In addition, the CEF used a new and innovative tool Storify to promote the results of the seminar.

Last but not least, I really appreciate the CEF’s efforts to promote Romania in April at their premises in Ljubljana, as the fifth constituency country under the initiative of the CEF. It was a great opportunity to promote Romania, its regions, tourism, history and people.

Mioara Diaconescu
Director of Central Harmonization Unit for Public Internal Audit
Ministry of Public Finance
Romania