Jun 4, 2018

How Internal Auditing Workshops Fill Knowledge Gaps and Support Networking

Ms Ljerka Crnković, a coordinator for the methodology and development of internal auditing in the Central Harmonization Unit of the Croatian Ministry of Finance shares her reflections and experience about her involvement with the CEF as both a participant/learner and lecturer at the recent learning event on Quality Assurance, Continuous Improvement and Management of the Internal Audit Function.

I attended the CEF’s workshop “Quality Assurance, Continuous Improvement and Management of Internal Audit Function“ because one of my main tasks at the Central Harmonization Unit of the Ministry of Finance is developing the methodology for internal audit (including Quality Assurance and Improvement Program). I am also a member of the PEMPAL Internal Audit Community of Practice, where I lead the Quality Assurance Working Group.

At the workshop I presented the experience of the Croatian Central Harmonization Unit regarding annual and periodic quality assessment, checking and reviewing of the internal audit activity, PEMPAL initiative in short and PEMPAL Quality Assurance Working Group knowledge product – Quality Assessment Guide.

I participated in a CEF workshop for the first time. Although I have previously heard that the CEF workshops are of high quality, I can now confirm this because I was more than satisfied with the workshop. It was perfectly organized by the young and experienced CEF team and knowledgeable presenters. I learned a lot from Ms. Tina Toman Pfajfar, who told us about the standards relating to the Quality Assurance and Improvement Program as well as her enormous practical experience in this field. She presented a lot of templates that she has personally developed during her career, which are of great value to me.

The group of participants was also great: interested in the subject and cooperative. We immediately started working together as if we had known each other for a long time, and we shared experiences with each other.

It was amazing when a month later, at another international event, I met a colleague from one of the participating countries, who told me about his conversation with his colleague who had attended the same CEF workshop as me. He had said that it was one of the best workshops he had ever participated, so interesting and inspiring that people even did not want to have a break because they were so eager to finish the group work. For me, it was the best acknowledgment that also the other participants considered this training event as an extraordinary success.

I benefited from the workshop in different ways. I filled gaps in my knowledge of quality assessment ­– gaps that I would not be aware of if I had not participated in the event. Consequently, I will improve my performance at work, and I shared the CEF online storage of presentations with my colleagues too. One of the most important values for me was the opportunity of networking with colleagues from different institutions and countries.

Last but not least, I appreciate the opportunity to personally participate in such an interesting international event and work with a highly professional team.