Internal Audit Month: Thokozani Sihlangu showcases Dublin’s new internal audit function
When Thokozani Sihlangu became Head of Internal Audit at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, 11 months ago, he arrived with a remit to set up a new internal audit function from scratch. He spent the first months engaging with people in every department to learn about their roles and their concerns so he could create a relevant audit plan that would support their work.
In the process, he also explained his role and answered questions. However, he encountered some familiar myths and misunderstandings (internal audit being perceived as “police” checking to see if people were doing anything wrong) as well as areas where he believed controls and processes could be improved. When he heard about Internal Audit Month, he decided to use the opportunity to develop these conversations further and engage a wider audience.
“My key issue was to help people understand what value they will gain from internal audit, whether they are in operations, HR or a technical role,” he explains. “I wanted everyone to appreciate that internal audit goes far beyond compliance and that it’s all about helping them to achieve their goals with assurance and advice, and about demonstrating to the public that public funds are well used.”
As the sole internal auditor in the organisation, the activities he planned required a considerable investment of his time and resources, but he was confident that the results would be worth it. If he could engage a wider audience across the organisation and get them to see internal audit differently and want to gain more value, his work would be better and easier in the future.
From plans to action
Thokozani began by sending communications to the hospital’s 800+ staff explaining the aims of internal audit and inviting them to take part in a couple of quizzes during May – and promised prizes for the winners. He particularly targeted team managers and asked them to encourage their staff to take part.
He also conducted short interviews with the CEO and other executives, asking for their views of what internal audit does and how it helps them to do their jobs. He plans to make these available as short online videos, so staff can watch them in their own time.
On 20 May, he invited everyone to come and talk to him and ask questions about internal audit and controls. “Most people here are used to working with regulators, but I want them to understand how my work differs from that of the regulators and external auditors,” he says. “I want them to see that I am focused on what they do and how I can help them to improve what they do so they can achieve their goals and those of the hospital. Identifying improvements is not the same as spotting ‘faults’.”
As this was the first time he’d tried these activities, Thokozani says it was difficult to predict exactly how much interest there would be, but he set targets and wants to develop this further each year. “I’d like to get 10%-20% engagement every year because that will mean the message has got to a lot of new people,” he says. “I ask for feedback and ideas and will build on this by feeding back how I’ve acted on suggestions and adding more activities, so I will be able to track how engagement grows over time.”
He publicised the event in the hospital’s daily operational huddle and says it generated a lot of curiosity and interest. “People want to know more and managers were putting up notices on team noticeboards,” he says.
He also approached Derek Jamieson, the Chartered IIA’s Head of Member Services, who discussed ideas and gave him Chartered IIA branded materials that he could display and distribute.
“It’s always good to see and hear what other people are doing to promote internal audit and share ideas,” he says. Internal Audit Month is an opportunity to build understanding of internal audit in all sectors and this can only benefit the profession.
Find more ideas on how you and your teams can make the most of Internal Audit Month.