IIA NZ April Newsletter

The announcement that the country will be moving from Alert level 4 to Alert level 3 at 11:59pm on Monday 27 April brings great confidence that NZ is moving in the right direction. A balance of empathy, trust, and science.

A recent quick poll by IIA Global COVID-19 Impact on Internal Audit, provides insight (admittedly from a North American perspective) into what involvement the internal audit role has played in their organisations' response to COVID-19.

Even with the movement to Alert level 3, and in time to level 2, returning to a "new normal" will still see many of us working remotely, observing physical distancing, and avoiding non-essential travel. Keeping safe is paramount during these times: for yourself, loved ones and the community.

Having experienced four weeks of self-isolating so far, what can you do to keep your outlook and spirits high especially whilst working from home?

Are you embracing the experience? Likely your company or organisation has never needed you to excel more than in the face of this pandemic. Embrace the opportunities you are being given.

Are you growing and learning? Learn about the nuances of technology that facilitate working from home and how to best organise your home office.

Are you maintaining a healthy routine? Make sure you organise time for breaks and lunch. Set specific work hours and stick to them. When the office is a few feet from where you sleep, it is easy to lose your work-life balance.

Are you maintaining your relationships with colleagues? Working from home puts a physical barrier between each of you. Find time to socialise remotely.

Are you prioritising time for self-improvement? If you normally spent an hour a day commuting to and from work, use that time for professional self-improvement. Use it to read or even study for a professional certification. When this is all over and the world is a different place, be ready to compete on a completely different level.

For up-to-date information and resources on COVID-19, please see the
New Zealand Government site: Unite against COVID-19.

Postponement of AGM

As announced, the AGM of the Institute was postponed from the original date of 24 April until a future date. The Board are to meet on 29 April and set a new date. Attendance will be by videoconference.

In the next day or so you will receive a short survey asking what access you have to the range of videoconference platforms that are available e.g. Zoom, Skype, Google hangouts, etc, which will assist in determining which medium to use.

Details of the AGM will be notified to all members via email.

IIA NZ Board Elections

Voting to fill Board vacancies will be electronic. Candidate profiles and voting forms will be released to members in the first week of May.

New! COVID-19 Resource Exchange Internal audit has an important role to play in supporting organisational efforts to navigate COVID-19 challenges. This comprehensive resource of articles, blogs, research and more can help. Learn more.

Global Impact of COVID-19 Survey

IIA Global Headquarters, in collaboration with Affiliates, is gathering data on how organisations and internal audit functions are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The data compiled from this survey will be useful in helping Affiliates and IIA Global tailor the services we collectively and individually offer to members and stakeholders.

You are invited to participate in this effort by completing a short survey on this topic. The survey will take around 12 minutes to complete and will close on
22 May 2020.

To access the survey, please click here.

Coming Soon: Get IIA Certified from Home & Save

The IIA's top priority as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic is your wellbeing. But we also respect the importance of driving your career forward despite these difficult times. That's why we are working to provide an online proctoring option for our Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®), Certification in Risk Management Assurance® (CRMA®), and CIA Challenge exams.

Online proctoring, an interim solution, will be available by the end of April/early May 2020 for a period of 3 months, starting with the CIA and CRMA exams in English, followed by other languages. To learn more about online proctoring, visit our information page.

What Is Online Proctoring?

Online proctoring allows candidates to test using their own computer in their home or office. To participate, the candidate must be able to use the computer in a private room, without interruption for the length of the examination process. A proctor will be continuously monitoring both the candidate and room. The test is identical in content, format, time and scoring to CIA and CRMA exams taken at a test centre.

Watch this short video to learn more about online proctoring.

Additionally, to help you during this period of uncertainty and Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS) challenges, we are offering IIA members 20% off new applications and registrations for the CIA (all parts) and CRMA exams effective immediately. Click here to learn how to take advantage of the discount offer.

Already Studying: Online Extensions for CIA Learning System Expiring Accounts

To relieve some pressure for CIA Learning System users unable to test while the PearsonVUE testing centers have been closed, an automatic and complimentary online software extension has been provided for CIA Learning System users with online accounts expiring between March - May 2020. Users of the Learning System will now have access to the software until
30 June 2020. When next logged in the new extended expiration date will be visible on the account.

IIA NZ CIA Study Group

Details on this group will be sent to those who have expressed an interest in the coming days.

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

The 2020 Global study on Occupational Fraud and Abuse studies the impact occupational fraud has on organisations throughout the world. The study contains the analysis of 2,504 cases from 125 countries causing losses of more than $3.6 Billion. A copy can be downloaded here.

New Issue of Tone at the Top - Keeping the Doors Open New Tone at the Top explores the unprecedented times of living through the COVID-19 pandemic and what boards and directors should be focusing on to keep their doors open. While the world might be social distancing and self-isolating, risks are not. History has taught us that one crisis often leads to another and focusing solely on the risk at hand can leave us caught flat-footed. It is understandably tempting for boards and directors to want to push all resources towards minimising the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the new issue of Tone at the Top explores the sometimes overlooked in the best of times and completely abandoned in the worst of times activity that can be a powerful tool in your organisation's efforts to keep its doors open in this unprecedented era. Download your free copy of Tone at the Top.

Understanding the Effects of Diversity and Inclusion on Organisations Diversity is a broad and extremely timely topic in today's environment. A conversation regarding diversity within an organisation is worth having because significant research shows that it has a tangible impact on both workplace productivity and organisational value. In contrast, a lack of diversity is an organisational risk as relevant as any other risk worth being recognised by an internal audit activity. Download this report.