A Note from Committee Chair Mike Ware
As we begin a new year, I wish everyone the best. I am looking forward to everything that will happen in 2024 and excited to see the committee’s work continue moving forward to identify greater efficiencies in our government.
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Federal Audit Executive Council
FAEC will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (EST). Please contact Andrew Berke at BerkeA@oig.treas.gov if you would like to be added to the FAEC mailing list.
Annual Conference
The FAEC Annual Conference will be held Thursday, February 15th from 10am-4:45pm (EST) and will offer 6 CPE credits.
Quality Management
The Quality Management Committee (QMC) held elections in in December 2023 and Devin Polster was reelected as Chair, and Louise Nelson was reelected as Operations Officer.
QMC’s next quarterly meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 6th at 1pm (EST), and will include a presentation (and CPE) related to Agile concepts and applications. If you would like to be added to the distribution list for the QMC, please get in touch with Chair Devin Polster at Devin.Polster@oig.dhs.gov
Cross-Cutting
The Cross-Cutting Committee is currently exploring the issue of cloud security through two different efforts: OIG findings regarding cloud security and best practices for auditing cloud security. The committee expects to report its findings in the summer of 2024. The committee welcomes new members and new ideas for future projects exploring issues that cut across Federal agencies and OIG missions. Please contact the committee co-chairs for more information: Eric Rivera, Ex-Im Bank OIG AIGA at eric.rivera@exim.gov and Katherine Trimble, EPA OIG AIGA at trimble.katherine@epa.gov .
Information Technology
The IT Committee is making progress on its current FISMA Capstone Report project. This project is evaluating FISMA reporting by Inspectors General for FYs 2020-2023 to identify trends in cybersecurity performance. The committee plans to issue a draft of the report to the FAEC and CIGIE for comment by the end of January.
In addition, the IT Committee has kicked off a working group to update the Inspector General FISMA metrics and accompanying evaluation guide for FY 2024 and 2025.
Financial Statements
OMB just released a draft version of Circular A-136, Financial Reporting Requirements, for OIG review with comments due January 26th. The draft includes updates for implementing SFFAS 54, Leases, a significant new accounting standard effective this year.
The annual CIGIE/GAO Financial Statement Audit Conference is scheduled for the afternoons of June 5 -6. A save the date announcement will be sent later this month.
Auditor Learning Opportunities
We are thrilled to share some exciting updates from the CIGIE Audit Training Program that demonstrate our commitment to fostering excellence in performance auditing.
Jumpstarting Performance Audit Training Program: We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the pilot phase for our Jumpstarting Performance Audit training program. The response from participants was overwhelming, with great engagement and follow-up requests pouring in for access to the Performance Audit Navigator. This positive reception reaffirms our belief in the program's effectiveness in enhancing auditing skills. We have openings for our next class on February 6th and 8th. To learn how to register visit the CIGIE Admissions Page.
Performance Audit Navigator Launch: We are excited to announce that the Performance Audit Navigator is now officially launched! This powerful tool is open to all Auditors within the CIGIE Community. We believe it will be an invaluable resource for auditors, providing them with the necessary guidance and support to excel in their roles. The PA Navigator is part of CIGIEs Performance Auditing Toolkit. It is aimed to support new auditors perform their work from onboarding throughout their career. Learn more about the PA Navigator HERE!
Introductory Auditor Course Success and Future Plans: The recently concluded Introductory Auditor course, held from January 8th to 12th, was a resounding success. Building on the insights gathered during the pilot course in October, we have incorporated updates to make the training even more effective. Based on the valuable feedback from participants, we are committed to continuous improvement and will be revising the course further for its next offering in March. To learn how to register visit the CIGIE Admissions Page.
Welcome Kit Tam! Join us in welcoming Kit Tam, our new Audit Program Manager detailee! Kit joined CIGIE from HUD OIG at the beginning of the fiscal year. Her wealth of experience and dedication to the field make her a valuable addition to our team. She will be responsible for taking over all of the good work that Andrew Smith has done in establishing the Introductory Auditor training program.
Audit Peer Review: In recent years, the Training Institute managed peer review registration by collaborating with the Audit Peer Review Working Group and contacting Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) involved in reviews to identify interested participants. However, there has been a change this fiscal year, with each OIG now responsible for registering their participants directly with the registrar. Additional details on the registration process for Annual Peer Review (APR) can be found in the AI&E Course Catalog.
These updates mark significant milestones in our ongoing efforts to elevate performance auditing within the CIGIE Community. We look forward to the continued success of our training programs and the positive impact they will have on auditors across the organization.
Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the world of performance auditing!
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Sub-Committee Highlights
DEIA Stakeholder Working Group
The CIGIE DEIA Stakeholder Working Group developed an Equity Toolkit for use in planning oversight work. The Working Group is looking for volunteers to participate in a Shop Talk event in early March. During the Shop Talk, there will be an interactive discussion regarding the use and applicability of the tool as well as opportunities for attendees to ask questions. If interested, please contact Nina Murphy at nina.murphy@ed.gov
Audit Peer Review (APR) Subcommittee – Q & A Corner
The APR Subcommittee is the focal point for Office of Inspector Generals’ frequently asked questions about the audit peer review process. All questions and requests should be made to CIGIE-Audit-PeerReview@list.nih.gov.
The APR Subcommittee recently received a question from an OIG transitioning to a new audit workpaper (WP) system and asked about the audit peer review ramifications of migrating legacy data to the new WP system.
Question (Summarized): With the transition to another audit documentation system, what are the peer review ramifications of migrating legacy data to the new system? We are aware of one OIG that has done it and they had to reconstruct their workpapers as all links were broken and some data and files were corrupted. As a result, the original workpapers are replaced with an updated file. The newly constructed workpapers would need new sign offs and reviews and result in a new set of workpapers/audit documentation.
With the reconstructed files, what would happen during the peer review?
Answer: In this situation we would not recommend “reconstructing” workpapers. Prior to transitioning to the new WP system, the OIG should be able to work with their current electronic WP system champion/vendor to create read only copies of the files using the vendor’s software. The OIG could discuss with the vendor about how to best preserve the files in a readable form.
The OIG could also reach out to the Federal Audit Advisor Community for Enterprise Technology Solutions FAACETS@LIST.NIH.GOV to see if any other OIGs have suggestions.
If for some reason audit documentation for a significant number of a reviewed OIG’s engagements completed during a review period were lost (or incomplete), this could lead to a possible scope limitation.
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Committee Matters
The next Audit Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 23rd at 2pm. Please contact Rene'e Russo-Johnson, Renee.RussoJohnson@sba.gov, regarding any items you wish to see on the agenda.
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We are looking for presenters! In an effort to share interesting projects, ideas, and tools, we would like to showcase your OIG’s audit work at our meetings. So, please don’t hesitate to present the latest and greatest audit work from your office!
For ideas on what you think the Audit Committee should be working on, or if you have questions about anything related to the Audit Committee, please contact Rene'e Russo-Johnson: Renee.RussoJohnson@sba.gov.
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