A 5 day training programme for Staff of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) has opened at the Centre For IT Professional Development, (CIPD – GIMPA) in Accra.
The training, a first of a series of three is meant to introduce participants to IT auditing, through exercises and case studies. The training also seeks to sharpen the skills of Participants and to develop their knowledge of basic IT audit concepts that can be used to facilitate integrated audit efforts in the Public Sector.
The course will also provide participants the opportunity to perform an audit of IT applications, supporting key business processes, coordinate the assessment of IT risk with the evaluation of IT general controls, and perform a risk assessment of controls over end user computer applications.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Project Director of the Public Financial Management Reforms (PFMR), Dr. Hayford Baah-Adade observed that internal Audit is very critical in public financial management in Ghana. He therefore stressed that there is the urgent need for officers to be trained on basic IT knowledge to enable IT audit more professional manner.
Dr. Baah-Adade disclosed that the training will support Government’s efforts at implementing Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) across MMDAs and to provide operational support in the conduct of specialized audits. He added that participants will be required to transfer their knowledge gained after the training to other officers at their MDAs as Resource Persons. He noted that auditing should not be focused on only financials but the other components of the overall PFMR like Budget, Payroll and Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS). He assured IAA of project’s support for the initiative and hoped that it will make auditing more effective and efficient.
On his part, Acting Director General of the IAA, Mr. Ransford Adjei, noted that the importance of the course cannot be over emphasized. He observed that it is particularly so because Government business has transitioned from manual to automated processes. He added that resources have been provided to build staff capacities to improve productivity on the job.
