From June this year, the IIA will be offering a new Qualification in Internal Audit Leadership (QIAL), which it says will give experienced heads of internal audit the opportunity to gain recognition for their leadership skills and gain chartered status in the UK and Ireland.

Along with the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification, which develops and assesses practitioner skills, this will form the new IIA global suite of certifications. 

A three year transition programme will enable those currently studying to switch their studies to the new qualifications and for existing qualification holders to add the new designations.

Dr Ian Peters, IIA chief executive, said: ‘Internal auditing is now a global profession, as organisations operate in increasingly internationalised and co-dependent markets around the world. This often requires internal auditors to work across borders to consistent standards. In this context, internal audit is playing an increasingly strategic role within organisations.

‘So it’s vital that as the demands and expectations on internal auditors grow as a result, and recognition of the value of the profession increases, we are providing qualifications which are globally recognised and which equip practitioners with all the skills they need to help their employers meet today’s challenges.’

Peters said the new QIAL has been designed to meet a growing need for internal auditors to have  new capabilities, particularly ‘soft skills’ such as communication and people management skills, as well as problem solving ability, sector knowledge and the expertise to get to grips with IT tools and techniques.

 The institute is contacting all its 8,700 members in the UK and Ireland to explain the changes, and there are full details on its website: https://www.iia.org.uk/members/new-qualifications/