INTOSAI’s Framework of Professional Standards consists of the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs) and the INTOSAI Guidance on Good Governance (INTOSAI GOV) and comprises all official audit-related documents endorsed by INCOSAI. These documents are drafted by the many subcommittees and working groups of the PSC, CBC and KSC. Draft versions of the documents are currently approved by one of the three steering committees of the PSC, CBC or KSC, classified and numbered as ISSAIs or INTOSAI GOVs and exposed for public comments, before the final versions are endorsed and published on www.issai.org as INTOSAI’s professional stands. The implementation of the standards is supported by the CBC,the INTOSAI Regions and the IDI. Which all have key roles in furthering collaboration among SAIs in this regard. In the future INTOSAI’s framework of professional standards is expected to include also capacity development standard and guidelines.
The proposal to set up a common forum of technical experts was first introduced in November 2014 in a report to the INTOSAI Governing Board - Evaluation and recommendations to improve INTOSAI’s standard setting. You will find more information on the decision to assemble such a body in INTOSAI in the attached preliminary draft terms of reference for the forum.
The purpose of the common forum of technical experts will be to assure the overall quality, clarity, consistency and practical usefulness of INTOSAI’s standards. We would expect the candidate appointed for the forum to take up work in the last quarter of 2015 and their first task would be to develop a proposal for clarification of the overall Framework of INTOSAI’s Professional Standards and to provide clearer technical distinctions between auditing standards and other categories of documents. From 2016. The forum is expected to assume further responsibilities for the approval of the content of the standards under the Due Process for INTOSAI’s Professional Standards. Depending on the initial experience gained and following the next INCOSAI in 2016, the forum may be developed in the direction of a standard-setting board for INTOSAI’s professional standards and guidelines.
The establishment of the common forum represents a shared ambition to leverage on all the expertise that has been built in past years, in individual SAIs as well as in the many different INTOSAI groups that have worked on developing and implementing standards within their respective fields.
We are searching for SAI experts in public-sector standard setting, implementation of standards, SAI capacity development, cooperation and public-sector auditing – including performance, compliance, financial as well as other specialist streams of audit-who wish to take part in a new forum that will clarify the INTOSAI Framework of Professional Standards and assume overall responsibility for the Framework with effect from 2016
We trust that you will support this initiative to take INTOSAI’s standard setting to the next level by nominating relevant candidates for the forum.
You will find more details on the required qualifications of candidates, initial work tasks, membership, duration of term, appointment process, etc. in the attached draft terms of reference and draft letter of commitment. To facilitate nomination, please us the attached nomination form and return it to the Knowledge Sharing Committee at ir@cag.gov.in. by 1 May 2015