March 2026

normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 17, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Navigating the Audit Plan: Prioritizing Enterprise Risks Over Activity-Level Concerns

This article challenges internal auditors to prioritize enterprise-level risks in their audit plans, arguing against the common practice of focusing on activity-level risks that may not align with organizational objectives. It highlights the tension between IIA Standards 9.4 and 13.2, advocating for a strategic approach that ensures audit efforts provide assurance on risks most critical to the CEO and board.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 9, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Critiquing the IIA's New Guidance on Communicating Audit Results: A Call for Risk-Based Clarity

Norman Marks reviews the IIA's latest Global Practice Guide on communicating audit results, highlighting strengths in stakeholder alignment but criticizing its departure from a truly risk-based approach. He argues for audit opinions that clearly articulate whether controls provide reasonable assurance against significant risks to enterprise objectives, rather than vague assessments of 'activity' effectiveness.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 5, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Risk and Decision-Making: Shifting from 'Top Risks' to 'Uncertainties that Change Choices'

This article challenges traditional risk management's focus on 'top risks' and advocates for a decision-centric approach. It emphasizes asking questions that uncover uncertainties impacting strategic and tactical choices, providing a framework for internal auditors to guide management toward more insightful risk discussions.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 2, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Agile Auditing: How to Conduct Effective Engagements in a Single Day

This article challenges the notion that audits must be lengthy, demonstrating how focused, risk-based approaches, potentially augmented by technology, can deliver comprehensive assurance and advisory insights rapidly. It emphasizes scoping audits to significant risks to maximize efficiency and impact, enabling internal audit to provide timely, relevant value to leadership.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 11, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Internal Audit as AI Evangelists: Driving Business Improvement Beyond Assurance

Internal auditors should move beyond mere assurance to actively champion the optimal deployment of AI within their organizations. By asking critical questions about AI strategy, implementation, risk, and governance, audit can help management leverage AI for significant process and control improvements, becoming evangelists for a better-run business.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 26, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

AI for ICFR and SOX: Enhancing Controls and Testing, But Mind the Nuances

AI can significantly transform ICFR by improving control design and documentation, and enhancing testing capabilities. However, audit professionals must ensure AI-driven testing validates control operation, not just data accuracy, to meet SOX compliance requirements for adequate design and consistent performance.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 19, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Agentic AI in Procurement: New Efficiencies, New Risks for Internal Audit

The rise of agentic AI in procurement promises significant efficiencies but introduces complex new risks related to data reliability, autonomous decision-making, and inter-agent communication. Internal audit professionals must understand these evolving operational risks and ensure robust AI governance frameworks are in place to manage them effectively.

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be-braver.com · Curated 4 months ago

Professional Courage in Governance: The Unspoken Expectation of Audit Standards

The 2024 Global Internal Audit Standards mandate "professional courage," yet this critical capability is often undefined and underdeveloped. This article explores what professional courage means in governance, highlighting its behavioral rather than technical nature and the psychological pressures that make it challenging to enact. It emphasizes that courage in this context is about exercising independent judgment despite personal or relational exposure, and suggests that it can be cultivated through cognitive awareness, relational skills, and behavioral practice.

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ft.com · Curated 4 months ago

AI Consultancy Start-ups Streamline Tasks, Challenging Traditional Firms

Former consultants are leaving large firms to launch AI-powered start-ups that automate repetitive tasks, significantly boosting efficiency and profitability in the consulting sector. This trend, particularly strong in the UK, is driven by a desire to cut through bureaucratic 'red tape' and leverage AI's ability to rapidly analyze data and generate reports. While large consultancies are also adopting AI, these agile start-ups are demonstrating how AI can transform traditional consulting workflows and even enable smaller firms to compete for larger contracts.

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normanmarks.wordpress.com · Feb 23, 2026 · Curated 4 months ago

Is AI Coming for Your Job? Proactive Strategies for Internal Auditors

This article urges internal audit professionals to proactively assess the impact of AI on their roles, emphasizing the need for resilience and continuous adaptation. It provides a framework of critical questions to help auditors understand and prepare for potential job changes or eliminations due to AI integration, rather than panicking or ignoring the shift.

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