What is the Institute Of Internal Auditors – IIA

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is a leader in certification, education and research for professionals engaged in evaluating an organization’s operations and controls. Established in 1941, the Institute of Internal Auditors awards the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation, a globally accepted certification for internal auditors. The IIA has its global headquarters in Altamonte Springs, Florida, and has more than 190,000 members worldwide through 103 institutes and 160 chapters in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean (as of 2018). Apart from internal auditing, Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) members also work in areas where this function is a critical component of the corporate structure. These areas include risk management, governance, internal control, information technology audit, education and security.

According to the IIA, their mission is to provide dynamic leadership for the global profession of internal auditing. To carry out this mission, the organization focus on several elements, including:

• Advocating and promoting the value that internal audit professionals add to their organizations;
• Providing comprehensive professional education and development opportunities; standards and other professional practice guidance; and certification programs;
• Researching, disseminating, and promoting to practitioners and stakeholders knowledge concerning internal auditing and its appropriate role in control, risk management, and governance;
• Educating practitioners and other relevant audiences on best practices in internal auditing;
• Bringing together internal auditors from all countries to share information and experiences.

The Institute of Internal Auditors’s primary professional designation is the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation. By earning the CIA designation, individuals demonstrate deep professional knowledge of the internal audit profession. Globally, this mark is recognized as an expert level standard for competency and professionalism throughout the internal audit field.

As a historically significant discipline, internal auditing is often overlooked. The IIA honors this storied function by educating experts and layfolk on how historians have traced the roots of internal auditing to centuries B.C., as merchants verified receipts for grain brought to market. The expansion of corporate business and commercial enterprise drove the profession’s growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. Demand grew for systems of control in companies conducting operations in various locations while employing thousands of people. Today, many people associate the genesis of modern internal auditing with the establishment of the Institute of Internal Auditors.