The Roles and Status of Internal Auditors in Public Sector Organizations (original) (raw)

The increased demand for accountability and transparency from public sector entities has placed much emphasis on the work of internal auditors. However, the setting up of internal audit in public institutions has not achieved its main objectives as a result of pervasive corruption and financial irregularities that still exist in our public institutions. This may be as a result of lack of knowledge and wrong perceptions about the work of internal auditors by managers and other stakeholders. The study therefore seeks to examine the roles and status of internal auditors from the perspective of these stakeholders. This study is interpretative qualitative research which adopted a case study approach. The instruments used were interviews and publicly available documents. The data is analyzed using thematic analysis. The study reveals that internal auditors play oversight responsibilities, improve internal controls, advise management on risk management policies, ensure the organization follows regulations and brings out quality financial report. However, internal auditors face many setbacks. Internal auditors are taken for granted and lack independence and cooperation from other staff. Again, they have defined scope of work with limited power and have inadequate career development to make them effective in performing their roles. To address these implications, management should take the work of internal auditors seriously by implementing their recommendations. They should also involve internal auditors in cases involving application of laws such as procurement processes. Management should also ensure that internal auditor independence is protected and are given the necessary career development support to function effectively.

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