THE FUTURE PERSPECTIVES OF THE INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to provide an overview over the challenges and opportunities thatinternal auditors are going to face with, in the context of current economic and financial worldwide crisis.Using fundamental type of research, but also combining inductive with deductive type of research, we haveidentified several key trends that will certainly influence next perspectives of internal audit function in thecoming period. Our findings show us that next future will give some important challenges for the internalauditors, consisting in developing skills in assessment the effectiveness of risk management which will helpto increase the added value provided by the internal audit, and most importantly, will increase internalaudit’s accountability. Even more the international professional bodies that coordinate internal auditactivity will have to make all necessary efforts for the development of practical guidelines for assessing theeffectiveness of risk management so internal auditors to be equipped with the necessary skills to face with thehigher and higher expectations that will characterize the future perspectives of the internal auditing.internal audit function, risk management, internal auditor, added value, internal audit standards