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A quiet start to the year, enlivened by a week in Malta where the flight times meant that I had time to be a tourist once again. I had a lovely wander around Valletta, finally making it to the fort. In between I talked to lots of people about internal controls so a good week all round. Back home to the cold, lots of sorting out things and a quick trip to meet an audit committee in London.
I was glad of my quiet Januay as February was one of those months where I became unsure where I was and when I would next be home. I started with a week in Geneva managing a UN audit, but interrupted by a flying trip to Brussels to feed back on the IA reviews carried out last year. It was good to meet up with the end client at last, say hello to the Macedonian and Montenegran audit staff and meet the Turkish staff ready for my next visit. The following week was spent in Luxembourg training on audit communication and the following week I was back to Brussels to be successfully (phew) accredited to deliver procurement and expenditure courses and then train on risk management and fraud. Home for two days to get ready for a fortnight in Ankara. There I had a fascinating time meeting government auditors and their clients, trying (and failing) to get to grips with some Turkish (I ended up with some strange technical terms and a few polite expressions) and finding out about a new country. We had snow and sunshine (together at times), I finally learnt to block out the call to prayer, I did a bit of sight-seeing (there isn't much to see) and I discovered that central Turkey doesn't really "do" vegetarian.
Another busy month, starting and ending in Ankara, but visiting lots of places in between. I tried to carry out an evaluation for a home counties audit committee (only one member turned up so we had a chat and will try again another time) and then headed off to Brussels. There I discussed some risk training and also delivered internal control training. However, for once I had time as a tourist and so I visited the European Parliament museum a mere fortnight before we were supposed to leave the EU (a bittersweet experience). I bought a European flag coffee cup to commemorate this time (although I was tempted by a proper flag). And then it was back to Turkey for the final interviews and feedback. Spring had sprung which made Ankara much more pleasant but I was glad to be home as the month ended.
Thank goodness for Easter forcing a stop to my activities. I had two days in Rome and two days in Athens, talking about procurement and expenditure, and a further two days in Brussels talking about procurement and internal controls. The delegates in Athens and Rome wanted to finish early so I managed a half day of sight seeing in both. It was delightful to wander through Rome (Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain), eat a delicious veggie meal and enjoy a gelato in the sunshine. In Athens we had a rainstorm the likes of which I have only seen in Jamaica, with huge hailstones. Everything was soaked, even things in my "waterproof" rucksack. Thankfully it was dry and sunny the next day so I had another delicious veggie meal (so many veggie restaurants in Athens), enjoyed watching the guards do their thing at the palace (that shake of the pompom is wonderful) and I walked to the coliseum, admiring the antiquities en route. And then it all went pear-shaped and I had my first overnight flight cancellation. Ah well, we got back in the end and I did get a nice bit of European compensation as the exit had not happened. Hooray for the EC! I finished the month with a successful audit committee evaluation in London. Even better was that I got tickets for the Mary Quant exhibition (the Dior exhibition having long sold out alas) at the V&A and enjoyed an afternoon in town before working in the evening.
Another quiet month catching up on my to do list, both at work and at home. The Turkish report has been drafted, some slides have been updated and June travel plans have been mostly sorted out. I've also done lots of sewing, cooking and gardening and even picked my first two asparagus spears (delicious). And in between, I've caught up with friends for lunches out. I had two days in Brussels, thinking about internal control and management supervision.
I started in Athens doing back-to-back half day sessions on fraud - always a tough job but interested delegates helped to keep me on track. Then to Brussels for a day on procurement. The following week was spent on internal audit training in the UK: it's always good to meet engaged internal auditors who are looking for new approaches. This was followed by a flying visit to Dublin (flying from Southampton though so nice and simple) to talk about expenditure. I also managed a bit of sight-seeing, visiting Trim Castle and hearing more about UK history from the time of the Civil War and seeing the three lines of defence in action! And in between all of this, I developed slides for future courses and did lots of sewing, making my first ever toile and inserting my first ever invisible zip, both pretty successful if I say so myself.
A month of audit committee and board training in the UK. It's great to go back to where I started and also to meet newly elected members at the start of their audit committee journey. We talked about risk, governance, accounts, culture and behaviours. I was impressed with the level of knowledge and engagement at all the different sessions. The month finished with a week of wonderful singing at Milton Abbey with the fabulous Voces 8. We had an easier repetoire than last year so less stressful for us participants, and the treat of some amazing singing from Voces 8 and friends, including a shattering St John Passion.
August is normally quiet, but I had a one day trip to Valletta (my goodness, it's hot there in the summer), followed by a week in Edinburgh, dodging the festival goers as I carried out a PSIAS review. This was my first visit to a Scottish public sector organisation for a long time and it really came home to me how Scotland and England have diverged. I finished the month dog sitting and working on the garden. The fruit harvest has been great this year and everything has grown well so lots to do.
Autumn came with a glut of work and I ended the month not sure if I was coming or going. I provided several audit committee training sessions, having delegates from outside my normal comfort zone of local government, which made for an interesting challenge. I also went to Brussels each week, to provide procurement, expenditure and internal audit training and I was delighted to return to Italy (despite the mosquitoes) to catch up with colleagues there and talk about my favourite things: risk and internal control.
I started the month heping audit committee members to understand the statement of accounts so that they could then challenge it meaningfully. As ever, I am astonished at how complicated local government accounts are but I hope I was able to help. I then had a week in Brussels, thinking about internal audit and risk management. I carried out my first bit of training at the European Parliament and was pleased at the level of engagement. I was back in Brussels the next week to think expenditure and from there to Birmingham (which was surprisingly straighforward) to provide audit committee training. This was made more interesting by the number of Scottish and non-local government attendees. A week in Luxembourg came next, with more risk management and internal audit training and I finished the month back at the same authority where I started the month, discussing risk.
I continued my near weekly trips to Brussels in November, starting with procurement and moving onto internal audit and a new course: holding successful internal audit meetings. This was enlivened by the sounds of a mouse (or maybe something larger) scrabbling in the walls. Being a cat owner has desensitised me to these things, but my co-trainer was not so sanguine. I also delivered internal audit training in Leeds and finished the month with a TIS online meeting at CIPFA, where we threw risk ideas around and, as ever, learnt a lot from each other.
I had a final trip back to Brussels and the European Parliament, this time to discuss internal control. As I've been asked to return next year, I think it must have gone well. And then into year end and planning for next year. The trips to Brussels continue, together with trips to Athens and elsewhere. At the time of writing, Brexit is still up in the air, so it will be interesting to see how that affects my to-ing and fro-ing.
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