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I had a slow start to the year, which was a delight as I eased my way back in. A review of my diary showed that I had managed to keep most Thursdays free so I shall see if I can continue in that way as I practice retiring. My work during the first half of the month was mostly spent having conversations with people about training to be delivered. I have the interesting challenge of writing a scenario-based soft skills for auditors course and also ethics for auditors. I finally completed one audit committee review (just member input to come) and sent the first draft of the other audit committee review off for comment. They have both been hanging around for a while so it was good to make progress here. In the second half of the month, I delivered fraud and risk training, with a trip to snowy Luxembourg as part of this. It's always good to train face-to-face. The month ended with an audit committee seminar, talking about how audit committees can do a better job. I also squeezed in a freezing cold Eucharist (why does church heating fail in the coldest months) and a slightly warmer Evensong, together with choir rehearsals and some sewing and knitting.
February has been kept mostly clear as I am dog sitting and don't fancy walks at 6am before training at 8. I have done lots of course preparation instead, including writing and revising courses for the next few months. I have also delivered some risk training for audit committee members and fraud training. The quiet month has also freed up time for some of my trustee responsibilities and it has been good to tackle things that have been on the to-do list for too long. We sang a tricky mass for February's Eucharist and the pattern of choir practice and Evensong continues.
The dog went home and I returned to a more normal pattern of work, still trying (but not always succeeding) to keep Thursdays free. I had two trips to Brussels to provide internal audit training, I carried out some fraud awareness work, some coaching and also began a risk appetite project for a UN organisation. This month also included two Eucharists (Easter day) and an Evensong. Alas, I was in Brussels for our choir concert but I shall be better organised next year. I also managed to clear some items from my sewing WIP pile and continued to knit.
This month's trip was to Luxembourg to deliver soft skills for auditors training and discuss an ethics for auditors course that I had developed. I continued to work on the UN risk appetite project, supported an audit committee evaluation and provided fraud awareness training and internal audit coaching and support. I sang at an early music day and managed two Evensongs. I'm itching to plant out veggies in the garden but where is spring? And the slugs are always two steps ahead - so disheartening. I've decided to try out pilates (good for bone density) and continue to knit and sew. I'm also beginning to think more seriously about what retirement means - if, when and what?
I had a gentle start to the month so I was able to catch up with friends, sing in out of the way churches (no power so bring a torch!), sing in a Eucharist and an Evensong and begin work on a wedding dress for a friend (help!). Later in the month it was back to training on fraud, ethics, internal audit (this month's trip to Brussels), internal control and risk management and one audit committee. And in between the risk appetite work continued. The dog came to visit again, the slugs continued to eat anything that I put in the garden and I started playing my cello again - what a delight to have a friend who is a fabulous pianist to play with. And we are planning string quartets as part of our joint retirement thinking.
This was one of those month where I felt that I waved at my house in passing - almost like the before times. I started with fraud and audit committee training (separate events!), hopped over to Brussels for internal audit training and then off to Luxembourg to deliver expenditure lifecycle and procurement training for a new client and for the first time in four years. I had to do quite a bit of revision and translation (notes in French) but it was a good challenge. After that I talked to auditors about communication and delivered the first in person ethics course. The level of debate was great and I managed to trigger lots of discussion, which was the aim. It seems that a good time was had by all. I had a week at home after this, delivering lots of online training for audit committees and also on ethics and then it was off to Gloucestershire for a week to carry out my first in person EQA for five years. What a joy! In between the travel, I sang, played the cello and piano, finally did some gardening (and fed the slugs a little more) and continued to sew.
As I wind down to summer and election purdah continutes to impact my UK work, music making and sewing were my major occupations. However, I did squeeze in some fraud training and some audit committee training and started planning for a few new courses in the autumn. I finished the month with my singing highlight of the year, the Voces 8 course at Milton Abbey. Our final performance of Brahms requiem may not have been the most accurate, but it was loud and heart felt. It was lovely to see old friends and make new ones; long may this continue.
A month of planning and organising, in theory anyhow. I wrote most of a course on sampling for internal auditors and did some admin but otherwise it was a relaxed month of gardening, sewing, walking and it ended with a trip to Porto, which had long been on my must visit list.
Back from Porto to enjoy a fabulous concert by Gesualdo 6 coming to a local church and then straight back into work and lots of singing. I delivered fraud, ethics and audit training for the most part, with a trip to Brussels to talk about audit interviewing. I also did a hasty re-write of a course on audit standards to reflect the Global Internal Audit Standards. I'm still not sure how I feel about the changes and how they will work out in the reality of local government but at least I am now more familiar with the new approach. I sang two evensongs, started the formal handover process to the new choir treasurer, walked next door's dog and had a generally busy month.
A trip to Brussels, a trip to Luxembourg and an overnight in Portishead were the highlights of my month. I also had virtual trips to Italy and Finland (sigh). I delivered courses on soft skills, ethics and risk management for external auditors, an introduction to internal audit and carried out audit committee training. In between, I talked about ethics, ideas for supervising staff and risk management. On the singing front, there were rehearsals, an evensong and a eucharist - a quiet month before the madness of a singing Christmas.
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