Revision of ISSAI 30 INTOSAI Code of Ethics Project Status Report INTOSAI Professional Standards Committee Steering Committee Meeting, Ottawa, 27-29 May 2015 Jacek Jezierski, Supreme Audit Office of Poland (NIK) PSC

Background June 2013: decision by the INTOSAI PSC Steering Committee to review ISSAI 30 – Code of Ethics and recommend whether it should be revised or not Early 2014: initial assessment (incl. survey) by a team composed of the SAIs of Indonesia, Poland (coordinator), Portugal, the UK and the USA May 2014: recommendation on the need to revise ISSAI 30 submitted to the PSC Steering Committee (on the basis of survey results, and outcomes of works of EUROSAI Task Force on Audit & Ethics)  approved by PSC SC

Scope and objective of the ISSAI 30 revision Scope: revise ISSAI 30, and related Notes, as applicable, in accordance with the results of the initial assessment Objective: to make the standard more useful to SAIs and to make it meet the challenges of the current public audit environment

Areas of revision (1) Shifting from the perspective of an individual auditor to the perspective of a SAI, with due consideration to stakeholders Emphasising the importance of ethical culture and principles as a means of preventing unethical behaviour Consistency with other ISSAIs Reviewing fundamental principles and core values

Areas of revision (2) Considering monitoring compliance with ethical requirements, and inclusion of ethics management and control Updating terminology Improving clarity of the document through consistent headings/numbering/paragraphs etc.

Team’s enlargement – ISSAI 30 Revision Team 14 members & one observer ALBANIA CHILE HUNGARY INDONESIA KUWAIT MEXICO NAMIBIA THE NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND POLAND PORTUGAL SOUTH AFRICA UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Observer: IFAC

ISSAI 30 Revision Team: what we have done so far and how (1) Concept: survey, achievements of EUROSAI Task Force on Audit & Ethics, codes of ethics of other organisations Discussions: at meetings in May 2014 (project proposal – main concept) and in October 2014 (detailed concept of the contents and structure)

ISSAI 30 Revision Team: what we have done so far and how (2) Early 2015: drafts of individual sections of the document developed by groups of two SAIs (First Authors) Meeting in February 2015: discussion on the very first draft and proposals for changes March 2015: First Authors introduce changes April 2015: groups exchange sections and give a fresh look – further changes

ISSAI 30 Revision Team: what we have done so far and how (3) May 2015: compilation and editing (including proofreading by native speakers) RESULT: preliminary draft in front of you We expect you to bless the work done so far, to express your opinion on the draft (Have we gone the right way?), and/or present your comments/suggestions for changes that we will discuss with the Team at the upcoming meeting in two weeks.

ISSAI 30 Revision Team next meeting Date and venue: 11-12 June 2015, Warsaw, Poland Meeting objectives: opinions of Team members on the preliminary draft discussions on comments provided by the PSC SC decisions on potential further changes

Revision of ISSAI 30: further works Summer 2015: final works on the draft September 2015: final draft ready for approval of the PSC Steering Committee October 2015: exposure draft of ISSAI 30 posted on www.issai.org […] Ultimate goal: revised ISSAI 30 approved by XXII INCOSAI in Abu Dhabi in December 2016 Information on the project is available on the PSC website: www.psc-intosai.org

Revision of ISSAI 30: detailed time frame for the Due Process Exposure draft ready – approval by the ISSAI 30 Revision Team July 2015 Approval by the PSC Steering Committee   September 2015 Exposure draft posted on www.issai.org Mid-October 2015 – mid-January 2016 Publication of comments on www.issai.org End January 2016 Comments introduced to the exposure draft February – May 2016 May/June 2016 Translation of the draft into INTOSAI official languages June – August 2016 Approval of the endorsement version by the INTOSAI Governing Board in Abu Dhabi December 2016 Approval by INCOSAI in Abu Dhabi

Revised ISSAI 30: basic differences with the present version Length Addressee Values: number and wording General responsibilities of SAIs in the area of ethics Structure Length: draft much longer. Reasons: (1) More addresses – no longer only auditors, but SAIs as well  responsibilities of SAIs listed (2) INTOSAI Community (respondents of the survey of early 2014) wanted to have more details  hence the application sections. But it is still a framework document – not too specific, encouraging SAIs to develop own codes, tools, ethical „infrastructure”. Structure: different form of numbering: sections, subsections, paragraphs. We believe it is clear and easy to navigate.

Revised ISSAI 30: contents Five key values to replace four values of present ISSAI 30: 1. Integrity 2. Independence and Objectivity 3. Competence 4. Confidentiality 5. Professional behaviour The four values of the present ISSAI 30 are the following: (1) Integrity, (2)Independence, Objectivity and Impartiality, (3) Professional Secrecy, (4) Competence. The Team decided to have a modified set of values in the revised document on the basis of discussions and brainstorm sessions (meeting October 2014) during which they discussed ethical expectations of SAIs and their employees from various perspectives: internal perspectives of a supervisor, a subordinate, and a colleague, and external perspectives of stakeholders, auditees, etc. On the basis of these discussions and brainstorming sessions, a model ethical and a model unethical auditor/employee of a SAI was developed that served the Team to define a set of values that should guide an ethical SAI employee. These five values are (almost) identical to the fundamental principles of the IESBA Code (Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants): (a) Integrity, (b) Objectivity, (c) Professional Competence and Due Care, (d) Confidentiality, (e) Professional Behavior. (These are called principles and defined, e.g.: Integrity – A professional accountant should be straightforward and honest in all professional and business relationships. ) Integrity – is considered the core value in the present code. In the revised version – it is also the most important value, whose nature is regarded as horizontal, underpinning all other values.

Revised ISSAI 30: structure Introduction and technical information Preamble Overall approach to fostering professional and ethical behaviour Overall responsibilities of a SAI Values discussed separately; under each value a short explanation, as well as requirements for both SAIs and their staff, and application guidance hints Definitions of key terms The Team also considered circumstances and tools that a SAI should provide so that to encourage its employees to cherish these values. Employees should not be left alone  hence the section of ISSAI 30 dedicated to overall responsibilities of SAIs. Values: Each discussed separately: (1) explanation, (2) requirements: separately for a SAI, and for employees (both auditors and non-auditors), (3) application guidance: again separately for a SAI, and for employees (both auditors and non-auditors)

Revised ISSAI 30: PSC SC’s opinion Talk to us! Email us: ISSAI30.Review@nik.gov.pl Be critical! Comments preferably by 8 June.

Thank you!