Chaya Nursinghdass

Managed the delivery of complex headquarter / country office audits, proactive integrity (fraud) reviews (PIR), advisories and consolidated insights. Prior to that, contributed to more than 25 engagements as a team leader driving positive change and innovation in the audit function. Portfolio manager for cash-based transfers, supply chain, NGO management, workplace culture and human resources as well as regional bureaus in East Africa and Southern Africa.

Key accomplishments include:

· Executive Board and Audit Committee engagement: Developed and presented the first analyses and insights on recurring emerging issues, recognized and commended by both board members and senior management. Oversaw revisions to all quarterly and key performance indicator presentations and contributed to the annual 2022 & 2023 reports.

· Managing complex audits: Successfully managed audits in high-risk and challenging environments, such as Yemen, Burkina Faso, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. Contributed to key corporate audits, including those on mobility, WFP’s strategic reform and management of corporate risks.

· Innovation: Pioneered innovative approaches, including the first Consolidated Insights report on supply chain control performance in the field and the real-time assurance report during COVID-19.

· High-profile advisories: Managing ongoing advisories to provide strategic advice on: (i) WFP's Wellness Strategy and duty of care framework and on (ii) governance, risk management and funding model for WFP's stock prepositioning and strategic financing facility valued at USD 890 million following funding cuts and organizational redesign. Delivered on past advisories on topics such as conflict of interest, tone at the top, ethics and integrity, NGO risk and oversight, short-term contracts, ICT governance, and positive assurance.

· Fraud reviews: Managed PIRs on cash-based transfers, food commodity management, last mile distribution, conflict of interest with third parties and procurement. Linked substantiated investigation cases and audit findings to provide analyses and insights on fraud vulnerabilities and required control improvements positively recognized by senior management and board members.

· Workshop & audit strategies: Successfully organized and facilitated for the Inspector General the OIG risk and assurance workshop for WFP's regional response to the Syrian crisis with buy-in from management on assurance / advisory activities for the next 3 years. Established the audit division’s 4-year strategy for covering NGOs through assurance and advisory work.

· Governance & people impact: Provided recommendations that have positively impacted the organization's governance, such as the set-up of a Food Safety Quality Committee, review of mobility committee composition and terms of reference, addressing duty of care in deployments, and improvement in the benefits for women consultants.

As Staffing Coordinator for the audit function since 2021, key accomplishments include:

· Recruitments, diversity and Inclusion: Initiated systematic efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in all recruitment processes, with OIGA as one of the top performers at headquarter level.

• Handover & onboarding: Finalized the onboarding package for incoming Director in 2023 and organized a team pulse assessment with the Ombudsman team prior to arrival. Managed the delivery of a tailored onboarding suite and induction schedule for new joiners addressing gaps and concerns of existing staff.
• Performance evaluation & feedback: Led and facilitated a people session on performance evaluation and effective feedback with Human Resource partners. Pioneered provision of specific feedback on interview performance to non-successful internal candidates.
• Skills analysis: Developed WFP’s internal auditor skills profiles and guided team members on a strategic skills gap analysis.
• Conflict management: Addressed conflicts within the team and facilitated mediation sessions.

Key Projects, Initiatives, and Communications. Key accomplishments include:

· Completed root cause analysis project and standard root causes for data and insight analysis.

· Contributed to audit methodology revisions, development of standard operating procedures, revamping templates and process flows with infographics and visuals.

· Introduced timesheet reporting and analysis.

· Communications: Developed OIGA's editorial guidelines in collaboration with Evaluation colleagues. Revamped the content and structure of OIG’s internet website, contributed to the hotline campaign launch design working closely with the Communications Division and OIGI. Developed key content for OIGA’s intranet with graphic design support.

• Led more than 20 field country missions including Iraq, Somalia and South Sudan and complex corporate audits on governance and change initiatives such as FAO’s reform agenda including implementation of IPSAS, decentralization of emergency operations and review of corporate publications. Consistently achieved high scores on customer surveys.
• Produced an impactful over-arching report of field office audit financial management results with statistical and root cause analyses to identify systemic issues and insights for corporate attention in 2012. Recognized and commended by senior management and Board Members, building credibility for the OIG unit and subsequently a key annual product of the audit department.
• Collaborated with FAO’s Evaluation Unit on several engagements and instituted regular touch points to provide information on audit work plans and individual country audit results. Collaborated with sister UN agencies on IPSAS implementation, the drought emergency in Somalia and publications governance and structure benchmarking.
• Supported in an investigation case in Somalia and collaborated with the investigation team on red flags identified in the audit of country operations in South Africa.
• Coached new joiners to the audit team and reviewed audit work of team members on Madagascar and Somalia audits.
• Developed a new audit report format for country audits in consultation with relevant business stakeholders and improved the planning template for corporate audits by consulting sister agencies on their procedures.
• Facilitated and organized a communications workshop for the department.

• Managed and led the complete audit process, with a key focus on client relationship and improving controls, for UK public and private companies (e.g., Liberty International Plc, BlueBay Asset Management Plc, El Oro Mining & Exploration Company Plc as well as private companies such as Lloyds Development Capital Ltd and Schroder & Co Ltd)
• Coordinated global audit teams from PwC Sydney, Japan and Luxembourg, to plan and deliver on group audits with 65 subsidiaries within client deadline.
• Reviewed complex audit areas such as major property transactions of £375 to £500 million, company portfolio valuations of £125 to £250 million and UK company acquisitions of £400 million;
• Retained audit of BlueBay Asset Management Plc in June 2008 through outstanding client service delivery and received recognition awards for outstanding contribution to the audit of Liberty International Plc in 2007/2008;
• Provided technical accounting and financial reporting advice on corporate governance, risk and going concern disclosures, business acquisitions, investment fund consolidation and compensation schemes.
• Liaised with PwC internal specialists in Tax, Valuations & Strategy, Accounting Technical, Risk Management and IT to ensure a cohesive audit approach.