Catherine Vallely
Performance Auditor

"My role... involves scoping our project work and developing suitable tools to capture the information we need."

I’ve been working for Audit Scotland for almost five years now. Before that I’d studied in Ireland and then worked in Belgium as a Programme Coordinator in a non-profit organisation, after which I moved to Scotland looking for a new challenge in an environment where there were opportunities for development.

I joined Audit Scotland on a temporary basis and knew right away it was where I wanted to stay. I was attracted by the high profile of organisation and the potential impact the work has on the way in which public services are delivered in Scotland. The commitment, enthusiasm and friendliness of the people who work here also really impressed me. I was successful in my application for a permanent post in the Health and Community Care directorate and worked as a Project Officer for 3 years. I was promoted to Performance Auditor almost 2 years ago.

The variety of projects on which I have worked has greatly enhanced my skills and given me the opportunity to develop lots of new skills. I hadn’t been involved in audit before joining Audit Scotland so it has been, and continues to be, a great learning and development experience. There have been many training opportunities and of course my colleagues have always been very supportive; there’s a definite commitment within the organisation to help staff develop to their full potential.

My role as a Performance Auditor involves scoping our project work and developing suitable tools to capture the information we need. A key part of my job is to carry out fieldwork such as interviewing people at audited bodies and validating data to ensure it is robust. I also help to compile the national performance report which goes to the Parliamentary Audit Committee.

Doing the fieldwork is a great opportunity to get out and about and meet with people working within the services; it also provides a sound understanding of the complex issues our projects cover. We tend to work in project teams at Audit Scotland, and I find this teamwork dimension very enjoyable. Overall I really enjoy the variety of the work and I’m gaining valuable experience every day.

The role of Performance Auditor offers a great chance to work on interesting and challenging high profile projects and it is very rewarding to know that Audit Scotland’s work can have a positive impact on public services in Scotland.