Preparing for an Audit

What we do:

• Contact the responsible or nominated officer(s) to identify the most appropriate timing for the individual audit to take place. Where possible, work with colleagues who audit or review other activities of the University so that any planned work can be co-ordinated to minimise the impact and disruption to those services being reviewed.
• Hold a planning meeting to identify the scope of the audit. This meeting covers the key areas of service and provision for your unit within the context of any strategic plans that you may have. It will focus on your objectives and the risks and opportunities that relate to this.
• Create a terms of reference based on our planning meeting which will reflect the key issues of risk for your area that is being reviewed. This will be sent to you for agreement before starting field work.

 

What we need you to do:

• A response to the Head of Internal Audit’s request for the appropriate timing of the audit. This will help us ensure that our work is carried out at a convenient time of the year for you and your area.
• Assemble appropriate and current background information about your unit that you think might help us with the review. This may include gathering evidence such as copies of strategic plans, key procedures or policies, organisation charts, risk registers, other reports or reviews of your area or topic and financial information such as budgets and management accounts.
• Create a short list of relevant people who we should contact during the audit and let them know about the audit. We are happy for you to distribute the scoping letter so they know what our conversations will be about and what records they may need.
• Make time available to help us plan and scope the audit assignment.

The most effective audits see IA as being a positive process that identifies good practice, areas to strengthen. An objective eye on what you do and how you do it will help make it more efficient and effective.  

What we do:

• As soon as you agree to the terms of reference, we will contact staff to schedule meetings. These meetings typically last an hour and may include a follow up meeting or emails for clarification or documentation.
• We will carry out our work to meet the agreed terms of reference and endeavour to work in a way that causes minimal disruption
• Provide you with on-going feedback and progress reporting during the audit review on a “no surprises” basis. Areas of significant concern will be raised before the formal audit feedback starts.

 

What we need you to do:

Ensure you and your staff are working with us to complete the audit in a timely fashion. This includes, helping us book meetings and providing us with requested documentation. 

What we do:

• Produce an audit report with recommendations that are practical, supported and justified within the report. We will also ensure that anything we recommend contributes to the achievement of the strategic and operational objectives.
• Report to you in a timely manner subject to any limitations identified above.
• Respect the need for privacy or confidentiality.
• Provide you with an opinion that gives a level of assurance on the areas that have been reviewed.
• Report the outcome of the audit to the next meeting of the University’s Audit Committee.

 

What we need you to do:

• A timely response to our draft audit report so that it can be progressed to the stage of an agreed final report as quickly as possible. We usually ask that you respond to us within ten working days of the draft being received.
• Complete the action plan produced as part of the draft report with named responsibilities and deadlines for the implementation of actions.
• Complete our post-audit questionnaire that is dispatched along with the final report. We use this as a basis for identifying improvements to our approach. Our scores are reported to Audit Committee along with all comments we receive. 

What we do:

We follow up on the completion of all actions in the agreed action plan, and progress is reported to Audit Committee to provide them with assurance that these are acted upon.

 

What we need you to do:

• Follow through with the action plan’s recommendations, and provide confirmation and evidence of completion.  
• Talk to us if there are any problems in completing the action. It’s much easier to agree a way forward if there’s good communication, and this helps us to inform Audit Committee.