Internal & operational audit

1. Brief service summary

Examine a defined scope to formulate evidence-based findings on its operations and control arrangements. The audit engagement is prepared with expressly agreed objectives, criteria, access and assurance level.

2. Your needs

You wish to assess the implementation of practices, procedures or controls in a specific activity. Available statements are not always sufficient to understand differences between expected and observed operations.

You seek an approach distinguishing evidence, examination limitations and recommendations, with clarified responsibilities and reporting arrangements.

3. Objectives of the engagement

The engagement aims to examine selected matters, document observations and prepare proportionate recommendations. It helps distinguish an isolated case from a finding that can be substantiated within the examined scope.

The objective is to provide managers with a reasoned basis, without extending conclusions beyond the work actually performed.

4. Indicative scope

Scoping specifies activities, period, criteria and exclusions. Work may cover procedures, operations and controls, with appropriate sampling and explicit limitations.

Each participant's role, independence and potential conflicts of interest are examined before acceptance. A previous design engagement must not be confused with an independent assessment of the same arrangement.

5. Possible delivery arrangements

Document review, interviews, walkthroughs and examination of records may be combined. Findings are discussed with the parties concerned, allowing responses under agreed rules, without directly modifying the files or arrangements examined.

6. Possible deliverables

Deliverables may include an audit programme, documented findings, a report with limitations and recommendations or agreed action tracking.

7. Conditions and limitations

The engagement is neither a statutory audit, certification nor an official inspection. It does not guarantee detection of every fraud or anomaly. Qualifications and assurance level must be confirmed. Pilot service 11.03 designs controls; 08.06 organizes quality management.