G.3 A Staged Approach to Developing Internal Audit Reports

  1. The Practice Review and Internal Audit department has developed the following policy

    1. as a quality check on report contents, and

    2. to make the drafting more efficient and cut down on the number of drafts by defining the expectations for three stages of reporting.

Stage One

  1. Assemble a version with all points, all facts, and all attributes. This presumes it is more efficient to cut back on detail later than to discover missing information.

All points

Review of all audit issues developed on audit finding data sheets or other assembly methods should have been completed at this stage, including supervisory/second opinion, designating which items are to be included in the report (versus more informal reporting or waived items). It is still possible that additional items will arise, or that items will fall off, as part of the internal audit quality control process.

All facts

Relevant facts or analysis helpful in explaining the situation, the risk, the benefits, or in selling the recommendation, should be brought forward even if it makes the point seem long at this stage.

All attributes

All five attributes of an audit finding—condition, criteria, cause, effect, and recommendation for improvement—should be well explained.

  1. Include an outline or template of the report to trigger thinking about such decisions as inclusion of a background section and confirmation of appropriate distribution. The scope section should be completed by a reference to plan and programs. The summary may not be in place, although key phrases or ideas should be captured.

  2. This may be a good stage for getting the Chief Audit Executive’s input on general direction, emphasis, etc.

Stage Two

  1. Individual points and scope paragraphs are of final quality. Order of points and structure (e.g. subheadings) or the appendix should be set. The summary will have been adjusted to reflect the supporting structure. Final formatting should be set. Seek input from the Chief Audit Executive.

Stage Three

  1. Finalize and polish to the level of a signable document.

  2. Note: Use stage numbers to control drafts.

Last modified:
2018-03-22