B.3 Executive Endorsement of the Internal Auditing Charter

  1. The Practice Review and Internal Audit (PRIA) team in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (Office) is an essential function to management, complementing other elements of management control by performing independent appraisals of all Office activities and other consulting assignments.

  2. PRIA’s role is to provide an independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve the Office’s operations. It helps the Office accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management, and control processes. Management retains full control over the implementation of internal audit reports’ recommendations.

  3. PRIA’s internal audit activity assures senior management and the Audit Committee that the operations reviewed are working in a manner that is consistent with established Office objectives, policies, and procedures. To carry out its work and fulfill its responsibilities, PRIA requires full and confidential access to Office facilities, records, and personnel.

  4. Our desire is that the Office’s managers look to the PRIA to provide:

    • independent and impartial review of financial, operational, and administrative controls;

    • objective assessment of management’s overall risk management, control, and governance processes;

    • Office-wide exchange of ideas concerning good methods and techniques, as observed throughout the organization by the PRIA;

    • a resource to assist management in its monitoring of the internal control systems and representations made in the course of the annual and quarterly financial reporting process; and

    • a source of future enterprise managers—those who have been exposed to the Office’s people, practices, philosophies, and key interrelationships.

  5. In turn, management should provide full assistance and cooperation to the PRIA team, working jointly to develop solutions and promptly implementing agreed actions.

  6. PRIA’s activity charter is the formal document that specifies the PRIA’s authority and responsibilities. The charter is important to management, the people being audited, and the PRIA staff. Our endorsement of the PRIA activity charter underscores the importance of the PRIA activity in Office operations. We ask for your continued cooperation as our PRIA team members fulfill their important responsibility to the Office.

Last modified:
2018-02-21