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Learn about the benefits of employing external consultants for audits, such as cost-effectiveness, expertise, and added perspectives. Discover the selection process, working relationships, and assessment of consultants' performance.
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Use of External Consultants Session 7
Need for External Consultants More cost-effective to employ consultants than to develop in-house the necessary skills to • Conduct audit of complex systems • market test the entire IT audit service; • support and develop IT audit strategy and approach;
Need for External Consultants (contd.) • Add breadth and penetration to examinations; • Identify new approaches and introduce different perspectives; • Survey best practice in relevant outside fields and activities; • Provide a cross-check on the auditor’s own approach, method and costs; • Provide extra resources to meet peak workloads;and • to add weight to findings, conclusions and recommendations
Type of Consultants Three broad categories: • a consultancy firm or similar organisation; • an individual or group with an academic or research involvement in the subject or area under examination, or skilled in relevant disciplines or analytical techniques; and • someone with in-depth experience and an expert practical background in relevant operations or business activities.
Notifying the Auditee Auditee should be notified about use of consultants to give them an opportunity to: • put forward any general reservations or suggestions; • confirm their acceptance; • raise any questions about the access the consultants will need to auditee records; • discuss potential difficulties over individual consultants or consultancy firms, and • seek information on how the results of the consultants’ work will be handled
Selection Process • Shortlist firms • Seek bids • Assess proposals
Selection Process (contd.) Shortlist from • consultants who have previously carried out successful assignments; • professional bodies and similar organisations; • standard reference sources, for example directories; and • suggestions by the audited body
Selection Process (contd.) Ensure sound financial control: • draw up specification of the objectives, scope and timing of assignment; • prepare a provisional estimate of fees and expenses • confirm availability of funds and provisional budget approval; • monitor costs against budget as work proceeds; and • revise work plans to keep within approved budget
Selection Process (contd.) Seek bids • Draw up requirements clearly • Competitive bidding • Follow tendering procedures Assess proposals • Based on pre-decided criteria
Working Relationships • Brief consultants on the objectives of the work • Provide required information and co-operation • Watch for any risk of confrontation between specialist consultants and the auditee’s own experts. • Make it clear that the consultants’ role as part of the team means that they will operate under the overall management of the team leader
Managing Work • make sure there is a clear understanding about the scope of the consultants’ work, timetable and deadlines; • encourage two-way traffic and an effective working relationship between the consultants and the rest of the team; • ensure that any variations to the work, and extra costs, are cleared and approved in advance and the contract amended accordingly; and • review and discuss the consultants’ reports promptly
Findings of Consultants Consultants’ findings may be used in the following ways: • Discuss and incorporate in final report; • Wholly subsume their findings in the final report; • Findings included as a separate chapter or annex in the final report; or • report is published separately by the audit body, as complimentary to the main report.
Assessing Performance of Consultants Main aspects to be covered in assessment: • Whether the work met the agreed task objectives and timelines and within approved cost? • Whether there was good co-operation and co-ordination with the rest of the audit team? • Whether the consultants provided other “added value” to the examination? • What ideas and suggestions do the consultants have for improving future arrangements? • Whether there are any other lessons for the future