Internal Audit Services

The Customer's statutory accounts are audited by the National Audit Office (NAO), who fulfil the role of external auditor. It is essential that Internal Audit (IA) liaise and work effectively with the NAO to ensure internal audits are completed to a high standard and meet NAO's assurance requirements for the external audit.

Objective

The IA provider must provide an independent assurance service for management by measuring and evaluating the adequacy, reliability and effectiveness of management and financial control systems.

IA will be required to make recommendations based on the appraisal of each system reviewed and to provide an annual assurance report to the Accounting Officer (AO) and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC).

Scope and Key Tasks

The Customer anticipates that circa 70 audit days will be used in the financial year.

The Customer and the Supplier will agree an audit plan at the start of the financial year and will detail the audits required during the financial year. The audit plan will be subject to refinement throughout the year. Any work undertaken should be with the approval of the General Counsel, Executive, or her nominated representative, Delivery Director, Operations.

1. Ad-hoc Service Provision

The Customer may require the Supplier to carry out ad-hoc work from time to time, such as:

• value for money reviews; • tax advice; • fraud investigations; • special investigation; or • areas of high regulatory risk.