ABSTRACT

Integrated assurance has evolved as an approach over the last six years, with experience and reflecting change within the organisation as well as the industry. Link the integrated assurance programme to the organisation's performance management process; the organisation did this by revising job descriptions and including related business plan objectives in the personal objectives of the Internal Audit and Corporate Planning teams. In brief, assurance being provided to the Executive Committee (ExCo) and Audit Committee was not being aligned to the organisation's risks or assurance oversight requirements. The Audit Committee tasked Internal Audit with developing an approach for aligning the organisation's assurance activities with its risk profile and appetite. In practical terms, those responsible for each of those functions now meet regularly as the 'Risk and Assurance Team' (RAT) to identify emerging issues and areas requiring additional assurance work as well as opportunities for combining the scope of assurance work, its delivery and reporting.