In accordance with Standard 1300 of the International Professional Practices Framework (Red Book), the Internal Audit Department maintains a quality assurance and improvement program (QAIP). The QAIP has three main components where quality of our work is evaluated:
Ongoing monitoring is performed at the conclusion of each audit engagement. This review is limited and is documented within the workpapers for each audit.
Periodic self assessments are performed during our annual quality review. This assessment utilizes peer review resources from the Association of Local Government Auditors to determine conformance with our auditing standards.
External assessments, more commonly known as peer reviews, are conducted by a team of well qualified, independent reviewers from other local government agencies. The review team assesses our internal quality control system and conducts tests in order to determine whether that system operated to provide reasonable assurance of our conformance with applicable auditing standards. The peer review process provides us with valuable information not only regarding our conformance with auditing standards, but also with ideas to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our department's operations.