New guidance on internal audit – an analysis and appraisal of recent developments

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse and comment on recent enhanced pronouncements on internal auditing. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses content analysis of five 2012-2013 sources of guidance, set out in the tables of this paper and summarised within the text, together with conceptual interpretations. Findings – Recent pronouncements respond, with considerable consensus, to stakeholder and public concerns and fill a partial vacuum left by The Institute of Internal Auditors' Standards. Principally this is about successfully enhancing the scope of internal audit and internal audit's independence from management. Research limitations/implications – While the paper is conceptual rather than empirical, it builds on the processes followed by the parties who developed the examples of enhanced guidance reviewed in this paper. Those processes included careful development by leaders in the field, public consultation of preliminary proposals, and final amended guidance based on feedback received. Practical implications – There are implications for staffing of internal audit functions and the seniority and calibre of chief audit executives. Originality/value – There has been no other attempt to map these developments. It has been done with a view to identifying possible ways forward for internal auditing, especially those which have a high degree of support and which are still to be incorporated into generally accepted internal auditing.