Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 240/05 of the Strategic Director. 

Introduction and Report Summary

This report proposes a new five year Strategic Internal Audit Plan.  Historically the Monitoring & Audit Committee had responsibility for approving and monitoring the Internal Audit Plan on behalf of the Council.  Under the current arrangements, the Executive, the Scrutiny Committee and the Responsible Finance Officer have an interest in the issues to be included within the Audit Plan.  The Scrutiny Committee and the Responsible Finance Officer are content with the proposed five year Strategic Internal Audit Plan.

The Contact Officer for this report is Sam Turner, Assistant Director (Audit), Tel: 01235 547615.

Recommendation

That Members approve the five year Strategic Internal Audit Plan for 2005/10. 

(Time: 3.01pm to 3.03pm)

The Executive received and considered report 240/05 of the Strategic Director, proposing a new five-year Strategic Internal Audit Plan.  The Scrutiny Committee, the Responsible Finance Officer and the Council's External Auditor were all content with the Plan. 

In line with good practice, the new plan covered a five-year period, 2005-2010, incorporating the current year.  This would ensure continuation from the previous plan.  The CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy) Code of Practice for Internal Audit stated that the audit plan should be risk based, should take into account the results of the organisation’s risk management process, and should outline the assignments to be carried out and the broad resources required to deliver the plan.  The new plan followed these principles.  The report explained the process for setting the plan and explained the rationale behind the calculation of days available and the proposed allocation of resources between the various categories of work.  It was recognised that investigations into the possibility of joint working with South Oxfordshire District Council might change the resources available and the schedule of planned audits. 

Members thanked the Assistant Director (Internal Audit) and her staff for their work in preparing this plan. 

RESOLVED

that the five-year Strategic Internal Audit Plan for 2005/10 be approved.