The role of an internal audit department is to help the organisation achieve its strategic objectives. It does this by helping managers to identify and control the factors that can threaten their ability to achieve their goals. These risks range from a virus destroying the organisation’s computer network, to a damages claim from a customer injured by one of its products.

An organisation will put procedures and checks in place – known as controls – to help prevent risks from occurring and to lessen their impact if they do. Internal auditors spend a lot of their time trying to think one step ahead – what might go wrong, what could we do to stop it and are the controls we already have in place adequate? Sometimes they are seeking to make the day-to-day operations of the organisation more efficient, but they are often addressing threats that are far more serious, such as could we cope with a terrorist attack?

Because the knowledge that an internal auditor builds up is not limited to one part of the organisation, they are very valuable employees. This gives internal auditors an insight into what it’s like to work in other parts of an organisation, should they decide to move.


How do internal auditors work?

Depending on the environment in which they are working, an internal auditor’s role will vary. The head of internal audit will decide which areas of the organisation to focus on and divide the work up into audit assignments. Typically, these assignments involve looking at one particular area of the organisation and can take as little as a few days, or as long as several weeks to complete.

Assignments allow internal auditors to gather information about a particular area, and then give their opinion on how well they think the area is managing its risks:

An audit assignment may involve: