What we do
The Southern Internal Audit Partnership (SIAP) provides a comprehensive range of assurance, advisory and specialist services designed to help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk effectively, safeguard public resources and achieve their strategic objectives.
Our approach combines independent assurance with practical advice, enabling organisations to identify areas for improvement and implement effective solutions that deliver better outcomes.
SIAP works collaboratively with management and stakeholders to provide assurance, insight and advice that supports better decision-making, strengthens control environments and helps organisations achieve their objectives with confidence.
Our services:
Risk based audit
Risks and controls associated with the achievement of defined business objectives are identified and both the design and operation of the controls in place to mitigate key risks are assessed and tested, to ascertain the residual risk to the achievement of managements’ objectives. Any audit work intended to provide an audit opinion will be undertaken using this approach.
Developing systems audit
The plans and designs of systems under development are assessed to identify the potential weaknesses in internal control and risk management; and programme / project management controls are assessed to ascertain whether the system is likely to be delivered efficiently, effectively and economically.
Quality assurance review: in which the approach and competency of other reviewers / assurance providers are assessed in order to form an opinion on the reliance that can be placed on the findings and conclusions arising from their work.
Advisory services
Advice can be provided, either through formal review and reporting or more informally through discussion or briefing, on the framework of internal control, risk management and governance. The nature and scope of advisory services may be agreed with the party requesting the service, provided the internal audit function does not assume management responsibility. Opportunities for improving the efficiency of governance, risk management, and control processes may be identified during advisory engagements. These opportunities will be communicated to the appropriate level of management. This is particularly relevant to new and developing organisations.
Data analytics
This is a process of assessing data to find trends, patterns or other insights. Internal auditors use data analytics to find and define risks, errors, and anomalies that could reveal deeper problems. The extended use of data analytics helps provide greater levels of assurance through analysis of a total population rather than traditional sampling methodologies.
IT audit
A specialist IT audit team are in place which is experienced in covering all aspects of established and emerging technologies. With IT underpinning a vast majority of how we function assurance in this area is crucial. To be able to provide a fully qualified team of IT audit specialists is a fundamental component of the audit offering.
Fraud and irregularity investigations
Internal audit may provide specialist skills and knowledge to assist in or lead fraud or irregularity investigations, or to ascertain the effectiveness of fraud prevention controls and detection processes.
Value for money
This is implicit in the vast majority of our internal audit work, however, value for money work can also be conducted through review of the optimal use of resources to achieve an intended outcome, and can be summarised as:
- Economy: minimising the cost of resources used or required (inputs)– spending less
- Efficiency: the relationship between the output from goods or services and the resources to produce them – spending well
- Effectiveness: the relationship between the intended and actual results of public spending (outcomes) – spending wisely
Third party assurance
The availability of objective assurance from other assurance providers will be considered in determining audit needs. Where internal audit needs to work with the internal auditors of other organisations, a practice which is expanding with the development of more organisational strategic partnerships, the roles and responsibilities of each party will be clearly defined, agreed and documented prior to the commencement of work.