Annual Audit and Inspection Plan - Final
Description
Audit and Inspection Plan April 2006 Annual Audit and Inspection Plan Ryedale District Council Audit 2006-2007 External audit is an essential element in the process of accountability for public money and makes an important contribution to the stewardship of public resources and the corporate governance of public services. Audit in the public sector is underpinned by three fundamental principles: • auditors are appointed independently from the bodies being audited; • the scope of auditors' work is extended to cover not only the audit of financial statements but also value for money and the conduct of public business; and • auditors may report aspects of their work widely to the public and other key stakeholders. The duties and powers of auditors appointed by the Audit Commission are set out in the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Local Government Act 1999 and the Commission's statutory Code of Audit Practice. Under the Code of Audit Practice, appointed auditors are also required to comply with the current professional standards issued by the independent Auditing Practices Board. Appointed auditors act quite separately from the Commission and in meeting their statutory responsibilities are required to exercise their professional judgement independently of both the Commission and the audited body. Status of our reports to the Council The Statement of Responsibilities of Auditors and Audited Bodies issued by the Audit ...
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| Publié par | Viwyir |
| Nombre de lectures | 21 |
| Langue | English |
Extrait
Audit and Inspection Plan
April 2006
Annual Audit and Inspection Plan
Ryedale District Council
Audit 2006-2007
External audit is an essential element in the process of accountability for public money and makes an important contribution to the stewardship of public resources and the corporate governance of public services. Audit in the public sector is underpinned by three fundamental principles: • auditors are appointed independently from the bodies being audited; • the scope of auditors' work is extended to cover not only the audit of financial statements but also value for money and the conduct of public business; and • auditors may report aspects of their work widely to the public and other key stakeholders. The duties and powers of auditors appointed by the Audit Commission are set out in the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Local Government Act 1999 and the Commission's statutory Code of Audit Practice. Under the Code of Audit Practice, appointed auditors are also required to comply with the current professional standards issued by the independent Auditing Practices Board. Appointed auditors act quite separately from the Commission and in meeting their statutory responsibilities are required to exercise their professional judgement independently of both the Commission and the audited body.
Status of our reports to the Council The Statement of Responsibilities of Auditors and Audited Bodies issued by the Audit Commission explains the respective responsibilities of auditors and of the audited body. Reports prepared by appointed auditors are addressed to non-executive directors/members or officers. They are prepared for the sole use of the audited body. Auditors accept no responsibility to: • any director/member or officer in their individual capacity; or • any third party. Copies of this report If you require further copies of this report, or a copy in large print, in Braille, on tape, or in a language other than English, please call 0845 056 0566. © Audit Commission 2006 For further information on the work of the Commission please contact: Audit Commission, 1st Floor, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P 4HQ Tel: 020 7828 1212 Fax: 020 7976 6187 Textphone (minicom): 020 7630 0421 www.audit-commission.gov.uk
Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Contents 3
Contents Introduction 4 Our responsibilities 4 The fee 5 CPA and inspections 6 Summary of key audit risks 7 Value for money conclusion 7 Use of resources judgement 8 Performance information 9 Best value performance plan 9 Financial statements 10 Whole of government accounts 11 Claims and returns certification 12 Other information 13 Outputs from the audit and inspection plan 13 The team 13 Future audit plans 14 Appendix 1 Audit and inspection fee 15 Specific audit risk factors 16 Assumptions 16 Specific actions Ryedale District Council could take to reduce its audit fees 17 Process for agreeing any changes in audit fees 17 Appendix 2 Criteria to inform the auditor s conclusion on proper arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources 18 Appendix 3 Planned outputs 20 Appendix 4 The Audit Commission s requirements in respect of independence and objectivity 21
Ryedale District Council
4 Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Introduction
Introduction 1 This plan sets out the audit and inspection work that we propose to undertake in 2006/07. The plan has been drawn up from our risk-based approach to audit planning and reflects: • the Code of Audit Practice; • Audit and inspection work specified by the Audit Commission for 2006/07; • your local risks and improvement priorities; and • current national risks relevant to your local circumstances. 2 Your relationship manager will continue to help ensure further integration and co-ordination with the work of other inspectorates.
Our responsibilities 3 In carrying out our audit and inspection duties we have to comply with the statutory requirements governing them, and in particular: • the Audit Commission Act 1998; • the Code of Audit Practice (the Code) with regard to audit; and the Local Government Act 1999 with regard to best value inspection and • audit. 4 The Code defines auditors' responsibilities in relation to: • the financial statements of audited bodies; and • audited bodies' arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in their use of resources. Auditors are now required to draw a positive conclusion regarding arrangements for ensuring value for money in the use of resources. We will give the first such conclusion by September as part of the 2005/06 audit.
Ryedale District Council
Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ The fee 5
The fee 5 For 2006/07, the Audit Commission has changed its fee scale structure and details are set out in the Commission’s Work Programme and Fee scales 2006/07. Audit fees are based on a number of variables, including the type, size, location and complexity of the audited body and the national and local risks. 6 Inspection fees are based on the actual number of days included in the plan for each programmed activity. 7 The total fee estimate for the audit work planned for 2006/07 is £68,400 and the total fee estimate for inspection work planned for 2006/07 is estimated to be £4,400 (excluding OPDM element at £17,650 ) . This compares with a total audit and inspection fee of £64,170 in 2005/06. The increase in fee is due to additional risks facing you face in 2006/07 as identified in paragraph 16 and 21. 8 The fee estimate is based on the assumption that Internal Audit undertakes appropriate work on all material information systems that provide figures in the financial statements and that we can place reliance on that work for the purposes of our audit recognising the requirements introduced by the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). If Internal Audit is unable to carry out this work we will reassess our fee accordingly. 9 In addition, we estimate that we will charge approximately £13,000 for the certification of claims and returns (subject to the confirmation of the grant fee rates). Further details are provided in paragraph 32 and in Appendix 1. 10 The audit and inspection fees include all work identified in this plan unless specifically excluded. Further details are provided in Appendix 1 which includes specific audit risk factors, the assumptions made when determining the audit fee, specific actions you could take to reduce its audit fees and the process for agreeing any additional fees. 11 Changes to the plan and the fee may be necessary if our audit risk assessment changes during the course of the audit. This is particularly relevant to work related to: • the opinion on the 2006/07 accounts since we have yet to audit the accounts for 2005/06 and detailed financial reporting requirements for 2006/07 are not yet known; and • work on selected performance indicators, since we have yet to assess your overall arrangements for securing the quality of this data and then to undertake a formal risk assessment. 12 We will formally advise you if any changes to the fee become necessary.
Ryedale District Council
6 Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ CPA and inspections
CPA and inspections 13 The CPA framework for District Councils from 2006 is currently subject to consultation. It is expected that the proposed methodology will be published by later this year and that the opportunity for re-categorisation may be available for some councils during 2006/07. 14 If the new methodology identifies the need or opportunity for a new corporate assessment, we will discuss an amendment to this plan and agree an additional fee for completion of the work. • Following your classification as a 'good' council in 2003 we have applied the principles of strategic regulation recognising the key strengths and weaknesses in your performance. We are currently determining the extent of inspection work required, but it will focus on the following as laid out in Table 1. Table 1 Summary of inspection activity Inspection activity Relationship Manager role
Direction of Travel review
Ryedale District Council
Reason/impact To act as the Commission’s primary point with the authority and the interface at the local level between the Commission and the other inspectorates, Government Offices and other key stakeholders. To provide focus for continuous improvement. Likely to be included in CPA scorecard.
Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Summary of key audit risks 7
Summary of key audit risks 15 This section summarises our assessment and the planned response to the key audit risks which may have an impact on our objectives to: • provide an opinion on your financial statements; • provide a conclusion on your use of resources; • provide a scored judgment on the use of resources to feed into the CPA process; • undertake audit work in relation to specified performance indicators to support the service assessment element of CPA; and • provide a report on your best value performance plan (BVPP). 16 Our planning work considered a range of risks including: • the development of a joint revenues and benefits service with Hambleton District Council; • the proposals currently being developed to improve the quality of leisure provision; • uncertainty created by possible local government reorganisation; • the impact of Local Area agreements; and • how well you work with partners and the governance arrangements in place to manage resources. 17 Our planned work takes into account information from other regulators, where available. Where risks are identified that are not mitigated by information from other regulators, or your own risk management processes, including Internal Audit, we will perform work as appropriate to enable us to provide a conclusion on your arrangements.
Value for money conclusion 18 The Code of Audit Practice requires us to issue a conclusion on whether you have proper arrangements in place for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of your resources (the value for money conclusion). The Audit Commission has developed relevant criteria for auditors to apply in reaching our value for money conclusion as required under the Code of Audit Practice. These criteria are listed in Appendix 2. In meeting this responsibility, we will review evidence that is relevant to your corporate performance management and financial management arrangements. We will give the first such conclusion by the end of September 2006 as part our audit of the 2005/06 accounts. This may influence our risk assessment for similar work to be carried out as part of the 2006/07 and we will keep you informed of any changes to this plan that may become necessary.
Ryedale District Council
8 Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Summary of key audit risks
Use of resources judgement 19 Over and above the Code requirements described above, the Audit Commission requires us to make qualitative assessments of the effectiveness of your arrangements in the form of a series of use of resources judgements. The key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) issued in June 2005 will be updated in Spring 2006 to reflect the lessons learned from the first year's experiences of applying the KLOEs, following a post implementation review of the assessment. Our fee estimate 2006/07 assumes that the KLOEs will be broadly similar to those used in 2005/06. If this changes we will discuss with you the implications, including any impact on the fee. 20 These judgements may also used by the Commission as the basis for its overall use of resources judgement. 21 We have identified the following areas of audit risk to be addressed. Table 2 Summary of use of resources audit risks Audit risk Response You are developing a joint system for Using tools developed by the Audit Revenues and Benefits in partnership with Commission nationally relating to Hambleton District Council. The plan is to shared services, in a joint audit with have dual running with the current system Hambleton DC, we will review the by December 2006 and for it to come live development of the development of on 1 April 2007. the joint system for Revenues and Unless the transfer to the new system is Benefits. project managed and all the governance and information risks are properly project managed there is an audit risk that its benefits are not maximised and that it will not produce the required levels of information to effectively provide a Revenues and Benefits service.
Ryedale District Council
Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Summary of key audit risks 9
Audit risk Response The Council has agreed in principle to As the scheme progresses we will develop a new sports centre at Malton and assess whether the potential use of is currently assessing options for how the resources and governance risks centre should be provided. Our early work relating to it have been adequately carried out as part of the development of considered. our audit plan has found that you are developing a framework to allow it to effectively asses these options and take an informed decisions. The options it will need to consider, however, are likely to be complex and hence there is an audit risk that the final decision may not maximise the use of resources or ensure all potential governance issues will be resolved. The North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership Carry out a cross cutting review to (NYSP) has been reorganised and a LAA assess the corporate governance (local area agreement) for North Yorkshire arrangements for the NYSP. This is being developed which may become the audit will involve all the public sector conduit for significant sums of public bodies involved in the partnership. money. The extent to which vfm and performance issues are being addressed is uncertain and the governance and financial arrangements are not yet finalised.
Performance information 22 In 2006/07, auditors are required to undertake audit work in relation to specified performance indicators to support the service assessment element of CPA, subject to the basis of the agreed methodology. This work will be risk based and will link at least in part to our review of your overall arrangements to secure data quality (as required for our value for money conclusion. When we have finalised our risk assessment we will update our plan including any impact on the fee).
Best value performance plan 23 We are required to report on whether or not you have complied with legislation and statutory guidance in respect of the preparation and publication of your best value performance plan (BVPP). We have assumed that the good arrangements you had in place in 2004/5 will continue and we will place maximum reliance on the work of Internal Audit
Ryedale District Council
10 Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Summary of key audit risks
Financial statements 24 We will carry out our audit of the 2006/07 financial statements and follow the International Standards on Auditing (UK & Ireland). 25 We are also required to review whether your Statement on Internal Control has been presented in accordance with relevant requirements and to report if it does not meet these requirements or if the statement is misleading or inconsistent with our knowledge. 26 Our preliminary work to date has identified the following audit risks. Table 3 Summary of opinion risks Opinion risks Response Local authorities are required to We will review your implementation of prepare their accounts in accordance the new SORP with ‘proper practices’ such as those defined in the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom which is a Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). The code will be revised for the 2006/07 accounts, and will need to implement the requirements of the revised SORP
27 Our fee estimate for 2006/07 is based on the assumption that the current standard of working papers will continue to improve and that Internal Audit will complete their planned work on key information systems to the agreed quality and by the agreed date and that the accounts will be prepared and fully supported by working papers . 28 We have yet to undertake the audit of the 2005/06 financial statements and our 2006/07 financial statements audit planning will continue as the year progresses. This will take account of: • the 2005/06 opinion audit; • our documentation and initial testing of material information systems; • our assessment of the 2006/07 closedown arrangements; and • any changes in financial reporting requirements. 29 When we have finalised our risk assessment in respect of your financial statements, we will update our plan in advance of the audit detailing our specific approach, including any impact on the fee quoted above.
Ryedale District Council
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Annual Audit and Inspection Plan │ Summary of key audit risks 11
Whole of government accounts The government is introducing whole of government accounts (WGA) in order to produce consolidated accounts for the whole public sector. WGA will include the accounts of local authorities and WGA data returns will be required to be audited. The Audit Commission is currently discussing the scope of the likely audit work with the NAO and other stakeholders. The fee for this work is not included in this plan and we will discuss this with the Chief Financial Officer and the Audit Committee when further details are available.
Ryedale District Council
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