Oversight Committee Briefing Series
A briefing series for audit and oversight committees, drawing on INTOSAI and IIA standards.
Briefing 1 — The committee's role
Understand the mandate, authority and accountability of the oversight committee, and the boundaries between oversight and management.
Briefing 2 — Reading an audit report
How to interrogate an assurance report: the opinion, scope and limitations, key findings, and the status of open recommendations.
Briefing 3 — Risk-based assurance
What risk-based assurance means, how to judge the adequacy of the audit plan, and when to request additional coverage.
Briefing 4 — Independence and objectivity
The conditions that protect the third line, including reporting lines, access and the audit charter.
Briefing 5 — Effectiveness review
How to evaluate the committee's own performance and the internal audit function's conformance with standards.
How to use this series
- Deliver as short, focused sessions for new committee members
- Pair each briefing with a practical committee exercise
- Refresh annually as part of the committee's development plan
Informed committees ask sharper questions and secure better assurance.