Quality Assurance and Improvement Program example

A Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) enables an evaluation of the internal audit activity's conformance with the Definition of Internal Auditing and the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (Standards) and an evaluation of whether internal auditors apply the Code of Ethics. The program also assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of the internal audit activity and identifies opportunities for improvement.

All internal audit activities, regardless of industry, sector, or size of audit staff — even those outsourced or co-sourced — must maintain a QAIP that contains both internal and external assessments. External assessments enhance value, as they enable the internal audit activity to evaluate conformance with the Standards; internal audit and audit committee charters; the organization’s risk and control assessment; the effective use of resources; and the use of successful practices. An internal audit activity must obtain an external assessment at least every five years by an independent reviewer or review team to maintain conformance with the Standards.

Internal assessments are ongoing, internal evaluations of the internal audit activity, coupled with periodic self-assessments and/or reviews. If you have not yet established a QAIP, a good first step on the path to quality is to conduct an internal quality assessment. This will establish a benchmark of the internal audit activity that can be used to establish metrics. Over time, these metrics will indicate improvement in areas of partial conformance or nonconformance with the Standards and successful practices.

Questions about your Quality Assurance and Improvement Program?  

If you have questions about your Quality Assurance and Improvement Program or would like IIA Quality Services, LLC to conduct an external assessment, please contact IIA Quality Services at [email protected].

Quality in internal audit is guided by both an obligation to meet customer expectations, as well as professional responsibilities inherent in conforming to the Standards. To help practitioners interpret the Standards related to quality, The IIA has produced the Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) Practice Guide.

A QAIP should draw conclusions regarding the quality of the internal audit activity and lead to recommendations for appropriate improvements. All Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) are required to develop a QAIP that includes both internal and external assessments. Internal assessments should include both ongoing monitoring and periodic self-assessment. External assessments may be either a full external assessment or a self-assessment with independent validation. Under the QAIP, quality should be assessed at both an individual audit engagement level as well as at a broader internal audit activity level. A well-developed QAIP will ensure that quality is built in to, rather than on to, the way the internal audit activity operates. In other words, an internal audit activity should not need to assess whether each individual engagement conforms to the Standards. Rather, engagements should be undertaken in accordance with an established methodology that promotes quality and, by default, conformance with the Standards.

This document provides guidance on the key elements of a QAIP. It covers those elements required for conformance with the Standards, as well as elements that constitute better practice. QAIPs need to be tailored to the specific needs of each internal audit activity and, therefore, may come in a myriad of forms. However, this document provides a generic framework for developing a QAIP that can be applied, regardless of the size or nature of the internal audit activity.

What does a Quality Assurance and improvement program include?

Why is Qaip important?

Which of the following is responsible for developing and maintaining a Quality Assurance and improvement program that covers all aspects?

What is the difference between internal audit and Quality Assurance?