How to Handle Your Auditor

Ron Yates, from the Legislative Audit Bureau (these are the folks who audit the State of Wisconsin and the University System), has the following tips for steps an agency can take to help an audit run smoothly:

• identify an audit liaison to service as a contact point for the auditors (caution, being the liaison can be very time-consuming),
• review the agency's internal control structure and document it - the auditors can then review your review/documentation instead of having to start from scratch,
• volunteer to set up and sit in on meetings with staff that the auditors need to talk with,
• utilize the entrance and exit conferences to make sure you understand what the auditors will look at and what he found in the audit,
• discuss ideas on how to improve your organization with your auditors - tell them what your objectives are and have them look at how you are achieving your objectives,
• provide the auditors with a fully-equipped work area, and
• offer to assist in finding the materials (vouchers, etc.) they are going to need to review.

Last Revised:  October 17, 2006