Audit Services

The City of El Paso Internal Audit Department provides Assurance and Advisory services in a wide variety of areas. In assurance engagements, the internal auditor’s objective is to provide an independent opinion on the organizations:

• Processes
• Systems
• Other subject matter

The nature and scope of the assurance engagement are determined by the internal auditor based on an annual audit plan that is derived from a risk-based assessment of the organization. The internal audit activity should evaluate and contribute to the improvement of risk management, control, and governance processes using a systematic and disciplined approach. In an assurance engagement there are typically three parties involved:

• The process owner
• The Internal auditor
• The user of the report

One of the primary functions of internal auditors is examining and evaluating the adequacy and effectiveness of their organization's system of internal control. Control, which includes policies, procedures, practices and organizational structures designed to provide reasonable assurance that organizational objectives will be achieved and that undesirable events will be prevented or detected and corrected, is management's responsibility. Audit services include reviewing the:

• Reliability and integrity of information
• Compliance with policies and regulations
• Safeguarding of assets
• Economical and efficient use of resources
• Established operational goals and objectives.

Advisory Services

Advisory services are performed at the specific request of an engagement client. The nature and scope of the advisory engagement are agreed upon between the client and the internal auditor. While performing these services:

• The auditor acts in an advisory role
• The auditor should be objective at all times and not assume any management responsibility

Advisory services typically involve two parties:

• Person or group receiving the advice
• The internal auditor