Agree the audit timetable before fieldwork begins

Finding out what the auditor needs after fieldwork has started puts the finance team under avoidable pressure. Schedules must be prepared in a hurry, documents sit with the wrong people and important accounting judgements reach senior review too late.

At Accendo, we see preparation and communication as part of a well-managed audit. The starting point is an agreed timetable, with responsibilities on both sides. Management owns the records and accounting judgements; the auditor assesses the evidence independently.

Work back from the reporting deadline

The timetable should allow for planning, key evidence, fieldwork, senior review, management responses and the approvals needed before reporting. A fieldwork date on its own says little about when the audit can reasonably be completed.

The board or trustees should also know which dependencies could affect that timetable, including incomplete records or unresolved significant judgements.

Phase the information request

Not every document has the same urgency. Information needed to understand the organisation and assess audit risks belongs early. Evidence relating to significant estimates, funding or unusual transactions may need discussion before routine schedules are ready.

A useful request list explains what is needed, who owns it and when it should be available. It should reflect the client’s systems and circumstances rather than simply transferring an internal audit checklist to the finance team.

Early planning cannot prevent every additional request. The auditor must respond to the evidence and to matters identified during the work. Where the plan changes, the client should understand why and what that means for the timetable.

Before fieldwork is booked: check that senior review and management response time are visible in the plan. A timetable that ends at fieldwork leaves a substantial part of the process unplanned.

Further reading: What a well-run audit should do differently.