USA Office of Internal Audit: ‘Providing insight and foresight’

If your department is seeking ways to improve internal controls or internal policies and procedures, or to evaluate efficiency, the University of South Alabama Office of Internal Audit may be able to help.

The office, comprising seven full-time auditors, works on behalf of the university, USA Health, the USA Board of Trustees and other stakeholders to improve and add value to risk management, control and governance procedures.

“We want departments to know that our services are available and not just for traditional audits or when potential fraud occurs, but also to collaborate and assist with process improvements, explain internal policies and procedures, and provide insight on best practices within their operations,” said Brittney McAllister, internal audit manager.

Internal audit often is confused with external audit, McAllister noted, or the Internal Revenue Service; there are significant are significant differences. “Internal audit is employed by the organization and has a much broader focus than just financial statement accuracy,” she said. “Over time, internal audit has matured from providing simple hindsight to providing insight and foresight.”

Among the services provided by internal audit:

• Traditional audits, which examine internal controls, test documents for compliance with state and federal law or internal policies and procedures, and look for ways to improve.
• Consultations, which provide guidance and advice on a specific problem that management has asked for our assistance in solving.
• Investigations, which attempt to learn the validity of fraud allegations.

For more information about the office of internal audit, visit www.southalabama.edu/departments/internalaudit.