Auditing services

Tender description

Ulster University wishes to appoint internal and external auditors. The firm appointed must audit the University’s annual accounts in accordance with the statement of recommended practice on accounting for further and higher education (SORP), all applicable accounting standards and any accounts directions or applicable codes of practice issued by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (‘HEFCE’). The firm will also conduct the audit of one wholly-owned subsidiary company of the University, Innovation Ulster Ltd. The firm will also audit the funding data required by HEFCE and DfE according to the standards set out by those bodies from time to time and provide audit certificates relating to this data in the form required. In addition to these responsibilities the external auditors will be expected to: — attend regular meetings of audit committee, — report in the University’s management letter to the audit committee and Council on the significant issues arising from your work and any unadjusted differences identified during the audit, — report the detailed findings from your work concerning control issues to management and the audit committee, — report that: —— funds from whatever source administered by the University for specific purposes have been properly applied to those purposes and, if relevant, managed in accordance with relevant legislation, —— income has been applied in accordance with the University’s statutes, —— funds provided by DfE have been applied in accordance with the financial memorandum and any other terms and conditions attached to them, —— the requirements of HEFCE accounts direction have been met. — notify the audit committee of any issues which may be of concern to you arising from your normal audit procedures, — work with the internal auditors to maximise the effectiveness of the University’s audit resource, — advise on the implementation of new financial reporting standards and other disclosure requirements, insofar as they are relevant to the University and its subsidiary company, through regular technical updates. The successful provider will assist the University in ensuring a robust governance environment through a systematic, disciplined and balanced approach to the evaluation of the effectiveness of the financial and internal controls, risk management and other governance processes, recognising that these should be proportionate to the scale and nature of the University’s business. The scope of internal audit work extends to all of the University’s activities, including those relating to the University’s wholly-owned subsidiary Innovation Ulster Ltd. The scope will include: (a) Financial systems reviews; (b) Operation systems and processes reviews; (c) Subsidiary company and discrete activities reviews; (d) Computer/IT assurance reviews; (e) Faculty reviews; (f) Value for money reviews; (g) Governance and risk assurance reviews; (h) Data returns and data quality reviews. Internal auditors will also be required to set out in detail how they assess audit risk and explain their proposed approach to the preparation, review and issue of internal audit reports. Procedures for following up recommendations made should be specified and should comply with the governance code of practice contained in the Committee of University Chairmen guidance issued in November 2004 and HEFCE: Audit Code of Practice 2010-19 and any revisions thereof. (www.hefce.ac.uk)