Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Part 3: Business Knowledge for Internal Auditing — Question 147

The chief audit executive (CAE) has embraced a total quality management approach to improving the internal audit activity's (IAA's) processes. He would like to reduce the time to complete audits and improve client ratings of the IAA.

Which of the following staffing approaches is the CAE most likely to select?

Answer options

• A. Assign a team with a trained audit manager to plan each audit and distribute field work tasks to various staff auditors.
• B. Assign a team of personnel who have different specialties to each audit and empower team members to participate fully in key decisions.
• C. Assign a team to each audit, designate a single person to be responsible for each phase of the audit, and limit decision making outside of their area of responsibility.
• D. Assign a team of personnel who have similar specialties to specific engagements that would benefit from those specialties and limit key decisions to the senior person.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is C because assigning a team with a clear leader for each phase streamlines the audit process and ensures accountability, which can lead to quicker completion times. Options A and B involve more collaborative decision-making, which could slow down the process, while option D limits the decision-making to a senior person, which may not fully leverage the team's capabilities.