Use 37 questions across 14 governance areas to identify where closer review may be needed. A practical starting point for internal auditors examining how governance arrangements work.
Free PDF · 5 pages · Example checklist
By Beyond Governance
- Cover fourteen areas in one concise checklist
- Ask about evidence as well as documented arrangements
- Identify questions to develop within your audit scope
A starting point for a governance review
An internal audit of corporate governance needs questions that reach across the board’s structures, information and behaviour. The existence of a committee or policy is one part of the picture. Auditors also need to understand how those arrangements operate.
The Internal Auditor’s Checklist brings together 37 example questions, from board composition and meeting practices to controls, succession and continual improvement. It is designed to prompt further enquiry. Adapt it to the organisation and the scope of the review.
The areas covered
Board structure and meetings
Review roles, composition, selection, meeting arrangements, documented minutes and evidence of challenge.
Committees and ethical conduct
Consider committee responsibilities, expertise, codes of conduct and arrangements for raising concerns.
Risk and internal controls
Ask about risk assessment, mitigation, control review and the organisation’s approach to legal and regulatory compliance.
Disclosure and stakeholders
Examine questions about transparent reporting, timely disclosures and the consideration of stakeholder feedback.
People and improvement
Cover board evaluation, remuneration, succession and how governance practices are reviewed and updated.
Who the checklist is for
Internal auditors and heads of internal audit planning a governance review, alongside risk, compliance and governance professionals preparing for discussion with the audit team.
A question from the checklist
“Is there evidence of critical evaluation and challenging discussions?”
Why download the checklist
It gives you a concise set of prompts to compare with your proposed review. The breadth of topics can help identify areas that need further enquiry or more specific questions before the audit work begins.
How to use it
Select and adapt the questions relevant to your organisation. Decide what evidence and testing each requires within your own audit methodology. The download is an example checklist and does not provide a scored audit result.
Download the Internal Auditor’s Checklist
Use the questions to shape a more focused examination of governance.
Button: Download the audit checklist
Related resources
The Provision 29 Readiness Diagnostic
The Board Effectiveness Self Assessment
Further support
Explore our governance framework advisory when your review identifies arrangements that need further work.
