Know your environment

An environmental scan is a typical part of any good planning and strategy session. It can also be a useful tool for getting the most from an audit committee. The type of committee and the context in which the audit committee and its public entity and industry are opertating will affect how the committee is run and how it can most add value. Below are some of the current and enduring matters related to the operating environments of many public entities.

This is not a comprehensive list. It is a list of the most common issues that public sector leaders are talking about. Where appropriate, we have included links to resources that governors have told us might be useful for thinking through your own context.

• Differences between audit committees in the public and private sectors
• Current areas of change (as seen by governors and others)
• Are there other audit committees like yours?
• Knowing what you don’t know – revealing the insights
• Advice from experts on assurance-related issues

Have you thought about any of these or experienced them within your committee? Let us know your experience and we will add it to the case studies (anonymously if you prefer).