Services · Standards & Quality Assurance
Know where you stand against the Standards, before your assessor does.
Independent External Quality Assessments and Global Internal Audit Standards readiness for mid-sized and mission-driven audit functions.
Trained assessor
Dr. Sabine Charles completed The IIA's Quality Assessor Certificate Program.
Certified across the work you're assessed on
CIA · CRMA · CISA · CFE · CHIAP
Experience on both sides of the table
Audit and risk roles at Citibank, American Express, Deloitte, World Vision International and Touro University.
Overview
For audit leaders who need evidence, not assurances.
Chief audit executives, audit directors and audit committee chairs in higher education, healthcare, nonprofits, and community banks and credit unions.
You need this when
- Your external assessment is due. The Standards require one at least once every five years.
- You are moving to the Global Internal Audit Standards and need to know where the gaps are.
- Your audit committee, regulator or accreditor asks for proof of conformance.
- A new CAE wants an honest baseline in year one.
- The new Cybersecurity Topical Requirement now applies to your audits.
What's included
Three ways to get standards‑ready.
External Quality Assessment
An independent opinion on how your function conforms to the Global Internal Audit Standards. Full external assessment, or a self-assessment with independent validation.
You receive
- Conformance opinion
- Report written for the audit committee
- Prioritized improvement plan
- Debrief with the CAE and the audit committee chair
Standards Readiness Gap Assessment
A pre-EQA review that shows where your charter, methodology and practice fall short, and what to fix first.
You receive
- Gap map against the Standards
- Risk-ranked remediation roadmap
- Charter and methodology updates
- A quality assurance and improvement program (QAIP) you can run between assessments
Topical Requirement Reviews
Focused reviews of the areas the IIA now expects you to cover: cybersecurity, third-party risk and AI.
You receive
- Coverage assessment
- Gaps in your audit plan and work programs
- Practical work-program updates
How it works
A clear process, no surprises for your team.
- Assess
Scope and request
Scoping call, document request and stakeholder survey.
- Design
Review the evidence
Your charter, methodology, workpapers and reports, reviewed against the Standards.
- Implement
Hear from stakeholders
Interviews with the CAE, audit staff, senior management and the audit committee chair.
- Enable
Agree the actions
Draft findings reviewed with the CAE; improvement actions agreed.
- Sustain
Report and stay ready
Final report and opinion for the audit committee, plus a QAIP to stay ready.
Outcomes
What you walk away with.
- A clear conformance opinion you can take to the audit committee.
- Fixes ranked by risk, so your team knows what to do first.
- Documentation that stands up to an assessor's review.
- A quality program that keeps you ready between assessments.
- A board that sees internal audit held to a professional standard.
Engagement options
Choose the right starting point.
Every option is a fixed fee, scoped to the size of your team.
Readiness Gap Assessment
Best before a first EQA or a Standards transition.
- Gap map against the Standards
- Risk-ranked remediation roadmap
- QAIP set-up
External Quality Assessment
The complete independent assessment.
- Independent conformance opinion
- Report for the audit committee
- Prioritized improvement plan
Self-Assessment with Independent Validation
Your team does the assessment; we validate it independently.
- Validation of your results and conclusion
- Independent validation statement
- Improvement recommendations
“Charlesfs helped us sharpen our audit leadership approach and improve stakeholder confidence. The work was practical, structured, and immediately usable.”
FAQ
Questions audit leaders ask about EQAs.
How often do we need an External Quality Assessment?
The Global Internal Audit Standards require one at least once every five years, by a qualified, independent assessor. Many audit committees ask for a readiness review in between.
What's the difference between a full EQA and a self-assessment with independent validation?
In a full EQA, the assessor does the work. In a self-assessment with independent validation, your team does the assessment and we independently validate the results and the conclusion. Both meet the requirement; the right choice depends on your team's capacity and the assurance your board wants.
Should we do a readiness assessment first?
If this is your first EQA under the Global Standards, or your last one surfaced issues, yes. It lets you fix gaps before they become findings.
What will you need from our team?
Your charter, audit methodology, recent audit plans, a sample of workpapers and reports, and time for a few interviews. We send the full document request at the start.
How do you protect our independence and confidentiality?
We confirm independence and any conflicts of interest before we start. Everything you share stays confidential and is used only for the assessment.
Start here
Walk into your next assessment knowing the answer.
Book a readiness call with Dr. Charles.