Contract Audit Toolkit

Based on the highly commended entry to the CIPFA Cliff Nicholson Award for Innovation and Excellence in Audit 2009 by Transport for London (TfL), the Contract Audit Toolkit gives auditors a knowledge and understanding of best practice in relation to procurement and contract management.

The range of contracts within public service organisations is very diverse, and in TfL this is especially the case, in terms of both size and the business sectors that contracts cover; ranging from stationery contracts to acquisitions of rolling stock, and from delivery of an innovative cycle hire scheme to the multi million pound 30 year public-private partnership contracts to renew the London Underground.

Auditing in complex organisational environments can be a daunting prospect, whether you are an experienced auditor or a former contract manager embarking on your first job in internal audit. The aim of the toolkit is to give auditors of all backgrounds and organisations the understanding and tools to carry out a thorough contract or procurement audit.

The principal risk inherent in contract management and procurement is around failure to apply best professional practice, leading to contracts that do not deliver best value in terms of cost and quality of goods, and do not adequately consider sustainability issues. The approach that TfL have taken in developing the Contract Audit Toolkit will prompt auditors in all organisations to ask the right questions in order to obtain the very best results from an audit, and hence assist in getting the best out of the contract.

The Contract Audit Toolkit is in two parts:

Part 1 is based on the 12-stage procurement cycle. There is a brief description of each stage, the key associated risks, the typical audit scope and a list of questions the auditor should be asking. The toolkit places a particular emphasis on sustainability issues at each stage of the cycle, in line with London mayoral priorities.

Part 2 provides more in-depth guidance on a wide range of contract management issues. This includes contract law, e-procurement, indicators of contract fraud, performance monitoring and how to prepare for a contract audit.