Auditing and Assurance Standards and Guidance

Auditing Standards (Ireland)

FRC ISAs (UK and Ireland) applicable for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2010 but before 17 June 2016

ISA (UK and Ireland) 300 Planning an audit of financial statements

Application and Other Explanatory Material
Planning Activities
The Overall Audit Strategy (Ref: Para. 7-8 )
A8.The process of establishing the overall audit strategy assists the auditor to determine, subject to the completion of the auditor's risk assessment procedures, such matters as:
 dotbulletThe resources to deploy for specific audit areas, such as the use of appropriately experienced team members for high risk areas or the involvement of experts on complex matters;
 dotbulletThe amount of resources to allocate to specific audit areas, such as the number of team members assigned to observe the inventory count at material locations, the extent of review of other auditors' work in the case of group audits, or the audit budget in hours to allocate to high risk areas;
 dotbulletWhen these resources are to be deployed, such as whether at an interim audit stage or at key cut-off dates; and
 dotbulletHow such resources are managed, directed and supervised, such as when team briefing and debriefing meetings are expected to be held, how engagement partner and manager reviews are expected to take place (for example, on-site or off-site), and whether to complete engagement quality control reviews.
A9.The Appendix lists examples of considerations in establishing the overall audit strategy.
A10.Once the overall audit strategy has been established, an audit plan can be developed to address the various matters identified in the overall audit strategy, taking into account the need to achieve the audit objectives through the efficient use of the auditor's resources. The establishment of the overall audit strategy and the detailed audit plan are not necessarily discrete or sequential processes, but are closely interrelated since changes in one may result in consequential changes to the other.
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