Role of the Audit Committee
Audit committees play a pivotal role in enhancing audit quality.
Investors want and expect a quality audit and effective audit committees and auditors build confidence in the integrity of financial reporting.
Audit committees are responsible for creating an environment that accommodates an open discussion in a culture of integrity, respect and transparency between management and auditors. Audit committees also oversee auditor work and need to understand the audit strategy, be satisfied that it addresses the major risks, and make sure auditors exercise appropriate professional skepticism. They must also ensure that the auditor has an appropriately independent mindset from management and is truly objective. This enables the audit committee to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the audit.
Audit committees should ask their auditors what they are doing to promote consistency of audit execution, whether additional resources are available if needed to do the audit, and who in the audit firm is accountable for the quality of the work done.
Sharing of CPAB inspection findings with audit committees
In accordance with the Protocol for Audit Firm Communication of CPAB Inspection Findings with Audit Committees (Protocol), audit firms who voluntarily participate in the Protocol share significant file-specific inspection findings with their clients’ audit committees. CPAB is currently taking steps to make the sharing of these findings mandatory for all audit committees. See CPAB Disclosures Public Consultation for additional details.
Insights from our conversations with audit committees
CPAB regularly meets with audit committee chairs to discuss audit quality insights through one-on-one meetings, industry forums and audit quality roundtables.
In 2023 we met with directors of over 277 reporting issuers across many industries, reflecting the varied nature of Canada’s capital markets. Our latest publication covers key themes from these discussions and highlights common issues audit committees are facing.