Chapter 7 Engagement Planning and Management文档格式.docx
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(b)WorkingwithManagementandOtherPersonnel
(i)ChiefExecutiveOfficer
(ii)ChiefFinancialOfficer
(iii)HeadofInternalAudit
(iv)Staff
(c)WorkingwithAuditCommitteesandBoardsofDirectors
(i)AuditCommittees
(ii)BoardsofDirectors
(iii)StockholderMeetings
7.3USINGTHEWORKOFOTHERS
(a)InternalAuditors
(b)Specialists
(c)OtherAuditors
7.4MANAGINGTHEENGAGEMENT
(a)EngagementControl
(b)StaffingtheEngagement
(c)SupervisionandReview
7.5WORKINGPAPERS
(a)FormandContentofWorkingPapers
(b)WorkingPaperOrganization
(c)TypicalWorkingPapers
(i)GroupedAccountsSchedule
(ii)OtherSchedulesandAnalyses
(iii)DocumentationofSignificantIssues
(iv)PermanentWorkingPapers
(d)CommonWorkingPaperDeficiencies
Thefirststandardoffieldworkrequiresthattheauditbeadequatelyplanned.Goodmanagementpracticesrequirethatitbecontrolledtoensurethatitisperformedefficientlyandonatimelybasis,aswellasinaccordancewithprofessionalstandards-thatis,effectively.Engagementplanningandmanagementinvolvenumerousplanningdecisionsandongoingactivitiesforcontrollingallaspectsoftheperformanceoftheaudittoensurethatitiscarriedouteffectivelyandefficiently.
Fromthetimeanengagementisfirstconsidered-evenbeforeitisaccepted-untiltheresultsaresummarizedandevaluatedattheendoftheengagement,theauditormakesnumerousdecisions,whichcollectivelyconstitutetheplanfortheengagement.Planningtakesplacethroughouttheengagementandincludesvariousactivitiesnecessarytoensurethattheauditiscarriedouteffectivelyandefficiently.Intheearlystagesoftheengagement,planningentailsdeterminingwhethertoacceptorcontinuewiththeclientandestablishingengagementtermsandgoals.Understandingtheclient'
sexpectationsandplanningtomeetorexceedthem,withinthecontextoftheauditor'
sprofessionalresponsibilities,andcommunicatingwiththeclientregardingengagementarrangementsandissues,facilitatestheauditprocess.
Formulatingtheengagementplanalsoinvolvesdecidingsuchmattersaswhethertousetheworkoftheentity'
sinternalauditors,whethertheassistanceofaspecialistisneeded,andwhethertousetheworkofotherauditorswhohaveauditedanyoftheentity'
scomponents.Theactivitiesinvolvedinplanningtheauditandtheorderinwhichtheyaredonevarywiththeengagement;
oftenthevariousactivitiesoverlap.
Beforetheauditorcanbegintoplanthedetailsoftheengagement,heorshemustconsiderwhethertoacceptor,forarecurringengagement,retaintheclient.Decidingwhethertoacceptorcontinuewithaclientrequirestheexerciseofprofessionalskepticismandjudgmentaboutavarietyofrisksaffectingboththeentityandtheauditor.
Allentitiesfacebusinessrisk,thatis,theriskthattheywillnotbeprofitableorwillnotremainagoingconcern.Anentitywithincreasedbusinessriskmaybemorelikelytoengageinfraudulentfinancialreportingorbeinvolvedinunwarrantedlitigationthanonenotfacingsignificantrisks.Thosefactorsmayincreasetheauditor'
sbusinessrisk-intheformoftheriskofpotentiallitigationcostsanddamagetohisorherreputation,andthreatstofeerealization-fromassociationwiththeentity.Indecidingwhethertobeassociatedwithaclient,theauditoralsoshouldconsiderfactorsthatmayincreaseauditrisk.Tomanagetherisksinherentinbecomingorremainingassociatedwithaclient,auditfirmsusuallyestablishprocedures,inadditiontothoserequiredbygenerallyacceptedauditingstandards,tobeperformedbeforeanewclientisacceptedorarecurringoneretained.Inthecourseofperformingthoseprocedures,muchinformationabouttheentityisgathered,whichformsthefoundationoftheauditor'
sknowledgeabouttheentity'
sbusiness.
Ininvestigatingaprospectiveclient,aprincipalconcernoftheauditoristheintegrityofmembersoftheentity'
smanagement.Accordingly,auditorstypicallyconsiderthegeneralreputationofhighrankingemployees,suchasexecutivesandotherswithbroadfinancialandoperatinginfluence,andinfluentialdirectorsandshareholders,aswellastheentityitself.Thismayinvolvediscussionswithcommercialandinvestmentbankersandlawyers,andobtainingaDun&
Bradstreetreport.Generally,auditorsalsoobtainandreadthemostrecentfinancialstatementsofaprospectiveclientandcommunicatewiththepredecessorauditor,withemphasisonquestionsofmanagement'
sintegrityandthereasonforthechangeinauditor.Otherconsiderationsinconnectionwithinvestigatingaprospectiveclientincludemanagement'
sresponsetosuggestionsforimprovinginternalcontrolmadebythepredecessorauditorortheinternalauditors,whetherthereareanyindependenceissues,whethertheauditorhaspersonnelwiththeindustryandotherexpertisetoprovidethedesiredservice,andwhethertheentity'
smanagementisableandwillingtopayanacceptablefee.
Today'
srapidlychangingbusinessenvironmentmakesitnecessarytoreevaluateperiodically,perhapsasoftenasannually,whethertocontinuetobeassociatedwithaclient.Theevaluationcanpointtorisksstemmingfromchangesaffectingmanagement'
sintegrity,managementpractices,theentity'
sfinancialcondition,oroperationalmatters.
TheDetectionandPreventionofFraudTaskForceoftheSECPracticeSectionoftheAICPADivisionforCPAFirmshasidentifiedanumberoffactorsthatmayindicateincreasedriskassociatedwithanengagementandthatauditorsmaywanttoconsiderintheirdecisionsaboutclientacceptanceorcontinuance.Therisksarecategorizedaseitherbusinessrisksoftheentity,businessrisksoftheauditor,orauditrisks,andareshowninFigure7.1.
Figure7.1RiskFactorsAssociatedwithanEngagement
1.Entity'
sBusinessRisk
∙Management:
-Engagesinactivitiesindicativeofalackofintegrity.
-Ispronetoengageinspeculativeventuresoracceptunusuallyhighbusinessrisks.
-Displaysapoorattitudetowardcompliancewithoutsideregulatoryorlegislativeobligations.
-Engagesincomplextransactionsorinnovativedealsthatmakethedeterminationoftheeffectsonthefinancialstatementsdifficulttoassessorhighlysubjective.
-Lacksaproventrackrecord.
-Isevasive,uncooperativeorabusivetotheauditteam.
∙TheEntity:
-Hasproductsthatarenewandunproven.
-Dependsonalimitednumberofcustomersorsuppliers.
-Isexperiencingadeterioratingfinancialconditionorliquiditycrisis.
-Issubjecttouncertaintiesthatraisesubstantialdoubtaboutitsabilitytocontinueasagoingconcern.
-Operatesincountrieswherebusinesspracticesarequestionable.
-Hasaninadequatecapitalbaseorishighlyleveraged.
-Isexperiencingdifficultyinmeetingrestrictivedebtcovenants.
-Generatesnegativecashflowsfromoperationsbutreportsoperatingprofits.
-Haspubliclytradeddebtoutstandingthatisbelowinvestmentgrade.
-Isalowtierfirminanemergingormaturingindustrywhereweakcompetitorsareexitingthemarket.
-Issubjecttounpredictablechangesinpriceandavailabilityofproductinputsthatcausesignificantvarianceinprofitability.
-Isvulnerabletorapidlychangingtechnology.
-Isinvestingcashfromshort-termborrowingsinlong-termassets.
∙TheIndustry:
-Isundergoingrapidchange.
-Issubjecttohighcompetition,marketsaturation,productobsolescence,ordecliningdemand.
-Hashighoperatingleveragedemonstratedbyhighfixedcostsandlowvariablecosts.
-Ishighlycyclicalorcountercyclical.
-Hasalowentrybarrier.
-Isfacingregulationsthatwilladverselyimpactprofitabilitythroughouttheindustry.
2.Auditor'
-Theentityispronetoahighnumberoflawsuitsorcontroversies.
-Therearefrequentchangesintheentity'
sauditors.
-Theentityplanstoengageinaninitialpublicofferingorusethefinancialstatementstoengageinadebtorequityoffering.
-Thefinancialstatementswillbeusedinconnectionwithanacquisitionordisposalofabusinessorsegment.
3.Auditor'
sAuditRisk
TheauditorshouldfollowSASNo.47,AuditRiskandMaterialityinConductinganAudit,whichprovidesguidanceontheauditor'
sconsiderationofauditriskwhenplanningandperforminganauditoffinancialstatements.Examplesoffactorsthatmayincreaseauditriskinclude:
-Operationsthataredominatedbyasingleindividual.
-Undueemphasisonachievingearningspershare;
maintainingthemarketpriceofthecompany'
sstock;
ormeetingearningsprojections.
-Unreliableprocessesformakingaccountingestimatesorquestionableestimatesbyexecutives.
-Unrealisticbudgetlevelsthatencourageunrealisticobjectives.
-Ahighvolumeofsignificantyear-endtransactions.
-Compensationbasedtoasignificantdegreeonreportedearnings.
-Anunnecessarilycomplexcorporatestructure.
-Prior-yearfinancialstatementsthatwererestatedforcorrectionofanerrororirregularity.
-Attemptsbymanagementtoreducethescopeoftheaudit.
-Substantiallitigationinvolvingtheentity'
sbusinesspractices.
-Materialweaknessesorotherreportableconditionsintheinternalcontrolstructure.
-Significantandunusuallycomplexrelatedpartytransactions.
-Affiliatesthatareunauditedorauditedbyothers.
-Managementespousesaggressiveaccountingprinc