The Function of Internal Audit

Internal Audit reviews can provide you with important and useful information. We can help you determine whether there are appropriate internal controls over your administrative processes and/or systems; we can show you ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your administrative processes; and we can recommend improvements in these and other areas. The Internal Audit staff does this by conducting independent and objective reviews of your department's operations and procedures. Internal Audit is therefore a managerial control, and our goal is to assist you in the effective discharge of your responsibilities by furnishing you with analysis, appraisals, recommendations, and pertinent comments concerning the activities that we review. The attainment of this goal involves:

• Evaluating the soundness and adequacy of the internal control structure.
  

• Assessing compliance with policies, plans, procedures, laws, and regulations.
  

• Verifying the existence of assets and ensuring that they are properly accounted for and safeguarded from losses of all kinds.
  

• Conducting special examinations and reviews requested by management including investigating reported occurrences of fraud, embezzlement, theft, waste, etc., and recommending controls to prevent or detect such occurrences.
  

• Evaluating the economy and efficiency with which resources are employed, and recommending improvements in operations.
  

• Evaluating the reliability and integrity of management data by reviewing general controls and computer security procedures over data processing.
  

• Determining the extent to which established objectives and goals for operations or programs are being accomplished.

© 2007 Meharry Medical College
1005 Dr. D.B. Todd, Jr. Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 327-6000