MANY INTERNAL AUDITORS FIND THEMSELVES STEPPING OUTSIDE THEIR traditional duties to perform consulting services for senior management. And at first glance, the dual responsibilities of governance and advice may appear complementary, not to mention efficient. Auditors can recommend controls at the outset rather than issuing formal findings that criticize the lack of such controls after the fact. But in reality, consulting work encourages management to treat the auditor as a member of its own department, leading to compromised independence.
In many organizations, internal audit consulting has evolved to the point where management receives, and may even expect, control-related advisory services. Consulting has allowed auditors to become vital to management's achievement of goals and objectives. However, the...