It is preparing for peer review in 2000. Internal auditing looks more closely at processes and their associated risks than an external audit can. External auditors are on site only for a short period of time. An internal audit team is available year-round to train and advise. The audit department focuses on preventive rather than detective controls.
Preventative controls cost less and are more effective in reducing risk.
The internal audit function also acts as a deterrent to fraud. It has focused on statutorily required audits of district justices, tax collectors, row officers, and prison inmate and Berks Heim resident accounts. Many of these audits have less to do with risk of material loss than with issues of fiduciary responsibility. Audit findings are typical for an organization that has not looked at its own processes. There is poor segregation of duties and poor understanding of risk.