Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00107:front:0:p93
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00107
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 300713–304171

on which there was disagreement with management.

 1.       Significant difficulties encountered during the engagement may include such matters as:

           * Significant delays by management, the unavailability of entity personnel, or an unwillingness by management to provide information necessary for the practitioner to perform procedures.

           * An unreasonably brief time within which to complete the engagement.

           * Extensive unexpected effort required to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence.

           * The unavailability of expected information.

           * Restrictions imposed on the practitioner by management.

In some circumstances, such difficulties may constitute a scope limitation that leads to a modification of the practitioner's assurance conclusion.

 1.       In addition to communicating with management or those charged with governance, the practitioner may be permitted or required to communicate about certain matters with other relevant parties, such as regulators or prudential supervisors. Such communication may be appropriate throughout the engagement or at particular stages, such as when the practitioner identifies matters that are required to be reported to the regulator or when finalising the assurance report.

Considerations Specific to Public Sector Entities

 1.       A public sector practitioner may be obliged to report on identified or suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations to the legislature or other governing body or to report them in the practitioner's report.

Documentation

Overarching Documentation Requirements

Form, Content and Extent of Engagement Documentation (Ref: Para. 69–71)

 1.       A practitioner experienced in sustainability assurance refers to an individual (whether internal or external to the firm) who has practical experience in sustainability assurance, and a reasonable understanding of:

         1.                 Assurance processes;

         2.                 ASSAs and applicable legal and regulatory requirements;

         3.                 The business environment in which the entity operates; and

         4.                 Assurance and sustainability reporting matters relevant to the entity's industry.

 2.       Preparing sufficient and appropriate engagement documentation on a timely basis helps to enhance the quality of the assurance engagement and facilitates the effective review and evaluation of the evidence obtained and conclusions reached before the practitioner's report is finalised. Engagement documentation prepared after the assurance engagement work has been performed is likely to be less accurate than documentation prepared at the time such work is performed.

 3.       The form, content and extent of engagement documentation depend on factors such as:

           * The size and complexity of the entity.

           * The scope of the assurance engagement and nature of the procedures to be performed. For example, the extent of engagement documentation would ordinarily be less:

                   + For a limited assurance engagement compared to a reasonable assurance engagement.

                   + When the scope of the assurance engagement includes only certain parts, rather than all, of the sustainability information.

           * The assessed risks of material misstatement.

           * The significance of the evidence obtained.

           * The nature and extent of exceptions