Mango’s Internal Audit Review Checklist

Available at www.mango.org.uk/guide

A. General
Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes
N/A
A1 Does the organisation have an up-to-date Organisation
Chart which shows the staffing and committee structure?

If not, they should describe the staff and Board set-up to help
you draft an organogram.

A2 How many staff and/or Trustees are involved in financial

administration for the organisation?

It is useful to note the job titles and approx. how many hours
they spend on finance admin work.

A3 Have any of the staff received finance-related training

and/or possess accountancy qualifications?

Note details of qualifications/duration of training.

A4 Does the organisation have a Finance Manual – i.e.

written down procedures which cover financial rules,
routines and processes?

If yes, who has access to the manual?

Try to get sight of the manual or other written procedures to

establish how recently it was written/updated.

A5 Does the organisation use a computer to store its

accounting records? If yes, which program(s)?

Does the organisation use a computer to produce

financial reports? If yes, which program(s)?

A6 What are the NGO’s main sources of income?

A7 What financial trends are apparent (e.g. funding growing

or drying up)?

Internal audit review checklist 1

Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes
N/A
B1 Which of the following budgets does the organisation
have:

- project budgets? (e.g. those relating to one activity or

donor-funded project)
- core costs (administration/overheads) budget
- organisation-wide budgets (i.e. consolidating all
activities)?
- cash budgets or cash flow forecast?
- Others? [specify]

Try to get copies or sight of the most recent budgets available,

noting the period they refer to.

B2 What process is used to produce the organisation’s

budgets?

Find out who is involved, when they are produced, what

method is used. Is there a link to the organisation’s mission
and objectives?

B3 Is the organisation’s annual budget formally approved by

the Board and entered in the minutes?

Are significant changes to the budget approved by the

Board?

This could be verified by sight of the Minutes book.

B. Budgeting and Planning

Internal audit review checklist 2

Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes
N/A
C1 Which of the following basic accounting records does the
NGO keep:

- Cashbook?
- Analysed cashbook?
- Petty cash book?
- A file of invoices/receipts for all expenditures?
- A file of receipts/vouchers for incoming funds?
- A file of bank statements for each bank account held?
- A fixed assets register?

C2 Which of the following additional accounting records

does the NGO keep:

- Payroll records?
- General ledger/nominal ledger?
- Journal book?
- Accounts Payable/Purchase Ledger?
- Accounts Receivable/Sales Ledger?
- Others:

C3 How recently were the books updated?

- within the last 7 days?

- within the last 14 days?
- within the last 30 days?
- more than 30 days ago?
- more than 60 days ago?

C4 Were the accounting records available for your

inspection?

If not, why?

C5 Is the organisation aware of and complying with the

accounting requirements of:

- the NGO’s governing document?

- Statutory regulations?

C6 Are the annual financial statements formally approved by

Board members at an annual meeting?

This could be verified by sight of the Minutes book

C7 If relevant, what arrangements are made for accounting

for and managing foreign exchange?

C. Accounting Records

Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes

Internal audit review checklist 3

 N/A
D1 Which of the following policy and procedures are written
down:

- Delegation of authority (i.e. who signs what on behalf

of the organisation and within what limits – cheques,
purchase orders, leases, contracts, etc.)
- Cash handling and banking?
- Procurement and payment (i.e. how to order/purchase
goods and services)
- Use and control of vehicles

Are these communicated to all staff and trustees?

D2 Is there any segregation of tasks to provide automatic

‘double check’?

Need to establish whether the financial admin tasks are

shared by staff or concentrated in the hands of one or two
people.

D3 Which of the following controls over incoming funds are

followed:

- Numbered duplicate receipts issued for all incoming

cash and cheques?
- Cash received and counted in the presence of more
than one person?
- Cash coming in and petty cash floats kept separate at
all times?
- Incoming receipts banked promptly and regularly? (at
least weekly)?
- All incoming money banked and no amounts held over
for petty cash “feeding”?

Variations should be explained

D4 What controls are in place over receipt books issued by

the NGO?

For example, numbered duplicate books signed for and

checked.

D5 What precautions are taken to ensure that cash, cheque

books and other valuables held on the premises are
safeguarded?

Are keys of safe or cash box signed for?

Is insurance held to cover contents of safe or cash box?

D. Internal Controls

Internal audit review checklist 4

D. Internal Controls (contd)
Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes
N/A
D6 Which of the following controls over purchases are
followed:

- Supporting documentation held for all items of

expenditure (i.e. invoices, vouchers, receipts)?
- All expenditure properly authorised on a Payment
Voucher?
- Invoices checked against orders made?
- Records kept of orders placed but not carried out?
- The quality and quantity of goods supplied checked
against orders made?
- Payments only made against original invoices (i.e. not
on monthly statements or photocopies)?
- Regular stock-taking undertaken?

D7 Which of the following controls over payments by cheque

are followed:

- Conditions set down in the governing document about

who can sign cheques complied with?
- At least 2 signatories on the bank mandate?
- Cheques and never signed in blank?
- A nominated signatory may not sign a cheque made
payable to themselves?
- All cheque expenditure is recorded in the cashbook
and noted with the relevant cheque number?
- Cheque stubs completed at time of payment?
- Cheques signed only with proper documentary
evidence of the nature of the payment?

D8 Which of the following controls over payments by petty

cash are followed:

- Every effort made to minimise cash payments?

- All payments by cash made from a cash float?
- The cash float drawn from the bank and not from
incoming money?
- All petty cash payments have supporting
documentation?
- Supporting documentation authorised by someone
other than the cashier or claimant?
- Amounts of claim entered on a petty cash voucher?
- All payments noted in a petty cash book?
- All topping up withdrawals from bank noted in the petty
cash book?
- Regular checks made of petty cash records by
someone other than the cashier?

Internal audit review checklist 5

D. Internal Controls (Continued)

Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes

N/A
D9 Which of the following controls over the NGO’s bank
accounts are complied with:

- All bank accounts held in the name of the NGO, not

individuals?
- Instructions to open or close accounts properly
authorised and / or reported to Trustees?
- Secure records held for all bank accounts?
- Regular bank reconciliations carried out?
- Bank statements regularly inspected by the Trustees?

D10 Which of the following checks on accounting records are

made:

- Cross checks made between bank statements and

income and expenditure records to ensure no
discrepancies between records?
- Checks made by someone other than the original
recording officer (e.g. Internal Auditor)?
- Any restrictions placed on donated income identified
and observed?

D11 If the organisation has paid employees:

- Are personnel records kept and held separately from

wages records?
- Are salary levels properly authorised and recorded?
- Are checks made to verify existence of employees?
- Are cash payments for wages and salaries avoided
whenever possible?
- If cash payments made, are they paid out by someone
other than the payroll clerk and signed for?
- Are staff employed under a proper contract of
employment?
- Is compliance with statutory tax regulations ensured?

D12 If the organisation owns fixed assets (vehicles, office

equipment, buildings, etc.):

- Is an Assets Register/inventory held and updated

regularly?
- Are assets checked regularly to ensure that they are
still in good repair and in the proper location?
- Has insurance cover been considered?
- Is the use of fixed assets reviewed annually to ensure
they are put to best use and serving the NGO’s
interest?
- Are vehicles fitted with appropriate security and kept in
a safe place overnight?
- Are buildings properly safeguarded?

Internal audit review checklist 6

Ref Checklist Item Y/N Notes
N/A
E1 Does the organisation produce financial statements
(including a Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss or Income &
Expenditure account)? If yes:

- How often?
- Period covered by the most recent statements?
- Who receives copies of the financial statements?

Obtain copies of the latest set of statements if available..

E2 Are the annual financial statements subjected to an

independent audit by a qualified professional?

If yes:

- When was the last external audit conducted and by

whom?
- Was the audit report qualified or unqualified?

Obtain a copy of the latest audited statements if available

E3 Does the organisation produce periodic reports for

MANAGERS which compare performance against budgets?
If yes:

- How often?
- Period covered by the most recent report?
- Who prepares the reports?
- Who receives copies of the reports?

Obtain copies of the latest budget comparison reports if

available.

E4 Does the organisation produce periodic reports for

DONORS which compare performance against budgets? If
yes:

- which donors?
- how often?
- who prepares the reports?

E. Financial Reporting and Monitoring

Internal audit review checklist 7