The Audit Panel

5.3 The Audit Panel

Potential฀members฀for฀an฀audit฀panel฀are฀selected฀from฀the฀MQA’s฀Registry฀of฀Auditors.฀ The selection of auditors depends on the type of the audit, the characteristics of the HEP, and the need to have a panel that is coherent and whose members are balanced in terms of background and experience.

It is crucial that the auditors work together as a team, and should not attempt to apply preconceived templates to their consideration of the HEP being audited, nor appear to address inquiries from entirely within the perspective of their own specialty or the practices of their own HEP. Unless otherwise arranged, all communications between the HEP and members of the panel must be via the MQA.

5.3.1 The Chairperson

The Chairperson is the key person in an audit exercise and should have adequate experience as an auditor. It is the Chair’s responsibility to create an atmosphere in which critical professional discussions can take place, where opinions can be liberally and considerately exchanged, and in which integrity and transparency prevail. Much of the mode and accomplishment of the audit exercise depends on the Chairperson’s ability to facilitate the panel to do its work as a team rather than as individuals, and also to bring out the best in those whom the panel meets.

The Chairperson presents the oral exit report summarising the tentative findings of the team to the representatives of the HEP. The Chairperson also has a major role in the preparation of the written report and in ensuring that the oral exit report is

102 not materially different from the final report.

The Chairperson is also responsible to ensure that the HEP’s plan of action -- following the audit visit and in response to the conditions made by the panel -- is considered and endorsed by the panel.

5.3.2 The Secretary

The panel Secretary is expected to compile the report during the visit and to work closely with the Chairperson to complete the draft report shortly after the visit. The Secretary is responsible for organising the contributions from the other team members and to ensure that the overall report is coherent, logical, and internally consistent.

If important areas have been omitted from a team member’s write-up, it is the responsibility of the panel Secretary either to contact that member for additional details, or to supply the missing content himself.

It is important for the Secretary to compare his draft report with the set of strengths and concerns identified by the panel members to ensure that all areas are well documented in the text of the report. Attention should be paid so that comments made are based on due compliance to the quality assurance standards as contained in this Code.

Specific tasks of the Secretary involve: •฀

To฀ensure฀that฀the฀exit฀report฀accurately฀summarises฀the฀outcomes฀of฀ the visit and is consistent with the reporting framework; and

To฀ coordinate฀ and฀ liaise฀ with฀ the฀ panel฀ members฀ with฀ respect฀ to฀ the฀ audit report.

5.3.3 The MQA Officer

The MQA officer has the following responsibilities: •฀

To฀ keep฀ copies฀ of฀ handouts,฀ database฀ pages,฀ evaluation฀ reports,฀ and organisational charts, for incorporation, as appropriate, in the final report;

To฀act฀as฀a฀resource฀person฀to฀the฀panel฀and฀the฀HEP฀on฀policy฀matters;฀

To฀ ensure฀ that฀ the฀ panel฀ conducts฀ itself฀ in฀ accordance฀ with฀ its฀ ethical responsibilities;

•฀ To฀liaise฀with฀the฀HEP฀liaison฀officer; •฀

To฀coordinate฀and฀liaise฀with฀the฀panel฀members; •฀

To฀ ensure฀ that฀ the฀ report฀ is฀ processed฀ effectively฀ and฀ in฀ a฀ timely฀ manner; and

•฀ To฀provide฀other฀relevant฀administrative฀services.