The role of internal audit identifying early warning signs across the public sector
The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) has published a report highlighting how public sector bodies fail to grasp the significance of emerging red flags and fail to act on these early warning signals.

Harriet Aldridge, Government Internal Audit Agency CEO
Their report, 鈥楨arly Warning Signs in Public Sector Bodies鈥� calls for public sector bodies to put in place the processes needed to recognise these early warning signs and to facilitate a culture where speaking up about concerns and learning from mistakes are seen as a personal duty and valued by everyone in the organisation.
The report includes insights from the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) Chief Executive, Harriet Aldridge, who noted that it is part of the role of internal audit to support government departments and ALBs to identify potential problems earlier, spotting issues sooner, and working with organisations to develop a course of action to mitigate and resolve these issues faster.
Responding to the report findings, Harriet said,
鈥淎 robust internal audit approach should help to identify issues upstream. Earlier resolution ensures better outcomes for the public, saving taxpayers鈥� money and leading to the more effective delivery of public services,鈥�
The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) provides independent and objective internal audit and assurance services for government departments and ALBs.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life鈥檚 report recognised GIAA鈥檚 proactive approach to risk management, particularly with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) to support the real-time checking of data against risk criteria.
The Committee also recognised GIAA鈥檚 leading role in sharing learning through our wider cross-government Insight Programme.
For further information on the report 鈥楨arly Warning Signs in Public Sector Bodies鈥� by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, please visit the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
Notes:
The Committee on Standards in Public Life is an independent advisory body that advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards across the whole of public life in England.
The report 鈥�Early Warning Signs鈥� is published on Gov.UK.
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