6. Reliability of audit findings and conclusions
The audit evidence collected during an environmental audit will inevitably only be a sample of the information available, as audits are conducted over a limited period of time and with limited resources. There will therefore be an element of uncertainty inherent in all audits and the users of the results of environmental audits should be aware of this uncertainty. The auditing process should be designed to provide the client with the desired level of confidence in the reliability of the audit findings.
7. Audit report
The client should be provided with a written report of the audit findings (and/or a summary thereof). Unless the client states otherwise, the auditee should also receive a copy of the report. Information that may be contained in an audit report includes (but is not limited to)
a) the identification of the organization audited and of the client
b) the agreed objectives and scope of the audit
c) the agreed criteria against which the audit was conducted
d) the period covered by the audit and the date(s) the audit was
conducted
e) theidentificationoftheaudit-teammembers
f) the identification of the auditee’s representatives participating in the
audit
g) a statement of the confidential nature of the contents
h) thedistributionlistfortheauditreport
i) a summary of the audit process including any obstacles encountered
j) the audit conclusions
The lead auditor, in consultation with the client, should determine which of these items, together with any additional items, should be included in the report. Normally it is the responsibility of the auditee to determine any corrective action need in the light of the audit findings. However the auditor may provide recommendations when there has been prior agreement to do so with the client.