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Advisory · Audit and forensic investigation

Evidence that holds when it is challenged.

Forensic audits and investigations for public and private clients under agreed terms of reference: verification of assets and liabilities, due diligence, project audits and special audit exercises.
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Engagement

Audit and forensic investigation

Scope in writing
  1. 1Terms of referenceNowQuestions, scope, access
  2. 2Preserve and collectRecords, systems, interviews
  3. 3Analyse and testReconstruct, trace, quantify
  4. 4Report and supportFindings, evidence, next steps
How we think about it
An investigation is only as good as the question it was asked. HPS begins every engagement by writing the terms of reference with the client, then follows the evidence wherever it goes.
01 Terms of reference02 Preserve and collect03 Analyse and test04 Interview and corroborate05 Report and supportEvidence narrows, confidence rises
Evidence narrows as the investigation proceeds from terms of reference to a report; confidence in each finding rises with it.
What is included
Scope is agreed in writing before any engagement starts. These are the services HPS currently offers under this practice, as published by HPS.
  1. 01Forensic audits and investigationsExamination of financial records and transactions to establish what happened, who was involved and what was lost, documented to a standard that can be relied on.
  2. 02Verification of assets and liabilitiesPhysical and documentary verification of what an organisation owns and owes, with reconciliation to the books.
  3. 03Due diligenceFinancial due diligence on acquisitions, investments, grants and partners, reported against the decision it informs.
  4. 04Project auditsExamination of project expenditure against budgets, contracts and deliverables, for funders, boards and public bodies.
  5. 05Special audit exercisesTargeted reviews commissioned for a specific concern, such as a department, a period or a counterparty.
Who it is for
  • Boards and audit committees that need an independent examination
  • Public sector entities and regulators commissioning special audits
  • Funders and donors verifying project expenditure
  • Owners who suspect a loss and need to know its size and cause
How an engagement works
1Terms of referenceQuestions, scope, access2Preserve and collectRecords, systems, interviews3Analyse and testReconstruct, trace, quantify4Report and supportFindings, evidence, next steps
HPS reports what the evidence supports. Where a matter may proceed to litigation or a regulator, the terms of reference say so from the start so that evidence is handled accordingly.

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