Leadership Responsibilities for ManagingLeadership Responsibilities for Managing and Achieving Quality on Audits

Leadership Responsibilities for Managing and Achieving Quality on Audits

1. The engagement partner shall take overall responsibility for managing and achieving quality on the audit engagement, including taking responsibility for creating an environment for the engagement that emphasises the firm’s culture and expected behaviour of engagement team members. In doing so, the engagement partner shall be sufficiently and appropriately involved throughout the audit engagement such that the engagement partner has the basis for determining whether the significant judgements made, and the conclusions reached, are appropriate given the nature and circumstances of the engagement. (Ref: Para. A28–A37)
2. In creating the environment described in paragraph 13, the engagement partner shall take responsibility for clear, consistent and effective actions being taken that reflect the firm’s commitment to quality and establish and communicate the expected behaviour of engagement team members, including emphasising: (Ref: Para. A30–A34)
   1. That all engagement team members are responsible for contributing to the management and achievement of quality at the engagement level;
   2. The importance of professional ethics, values and attitudes to the members of the engagement team;
   3. The importance of open and robust communication within the engagement team, and supporting the ability of engagement team members to raise concerns without fear of reprisal; and
   4. The importance of each engagement team member exercising professional scepticism throughout the audit engagement.
3. If the engagement partner assigns the design or performance of procedures, tasks or actions related to a requirement of this ASA to other members of the engagement team to assist the engagement partner in complying with the requirements of this ASA, the engagement partner shall continue to take overall responsibility for managing and achieving quality on the audit engagement through direction and supervision of those members of the engagement team, and review of their work. (Ref: Para. 9, A37)