A range of books, articles and guides about audit committees including sources of guidance and good practice.
Online articles
The library provides access to a range of articles in full text from leading business, finance and management journals.
You will need to be logged-in to the website to gain full access to the range of articles available online.
Useful links
Codes and Reports
FRC Guidance on Audit Committees
The guidance is 'intended to assist company boards when implementing the sections of the UK Corporate Governance Code dealing with audit committees and to assist directors serving on audit committees in carrying out their role.' Formerly known as the Smith Guidance.
The UK Corporate Governance Code (FRC)
The UK Corporate Governance Code (formerly known as the Combined Code) sets out standards of good practice for listed companies on board composition and development, remuneration, shareholder relations, accountability and audit. The code is currently published by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).
Further information about these codes can be found on our dedicated pages for:
Checklists
Assessing the performance of the audit committee – a checklist
A checklist published by Ernst & Young which 'can be used by audit committees to perform a self evaluation or by boards as part of their assessment of the performance of the audit committee'
Audit committee performance evaluation self-assessment checklist
A checklist published by Deloitte and available through their Centre for Corporate Governance, UK website.
UK ACI Toolkit
The KPMG sponsored Audit Committee Institute (ACI) was created 'to serve audit committee members and help them to adapt to their changing role'. The toolkit available through the ACI website provides checklists for an audit committee to evaluate their internal audit function and to review their external auditors.
Guidance
Guidance for audit committees series (ICAEW)
A series of titles published by the ICAEW in May 2003 which were aimed at helping non-executive directors understand the proposals set out in the Smith Guidance. These are available as part of the ICAEW's corporate governance research reports and briefings.
Guidance Notes (ICSA)
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) provides an extensive range of guidance notes through their website, including guidance notes on terms of reference for audit, nomination and remuneration committees.
Newsletters
Audit Committee Quarterly
Quarterly publication from KPMG’s Audit Committee Institute which 'examines issues of concern to audit committee members including audit committee process and policies, regulatory matters, and current developments in accounting and auditing'.
Audit Committee Insights
Bi-weekly e-mail alert from KPMG’s Audit Committee Institute, 'designed to help audit committee members and others make sense of this complex new environment'.
Insights for Audit Committee Members
This series for European and North American audit committee members is produced by Tapestry Networks on behalf of the Audit Committee Chair Forum 'to provide assessments of key issues of interest to audit committee members'. The latest issue and an archive of previous issues can be accessed through Ernst & Young's Audit Committee Chair Forum website.
Surveys
International Survey of Audit Committee Members
An international survey of audit committee members of public companies which highlights UK and global trends.
Online books, guides and publications
eBooks
The library provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers.
Finance Director's Handbook
Glynis Morris, Sonia McKay, Andrea Oates (Elsevier Science & Technology, 2007)
Includes a chapter on audit which covers audit committees.
The Non-Executive Director's Handbook
Patrick Dunne (Elsevier Science & Technology, 2008)
Includes a chapter on audit matters which covers audit committees.
You will need to be logged-in to the website to read these eBooks.
Articles and books in the Library collection
To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.
You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post, fax or email through our document delivery service.
Can't find what you're looking for?
If you have any difficulty in finding the material you are looking for please contact the enquiry team by phone on +44 (0)20 7920 8620, by fax on +44 (0)20 7920 8621 or by email at library@icaew.com.
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