Management Action Plan Requirements and Guidelines

In response to opportunities for improvement identified the draft audit report, the preparation of Management Action Plans (MAP) is required.  The contents of your MAP are important to those receiving the final audit report.   This document provides a framework for management to prepare MAP.

The MAP will include the following required components:

Responsible Party.  This person should be the principal process owner or person directly accountable for the area of activity.

Completion Date.  This is the expected date for the conclusion of the action to resolve the issue or implement a solution.  The date should be realistic and achievable; not overly ambitious.  If circumstances necessitate an extended time period for completion, the need for this should be explained in the MAP.  Generally, any completion date beyond 90 days would indicate the need to explain the time requirements.

Specific Action Plans.  Certain issues can require relatively complex solutions which need to be implemented over an extended period of time; therefore, determining milestones and key dates can be important elements of your plan.  The MAP should identify the principal steps and their related dates to accomplish your intended action. 

Please indicate any barriers, obstacles, or conflicting priorities that might impede resolution of the issue or implementing the solution in a timely manner.  Disclose any internal and external resources that are anticipated for executing your plan.

Lastly, we ask that you make your MAP as concise as possible.

Internal Audit recognizes that your day-to-day responsibilities in our organization are significant.  By working together we are confident that we can achieve our shared organizational objectives of efficient and effective operations, reliable reporting, and compliance with laws and regulations.