The Audit Development Programme

To enter the Audit Development Programme (ADP), a Registered Candidate Auditor (RCA) must have:

• Successfully completed the following programmes recognised by the IRBA through an accredited professional body:

• A recognised academic programme. • A recognised core assessment programme.

• A recognised professional development programme.

The strength of the ADP lies in the partnership between the IRBA and audit fi rms. The ADP provides qualifi ed professional accountants with the opportunity to specialise as an auditor by gaining exposure to a broad range of issues faced by RAs in practice and to develop and enhance their:

• professional competence and judgement; • ethical values; and

The ADP is defi ned in terms of the duration and the depth and breadth of competence developed in a public practice environment. The ADP must provide RCAs with increasingly complex work that requires that the candidate assumes increasing responsibility. Tasks must increase in complexity and level of responsibility as the RCA progresses through the ADP.

By the end of the ADP RCAs are expected to have acquired and demonstrated competence at a level senior to that of an entry level professional accountant. The oversight RA will be required to make a recommendation to the IRBA regarding the RCA’s registration with the IRBA.

4.1. ADP requirements

4.1.1 The IRBA prescribes that the minimum term for the ADP for the development and demonstration of specialist audit competence of an entry level RA is 18 months post professional accountant qualifi cation in an audit fi rm. • Within this time RCAs must complete a minimum of 1500 billable hours1

in audit and assurance services. It is acknowledged that in some cases completion of the 1500 billable hours may require more than 18 months. • Specialist competence must be obtained through work activities that

require the development of knowledge, skills and professional values appropriate to the public practice environment. Such experience should be gained in the offi ce of an RA and under the direction and supervision of an RA in audit and related service engagements.

4.1.2 Audit fi rms must fulfi l the following responsibilities:

• Provide an environment conducive to the development, enhancement and demonstration of professional competence.

• Ensure that each RCA’s is provided with suffi cient and appropriate support during the professional experience period.

• Foster commitment to life-long learning and skills development.

• Encourage RCAs to become involved in work that challenges their skills in a variety of contexts.

• Foster the ethics, values, independence and objectivity appropriate for the RA profession.

• Offer progress of work to increasing complexity and requiring increasing levels of responsibility, knowledge and expertise.

1 It is not anticipated that a candidate will submit time sheets in support of this requirement. It is acknowledged that often an audit engagement can include other services. The 1500 billable hours should be in direct audit work. The oversight RA will confi rm the time spent on audit work.

• The professional experience period is designed to complement and run parallel with the internal structures, performance review and evaluation process of the RA fi rm. The RA fi rm must ensure that each candidate RA is assigned to a specifi c oversight RA.

• The responsibilities of the oversight RA will include the following:

• Co-ordination of performance appraisal information and any other relevant information on the candidate’s performance and competencies. • Refl ection, interpretation and assessment of the RCA’s progress using the

information referred to above.

• Consultation based on the information presented in the performance appraisal reports with both the candidate and the line managers, direct supervisors and any other relevant person.

• Provides regular and meaningful feedback on the development of the RCA’s professional competence.

• A signed testimonial, on completion of the two-year period that confi rms, amongst other things, that the RCA has developed professional competence.

• Once a RCA has completed the minimum 18 months in public practice, has achieved the 1500 billable hours in audit and the oversight RA is satisfi ed that the RCA has demonstrated competence to a level appropriate for registration with the IRBA, the oversight RA will provide a testimonial that confi rms the following:

• The RCA has had at least 18 months of professional experience in audit and assurance.

• The RCA has had 1500 billable hours during the period of professional experience.

• The position/s held during the period of professional experience. • That nothing has come to the oversight RA’s attention that suggests that the

RCA is not suitable for registration with the IRBA. 4.2. Final assessment of professional competence

The fi nal assessment of whether a RCA has met the requirements to register with the IRBA as an RA is the responsibility of the IRBA. Once a RCA has completed the ADP and has demonstrated appropriate competence to the satisfaction of the oversight RA, the candidate RA must submit a portfolio of evidence to the IRBA for review. The IRBA is mandated to make the fi nal decision as to whether a RCA is eligible to register with the IRBA as an RA. In this regard the IRBA retains the right to request an interview with the RCA and the oversight RA, if necessary, to establish whether the required competence has been achieved, if this cannot be established from the portfolio of evidence.