The Office of Internal Audit was created on August 26, 2003. On that date, the Mayor and Council of the City of Boise enacted Ordinance No. 6260, creating the Office. Title 1, Chapter 9 of the Boise City Code defines the Office of Internal Audit, and establishes its duties and responsibilities.
Title 1, Chapter 9 of the City Code contains the following provisions:
- Creates the Office of Internal Audit, and spells out its accountability - which is to the City Council and to the public;
- Provides a mechanism for both the appointment, and the removal of the Director of Internal Audit, as well as staff members assigned to the function;
- Charges the Office with specific duties and responsibilities;
- Establishes the level of independence and accountability the Office is expected to maintain;
- Mandates the degree of cooperation and assistance the Office is to receive from other City Departments and Divisions; and,
- Specifies the Office's reporting responsibilities.
In general, the Office of Internal Audit is an independent, objective assurance and consulting service. Internal Audit strives to add value and improve the City's operations through its efforts. The Office focuses its efforts on the evaluation of risk management processes, on business and operating controls, and on governance processes in general.
The Office of Internal Audit conducts its work in compliance with two separate, but overlapping sets of standards. Standards for the internal audit industry as a whole have been established by the most widely recognized authority within that industry, the Institute of Internal Auditors. Additionally, since the Office of Internal Audit operates within an environment that may bring it into contact with activities involving Federal funds, specific government auditing standards established by the Office of Management and Budget (commonly referred to as "Yellow Book" standards) also may apply. These standards, from both the private and the public sectors, have been incorporated into the Office's policies and procedures, and govern the day-to-day conduct of all audit-related activities.