Question Tag: Practice Management

b) You are a partner in a two-partner practice in a small rural town in Ashanti Region. Some local community groups recently got together and established a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). It aims to reduce poverty and inequality by supporting, influencing and advocacy around three interconnected pillars; Agriculture, Essential Services and Extractive Industry Governance.

The organisation is registered as a charity with a legal requirement to reinvest any excess of income over expenditure into the operation, or into other local community initiatives, as the management committee sees fit. The organisation is run by a management committee consisting of a member of the community council, the principal of the local school, two local business people, and the Parish Priest. Although, between them, they have considerable experience of various ‘for-profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ ventures, none has particular experience of managing NGOs or charity organisations. The organisation is run on a day-to-day basis by the manager who is the only full-time employee experienced in the type of businesses involved. There is one other paid part-time employee – the assistant manager – but all other staff are volunteers.

It has been just over a year since the NGO was incorporated, and you are approached by a member of the management committee (a local business owner who is also one of your largest clients) to become the auditor of the NGO. He tells you that the committee, of course, would not expect you to provide this service entirely pro bono (free of charge). He also mentions that he knows you wouldn’t want to be seen to turn down this opportunity, given the way that “news can travel around in a small town”.

He is well aware that the revenue generated by the organisation is very low. The committee feels that the absence of an audit could be perceived as “negligent” or a “cover up” should any problems involving, for example, the misappropriation of assets emerge in the future.

Required:

Evaluate FIVE (5) challenges and other risks presented to your practice as a result of the request from your client to become the auditor of this NGO. (10 marks)