Probe Audit | 10.55 - Understanding the information technology environment (IT)

Published: 21/08/2025

The following describes the functionality and features included in Probe Audit Premium+.

Instructions:

10.55 - UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENT (IT)

Objective

The objective of this document is to obtain a preliminary understanding of the information technology environment to determine the nature and extent of further risk identification and assessment procedures in planning, and whether specialised skills are required to perform further risk assessment procedures.

Document placement

Document 10.55 – Understanding the information technology environment can be found in the Pre-engagement planning folder in the Caseware document manager.

Document content

This document is designed to be a questionnaire type document with space for a comment or further description.

This document is divided into different bookmarks in the document map to assist you in evaluating the engagement:

Risk assessment procedures
Use of Information Technology
Evaluation of the complexity of the IT environment
Relevant balances and transactions

The document in the extended profile contains additional content to:

Identify characteristics of the IT environment and evaluate the complexity of the IT environment.
Determine whether specialised IT skills are necessary to perform risk assessment procedures; and
Determine which COTABDs are impacted by the identified characteristics of the IT environment.

Layout

COLUMN	INPUT REQUIRED	OUTCOME
Risk assessment procedures
Type of procedures	No input required in this column.	No impact on the engagement file.
Select	Select the risk assessment procedures performed by clicking on the tick box (i.e. inquiries, observations, inspections and/or analytical review)	No impact on the engagement file.
Describe the source(s) from which information was obtained	Insert a short description of the sources of information from which the understanding was obtained or the procedures performed. When inquiries is selected, record the name and detail of the inquire and the date of the inquiry.	No impact on the engagement file.
Risk	Raise a risk or event, if necessary, relating to the responses reflected.	A risk or event will be recorded in the relevant document. The engagement file will then prompt the engagement team for appropriate responses to the risk or event recorded.
Use of information technology
Question	No input required in this column.	No impact on the engagement file.
Description	Document a response to the consideration.	No impact on the engagement file.
Risk	Raise a risk or event, if necessary, relating to the responses reflected.	A risk or event will be recorded in the relevant document. The engagement file will then prompt the engagement team for appropriate responses to the risk or event recorded.
Evaluation of complexity of the IT environment
Question	No input required in this column. Some questions may only be shown based on the answers to earlier questions.	No impact on the engagement file.
Yes/No	Answer the question by selecting from the "Yes / No" drop-down box.	No impact on the engagement file.
Description	Include a short description, if necessary, to substantiate or expand on the “Yes / No” answer selected.	No impact on the engagement file.
Risk	Raise a risk or event, if necessary, relating to the responses reflected.	A risk or event will be recorded in the relevant document. The engagement file will then prompt the engagement team for appropriate responses to the risk or event recorded.
Relevant transactions and balances
List of COTABDS and additional columns	Based on the answers to questions under the ‘evaluation of complexity of the IT environment’ additional columns will appear in this section. Users should tick the applicable tick box or tick boxes for each COTABD for which the column is applicable. Where necessary, the user should consider whether additional procedures or risks should be raised in the engagement file.	No impact on the engagement file.

Document outcomes

When the extended profile is used, you must reach a conclusion on the following items in this document:

Your assessment of the complexity of the IT environment; and
Are specialised skills in IT required to obtain the understanding of the IT applications and other aspects of the IT environment?

When the core profile is used, the descriptions provided within the document should sufficiently explain the impact of information technology on the audit.