Internal Audit General Schedule

425 Steenbock Library
550 Babcock Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1201
Phone: (608) 262-5629
FAX: (608) 262-8899
Email: Records Management 

© 1996-2007 by the Regents of the University of Wisconsin.

Last updated:
April 2007

Originally published:
prior to 2001

Narrative Contents

General
Purpose
Use of Schedule
Duplicate Business Records
Records Storage/Preservation
Reference Materials
Delaying Records Disposition

Individual Records Series

RDA 780 Audit and Special Project Reports
RDA 781 Audit and Project Work Papers and Supporting Files
RDA 782 General Correspondence and Records
RDA 783 Internal Audit Planning and Reporting Records
RDA 784 Policies and Procedures
RDA 785 System(s) Documentation and Output

Approved by the Public Records Board June 1997

General

Each organizational unit of the UW System has an Internal Auditor who serves in a staff role to management. With the exception of UW System Internal Audit, which reports to the Audit Committee of the Board of Regents, all the campus auditors report to their own campus administration. Audit records are maintained at the individual campus site.

Purpose

The purpose of this schedule is to:

* Provide institutions with uniform guidelines for the retention and disposition of common audit records;

* Ensure that institutions retain records as long as needed for internal administration, and to meet, legal, audit and other State and Federal requirements;

* Promote cost-effective management of records; and

* Provide institutions with legal authorization to dispose of obsolete records on a regularly-scheduled basis after minimum retention periods.

Use of Schedule

This general schedule applies to all University of Wisconsin institutions with Internal Audit Departments, and supersedes existing records retention schedules relating to audit records at the Institution and System level. This schedule governs records produced and/or maintained to support the Internal Audit Function at each operating unit within the UW System.

Records in the individual audit departments vary in terms of media. This schedule covers all media forms in which audit departments records may be created and stored.

Duplicate Business Records

Like other University offices, Internal Audit departments retain copies of their own business and administrative operational records such as: budgets, expense reports, payroll and personnel information. These categories of records are governed by retention and disposition policies applicable to those specific areas. Information regarding those policies can be obtained by contacting the campus records officer. Routine accounting records such as requisitions, purchase orders, expense reports, etc. need not be retained longer than 3 years.

Records Storage/Preservation

Some UW Institutions maintain their own record centers while the State Records Center is available to all institutions. Items designated for permanent preservation should be transferred to the respective internal audit department's institution archive site. Archival storage is limited to those records of long term or permanent value only.

Reference Materials

Reference materials held by the department are not original documents but are convenience copies. Such materials are not considered records and may be disposed of when no longer needed by the department.

Delaying Records Disposition

Open Records Request. All State agency records come under State Statutes relating to public records and are subject to open records requests. If you receive an open records request relating to audit records that are near to completing their specified retention time, please be aware that the approve disposition can not be carried out until the open records request has been satisfied. The Wisconsin Open Records Law s.19.35(5) forbids the destruction of any record after an inspection or copying request is denied. Court orders may extend this period of time. The institution's legal custodian can provide advice.

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RDA 780 Audit and Special Project Reports

Copies of audit reports of the University of Wisconsin System campuses carried out by UW System Internal Audit or the respective Campus Internal Audit Departments.

The audit/project topics vary widely, and together with analyses, listings, notes, and other related attachments are the product of the department. The UW System Internal Audit office receives copies of reports of all audits performed by the campus auditors at those campuses having their own audit departments. Convenience copies are distributed to campus administrators and to the departments being audited. Special Project reports are generally filed on campus. Special Project and Audit reports are covered by the public records law unless they involve personnel matters. They are subject to release to the public after review by Legal Counsel.

Internal Audit files may have State and, in some cases, Federal audit value, as well as long term administrative importance based on the particular audit cycle (frequency of audit). Some reports may have historical value, and should be retained permanently, after weeding by archivists.

RETENTION & DISPOSITION: Retain 10 years after issuance and transfer to the institution archives for preservation. All convenience and reference copies can be destroyed after their administrative and reference value has ended and destroy. Normally these copies are not retained longer than 1 year.

RDA 781 Audit and Project Work Papers and Supporting Files

This series contains the detail files, work papers, and documentation for audits performed and supports audit findings, recommendations, the final report and auditee responses.

RETENTION & DISPOSITION: One audit cycle or 10 years whichever is shorter and then destroy, providing no legal action is pending.

PROCEDURAL FILING NOTE: The "permanent records" for recurring audits will be updated and moved to the work paper file for subsequent audits prior to disposal of the work papers. The work papers for recurring audits will normally be retained in the audit department. Work paper files for non-recurring audits or projects will normally be transferred to inactive records storage one year after issuance of the final report.

RDA 782 General Correspondence and Records

This series contains the record copy of correspondence from the department (excluding audit or other project reports). These general information files contain notes, correspondence, and other reference material on contacts with campus departments on various issues.

These files will be routinely reviewed as used and only audit memos, typed instructions, and auditors notes on areas of concern, etc. will be retained as long as the material is relevant. Transfer to inactive records storage any files one year after they become obsolete where they will be retained four additional years and then destroyed.

RETENTION & DISPOSITION: Retain 5 years and and destroy.

RDA 783 Internal Audit Planning and Reporting Records

This represents general audit/project planning, scheduling and administrative reporting material. It is significant in that it represents the historical record of departmental activity over a long term.

RETENTION & DISPOSITION: Retain 10 years and transfer to the institution archives.

RDA 784 Policies and Procedures

Departmental policies and procedures serve as reference for the department in the performance and documentation of the work undertaken. Documentation relevant to still existing policies will be retained in the department until the policy is obsolete. These records can be purged of irrelevant material at any time.

RETENTION & DISPOSITION: Retain 5 years and transfer to the institution archives. Supporting documentation for the development of Internal Audit policies will be retained in the department for policies still in effect.

RDA 785 System(s) Documentation and Output

In-house systems in the department are generally devoted to departmental scheduling functions and record keeping, and are generally PC based. The systems write-ups are part of the operations manual of the department. Outputs (project, time and assignment data for example) are generally incorporated into departmental status reports. System documentation will be retained in the department. Documentation for systems that are replaced will be transferred to inactive storage.

RETENTION & DISPOSITION: Documentation and software for systems that have been replaced will be held in inactive storage until the retention period for any electronic records those systems support have expired. At that time these materials can be deleted.

In general, the formal reports generated by these systems will be retained for five years. Ad hoc and interim reports will be retained for one year or less depending on their particular usage. Historical data generated by these systems will be retained for ten years in inactive records storage. These records can be purged of irrelevant material at any time.

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