We were one of the first voices to advocate for the importance of good governance for a successful business and have been providing board reviews since 2002. Our approach constantly evolves to ensure we help our clients stay abreast of regulatory and legislative requirements as well as the rapid pace of change in the organisational landscape.
Why work with Independent Audit?
We always strive to provide our clients with a board review that genuinely helps the board work better together. Here are some of the other reasons to work with Independent Audit:
We offer genuine understanding of your sector, structure and specific challenges
Our board reviewers are all highly-experienced. Between them they have a range of specialisms that enable them to engage deeply, even with the detail of committee work. We’ve worked with many different organisations – large and small, listed and unlisted – so we are very used to looking at different structures with varying governance objectives and styles.
We’re good at listening
Board reviews are about listening carefully. That’s a real skill we bring to our interview-based board reviews. We’re equally determined that our questionnaire-based board reviews encourage thoughtful comment and to pick up on the deeper messages in respondents’ answers.
Fresh insights that keep you abreast of best practice
We share good practice we’ve observed in our work across many boards of many types. We benchmark qualitatively – all the time looking at how your practices compare with others – and share with you practices that we see working well elsewhere. We’re proud of our innovative thinking around board effectiveness and governance, stay attuned to regulatory requirements and current thinking.
A report that is practical and thoughtful
Our board reviews are about looking forward. They are not about giving a score or simply a compliance check. Most of all you will want suggestions that are practical. While we won’t compromise on our independence, we look to make sure it is constructive: we work hard to understand your organisation and deliver our findings with sensitivity. So we work with the Chair and Company Secretary during the process and always discuss the draft report with the Chair before sharing it.
The best approach that meets your Board’s needs – within your budget
We take time to fully explore what’s needed and find the best way to achieve your objectives. We understand spending has to be justified so, whether you use interviews or Thinking Board® questionnaires, we aim to ensure your board review delivers maximum value.
An efficient, friendly process
Our clients often say they enjoyed working with us! While we’re professional and efficient, we’re also friendly and approachable. You’ll always have someone you can ask for help when you need it.
Board review options
Interview-based Evaluations
Designed to provoke deep reflection, our in-person interviews are engaging, incisive and identify key themes for board development.
Questionnaire-based Evaluations
Our online board review platform, Thinking Board, poses stimulating questions and provides insight into root causes, enabling you to identify priority elements for further discussion.
Board Development Programme
Maintain continuous focus on board development, track progress and ensure each review takes the board further on its development journey.
Our approach
In 2024, we were awarded CGI accreditation. Read more about how the accreditation standards underpin our approach to board review.
Scoping phase
We listen carefully to ensure we understand your board’s specific context and objectives. Then, work with you to implement a review process that will deliver the results you want.
Information gathering
We review board papers and observe key meetings. Individual reflections and opinions are gathered either via interviews or our online platform, Thinking Board (or both). Throughout the process, we keep in touch to avoid any unexpected surprises.
Report preparation
Our report-writing process undergoes rigorous peer review and challenge to provide a genuinely bespoke report with practical suggestions designed to support your board’s development. We also discuss the draft report with the Chair to ensure our findings accurately reflect the board’s circumstances and are presented sensitively.
Presenting findings
We agree with you the best approach for presenting the final report to the board. This may include facilitating a discussion as a first step towards a development plan.
Follow up
Our advisors remain available for ongoing support, or as a listening ear, whenever you need it. We can also assist in preparing the statement for your annual report and offer further guidance on development elements as required.
What our clients say about us
“We were impressed by IAL’s experienced team, and the benchmarking afforded by their substantial work with FS clients. A 3-year board review programme felt like the right choice for us: it allowed us to use Thinking Board in year one to assess where the Board stood after a number of membership changes. The report summarised key themes effectively and drew out several priority development points which gave the Board confidence to implement several changes in the way it works.”
“I appreciate our ongoing relationship with IAL. The continuity allows us to assess progress from year to year and the value of IAL’s insights increase as their understanding of our organisation increases. We appreciate approach to potentially sensitive issues: they don’t avoid difficult areas but have a way of facilitating a positive outcome.”
“Rather than me having to explain, IAL “got” our business from the outset, and took a positive, pragmatic approach to our governance. They were very flexible when it came to giving us the experience we were looking for. Thinking Board was well used to draw out key points for interview discussion without creating duplication. The prioritised suggestions list has proved an extremely helpful reference for our discussions and action-planning.“