A2 · Overall audit strategy & planning

Document the nature of the engagement and the services requested. Use the engagement record; do not invent a different engagement type.

Document the applicable financial reporting framework and any special-purpose or regulatory reporting overlay that affects the audit plan.

Document the planned audit scope, including known limitations. Do not treat silence as an absence of a scope limitation.

Document reporting objectives and expected report users to the extent known from the engagement file and client communications.

Identify significant areas of planned audit focus based on information currently available. Do not convert this list into a completed risk assessment.

Document expected timing of planning, fieldwork, and reporting at a strategy level. Enter dates only if they have been determined.

Document planned communications with management and those charged with governance at a strategy level.

Identify significant locations or components, if applicable. If the entity has a single location and no components, document that basis as N/A.

Document whether the auditor currently expects to test or rely on controls. Do not conclude on control risk. Expected reliance is a planning indication only.

Document whether specialists are currently expected to be used. Do not automatically conclude that a specialist is required.

Document whether the work of internal audit or other client personnel may be considered. Do not automatically plan to use that work.

Document predecessor-auditor or opening-balance planning considerations if relevant. If there is no predecessor, document that determination and its source.

Document the planned response to identified acceptance/continuance matters from WP-A1. Do not restate A1 conclusions as if they were planning conclusions.

Identify the engagement partner and document planned involvement and responsibilities.

Identify the manager/senior responsible for day-to-day supervision, if assigned. If not yet assigned, record that fact.

Identify staff assigned or to be assigned, and planned responsibilities. Leave blank rather than inventing names.

Document specialist participation expected at the team level, if any. Do not conclude that a specialist is needed solely because a row exists.

Document other auditors or component auditors expected to participate, if any.

Document IT personnel expected to participate, if any.

Consider whether an engagement quality reviewer is applicable. Record the determination and basis. Do not automatically require an EQR.

Consider competence and resources in light of A1.06. Document remaining resource concerns that affect the audit plan.

Record the planning start date if determined, or document that it has not been set.

Record the planned fieldwork start date if determined.

Record the planned fieldwork completion date if determined.

Record when draft financial statements are expected, if known.

Record review milestones if determined.

Record the reporting target date if determined.

Document planned management communications related to planning and information requests.

Document planned communications with those charged with governance.

Document information-request milestones and outstanding information needed to continue planning.

Consider management-integrity matters identified in A1.02 and document the planning implication, if any.

Consider independence and ethics matters identified in A1.03 and document any planning implication.

Consider conflict-check matters from A1.04.

Consider predecessor-auditor matters from A1.05, including opening-balance implications.

Consider competence/resource matters from A1.06.

Consider client-cooperation, access, or scope-limitation matters from A1.07.

Consider unusual transactions, regulatory matters, or going-concern indicators identified during acceptance, if any.

Consider significant industry or complex accounting matters identified during acceptance, if any.

Consider specialist needs identified during acceptance. Do not automatically conclude a specialist is required.

Summarize significant A1 matters that remain relevant to planning and identify those that should flow to A3 or later modules.

Document a preliminary understanding of the entity and industry, based on information obtained. Do not invent industry facts.

Document organization and governance, including those charged with governance, to the extent known.

Document principal operations and services.

Identify locations or components relevant to planning, if applicable.

Document known accounting policies or policy areas that may require planning attention. Do not complete a full policy evaluation here.

Document a preliminary understanding of the financial reporting process.

Identify major transaction streams known at the planning stage.

Identify significant classes of transactions currently expected, as a planning list only. A3 will assess these.

Identify significant account balances currently expected, as a planning list only.

Identify significant disclosures currently expected, as a planning list only.

Document systems and information relevant to financial reporting at a planning level.

Document known changes from the prior period, if a prior period exists and information is available.

Document external factors affecting the engagement that are currently known.

Identify relevant control-environment considerations known at the planning stage.

Identify relevant information systems known to be used for financial reporting.

Identify significant transaction flows at a planning level.

Identify IT applications relevant to financial reporting, if known.

Identify known interfaces between systems, if any.

Identify spreadsheets or other manual processes relevant to financial reporting, if known.

Identify relevant automated controls at a planning-indication level only.

Identify possible IT general-control considerations. Do not conclude on ITGC operating effectiveness.

Document planned control evaluation or possible reliance at a planning-indication level. Do not conclude control risk.

Document whether IT specialist assistance is currently expected. Do not automatically conclude that an IT specialist is required.

Consider the possible need for a valuation specialist. Record the determination; default is not determined.

Consider the possible need for a tax specialist.

Consider the possible need for an IT specialist.

Consider the possible need for an actuarial specialist.

Consider legal or other external resources.

Consider component auditors or other auditors.

Consider whether the work of internal auditors or other client personnel may be used. Do not automatically plan to use that work.

Consider engagement quality review resources where applicable. Do not automatically require an EQR.

Record the current A3 Risk Assessment module status (Not Started / In Progress / Complete / Exception). Until A3 is implemented, this remains a status link only.

Identify preliminary risk-related planning matters that should flow into A3. Do not assess or conclude those risks here.

Identify significant classes of transactions, account balances, or disclosures that A3 should consider, as a planning list only.

Identify matters from A1 or A2 that may indicate a possible significant risk for A3 to evaluate. Do not designate significant risks in A2.

Confirm that inherent risk, control risk, relevant assertions, and stand-back procedures will be addressed in A3, not in this working paper.

Record the current A4 Materiality module status (Not Started / In Progress / Complete / Exception). Until A4 is implemented, this remains a status link only.

Document preliminary benchmark considerations, if any, without computing a materiality amount.

Document planning assumptions that may affect later materiality, if any.

Document reasons a benchmark may need special consideration, if any.

Confirm that overall materiality, performance materiality, clearly trivial/posting threshold, and rationale will be documented in A4 when that module is performed.

Identify planned audit areas at a planning level.

Identify significant classes of transactions expected to be addressed in later programs.

Identify significant account balances expected to be addressed in later programs.

Identify significant disclosures expected to be addressed in later programs.

Document expected types of procedures at a planning-indication level (for example, tests of details, analytics). Do not design the final program here.

Document expected reliance on controls, if any, as a planning indication only.

Document expected substantive procedures at a planning-indication level.

Identify special procedures currently expected, if any.

Identify sampling needs currently expected. Do not design samples here.

Identify specialist involvement expected in further audit procedures, if any.

Document whether planning documentation has been reviewed and by whom, if a review has occurred.

Document consultations related to planning, if any.

Document review responsibility for the planning working paper.

Document required supervisory review, if determined.

Document quality-management considerations relevant to planning.

Document engagement quality review status where applicable. Do not automatically mark EQR complete.

Document unresolved planning matters.

Document changes to the audit plan when circumstances change. If no change has occurred, leave blank or record that no change has been made.

Record overall planning status based on work actually performed. Selecting a status does not complete this working paper.

Summarize significant planning matters. Leave blank if none have been identified.

Summarize unresolved issues that affect the ability to proceed.

Document the relationship of this plan to A1 acceptance/continuance status, including any incomplete A1 documentation.

Document A3 and A4 status as links only. Do not treat those modules as complete unless their own working papers support that status.

Document the overall planning conclusion only if one has been reached. Do not auto-complete this item.