Assuranceoppdrag

Assuranceoppdrag is a professional engagement in which an independent practitioner evaluates a subject matter or information to determine whether it is reliable and whether it conforms to appropriate criteria. The practitioner then issues a report that communicates the level of assurance to users, with the aim of increasing confidence in the information provided by management. Typical subject matters include financial statements, sustainability or non-financial data, compliance with laws and regulations, or the design and effectiveness of internal controls.

The level of assurance varies. Reasonable assurance provides a high, but not absolute, level of confidence and requires extensive procedures designed to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence. Limited assurance (often described as a review) offers a lower level of comfort and conveys that nothing has come to the practitioner’s attention indicating misstatements. There are also engagements with agreed-upon procedures, which report factual findings without expressing an overall opinion.

Assurance engagements are generally governed by international standards established by the IAASB, notably ISAE 3000 for assurance engagements other than audits or reviews of historical financial information. When the subject matter is historical financial information, the engagement follows applicable ISAs or related ISAE frameworks. The practitioner uses suitable criteria, such as a financial reporting framework, professional standards, or specified benchmarks.

The typical process involves planning and obtaining an understanding of the subject matter, identifying relevant assertions, gathering evidence through procedures, evaluating evidence, and forming and communicating the conclusion in a written report. Limitations, materiality, and inherent uncertainties should be disclosed to users.