CORAA

SIA 210 — Managing the Internal Audit Function

ICAI Internal Audit Standards Board · October 2022 compendium · 200 series
Reviewed 1 October 2026

SIA 210 puts overall responsibility for the internal audit function on the Chief Internal Auditor. The function has to meet its charter, be adequately resourced and skilled, work professionally, produce well-evidenced work, and conform to the Standards on Internal Audit.

This page covers SIA 210 as it stands in ICAI’s October 2022 compendium. ICAI’s February 2026 compendium, applicable from 1 April 2026, renumbers the standards, so check the current number and text in that compendium before citing it in a report.

Same number, different title in the current set
In ICAI’s February 2026 compendium, the current set, SIA 210 is titled Knowledge of Entity and Its Environment. This page covers SIA 210 as it stands in the October 2022 compendium: Managing the Internal Audit Function. Only the titles of the February 2026 set are listed here; its text is not summarised on this site. See both title lists side by side.

What the internal auditor has to do

  • As Chief Internal Auditor, take overall responsibility for the function meeting its charter.
  • Make sure the function has enough people and the right skills.
  • Make sure the work is done professionally and is well evidenced.
  • Make sure the function's work conforms to the Standards on Internal Audit.

How SIA 210 shows up in the internal audit file

  • The charter the function is measured against.
  • Resource and skill planning for the work in the plan (SIA 220 treats resource allocation as an essential planning element).
  • Evidence of review and supervision across assignments (SIA 350).

Common mistakes in practice

  • Approving a plan the team does not have the people or skills to deliver.
  • Stating that work conforms to the Standards on Internal Audit when the files cannot show it. SIA 370 para 4.2 allows that statement only if it can be substantiated.

The file checklist and the mistakes above are practice points drawn from the requirements of the standard. They are not text from the standard.

Related standards

SIA 220 · Conducting Overall Internal Audit PlanningSIA 350 · Review and Supervision of Audit AssignmentsSIA 7 · Quality Assurance in Internal Audit

How this relates to global frameworks

The IIA's Global Internal Audit Standards (effective 9 January 2025) are a separate set from a different body, and there is no paragraph-for-paragraph match. The IIA standards do have a domain with the same name, Managing the Internal Audit Function.

Status and source

This standard is described here as it stands in the October 2022 compendium, which is the earlier set. ICAI's Internal Audit Standards Board lists its Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on February 2026) as applicable from 1 April 2026 (source: the Board's compendium page, checked on 1 October 2026). That compendium renumbers the standards, so check the current number and text there before citing this standard in a report. ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the standards are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe any standard as mandatory. The effective-date clause in each 2019 standard said it applied to internal audits beginning on or after a date to be notified by the Council of ICAI.

These pages summarise each standard as it stands in ICAI's Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on 1 October 2022), working from an extract of that document. They are summaries and close paraphrases, not the text of the standards. ICAI's Internal Audit Standards Board lists its Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on February 2026) as applicable from 1 April 2026 (source: the Board's compendium page, checked on 1 October 2026). For that current set we have only the titles, taken from the Board's 2025-26 annual report; its text is available from ICAI through a registration form on the compendium page and is not summarised here. ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the standards are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe any standard as mandatory. Before you cite a number, a paragraph or a status in a report, check the February 2026 compendium. internalaudit.icai.org

Free working files for SIA 210

Take the working versions with you

Editable formats and tools from CORAA’s internal audit library that put SIA 210 into practice. Free to use.

Internal Audit Charter Template →Internal Audit Quality Assurance & Improvement Program →Resource capacity planner →Internal audit annual plan generator →

SIA 210 — frequently asked

What is SIA 210?

SIA 210, Managing the Internal Audit Function, is a Standard on Internal Audit issued by the Internal Audit Standards Board of ICAI. SIA 210 puts overall responsibility for the internal audit function on the Chief Internal Auditor. The function has to meet its charter, be adequately resourced and skilled, work professionally, produce well-evidenced work, and conform to the Standards on Internal Audit.

Is SIA 210 mandatory?

ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the Standards on Internal Audit are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe SIA 210 as mandatory. ICAI's Internal Audit Standards Board lists its Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on February 2026) as applicable from 1 April 2026 (source: the Board's compendium page, checked on 1 October 2026). SIA 210 as described on this page is from the earlier October 2022 compendium. The February 2026 compendium renumbers the standards, so check the current number and text there before citing it in a report.

What should the internal audit file show for SIA 210?

The charter the function is measured against. Resource and skill planning for the work in the plan (SIA 220 treats resource allocation as an essential planning element). Evidence of review and supervision across assignments (SIA 350).

Is SIA 210 the same standard in the February 2026 compendium?

The number is the same but the title is not. In ICAI's February 2026 compendium, which ICAI lists as applicable from 1 April 2026, SIA 210 is titled "Knowledge of Entity and Its Environment". This page covers SIA 210 as it stands in the October 2022 compendium, titled "Managing the Internal Audit Function". Only the titles of the February 2026 set are listed here; check its text in that compendium before citing it.

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SIA 150 — Compliance with Laws and Regulations
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SIA 220 — Conducting Overall Internal Audit Planning