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SIA 250 — Communication with those Charged with Governance

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

SIA 250 requires a communication channel with those charged with governance that is continuous, process-driven, independent, objective and timely. It goes beyond sending a report once an assignment is over.

This page covers SIA 250 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 250 is titled Internal Audit Documentation. This page covers SIA 250 as it stands in the October 2022 compendium: Communication with those Charged with Governance. Only the titles of the February 2026 set are listed here; its text is not summarised on this site. The October 2022 compendium has a standard with that exact title: SIA 330 — Internal Audit Documentation. A matching title does not mean the text is the same. See both title lists side by side.

What the internal auditor has to do

  • Set up a continuing process for communicating with those charged with governance, not a one-off report.
  • Keep that communication independent and objective.
  • Communicate on time.

How SIA 250 shows up in the internal audit file

  • The agreed process for communicating with the Board or Audit Committee.
  • The periodic comprehensive report of internal audit activity from the Chief Internal Auditor to the Audit Committee, which SIA 370 para 1.2 says is normally done on a quarterly basis.
  • Records of what was communicated and when.

Common mistakes in practice

  • Communicating with the Audit Committee only through management.
  • Treating the year-end presentation as the only communication with those charged with governance.

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 360 · Communication with ManagementSIA 370 · Reporting ResultsSIA 390 · Monitoring and Reporting of Prior Audit IssuesSIA 140 · Governance

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 closest IIA principles are Communicate Effectively and Overseen by the Board.

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 250

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Editable formats and tools from CORAA’s internal audit library that put SIA 250 into practice. Free to use.

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SIA 250 — frequently asked

What is SIA 250?

SIA 250, Communication with those Charged with Governance, is a Standard on Internal Audit issued by the Internal Audit Standards Board of ICAI. SIA 250 requires a communication channel with those charged with governance that is continuous, process-driven, independent, objective and timely. It goes beyond sending a report once an assignment is over.

Is SIA 250 mandatory?

ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the Standards on Internal Audit are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe SIA 250 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 250 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 250?

The agreed process for communicating with the Board or Audit Committee. The periodic comprehensive report of internal audit activity from the Chief Internal Auditor to the Audit Committee, which SIA 370 para 1.2 says is normally done on a quarterly basis. Records of what was communicated and when.

Is SIA 250 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 250 is titled "Internal Audit Documentation". This page covers SIA 250 as it stands in the October 2022 compendium, titled "Communication with those Charged with Governance". Only the titles of the February 2026 set are listed here; check its text in that compendium before citing it.

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