CORAA

SIA 360 — Communication with Management

ICAI Internal Audit Standards Board · October 2022 compendium · 300 series
Reviewed 1 October 2026

SIA 360 requires a written, agreed protocol for communicating with management, so that scope, approach, objectives and timing are clear. It expects continuous dialogue and timely resolution of conflicts.

This page covers SIA 360 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.

What the internal auditor has to do

  • Agree a written communication process with management.
  • Document the modes, channels, periodicity and escalation path.
  • Confirm in writing any essential matter that was communicated verbally, and keep that confirmation on file.

Key requirements of SIA 360

Paragraph numbers refer to SIA 360 as it appears in ICAI’s Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit (as on 1 October 2022). The points below are close paraphrases, not quotations.

  • There is a written communication process, agreed with management.(para 3.1)
  • The modes, channels and periodicity of communication and the escalation path are documented.(para 3.2, 4.1 to 4.3)
  • Verbal communication of essential matters is confirmed in writing and kept as documentation.(para 3.2)

How SIA 360 shows up in the internal audit file

  • The agreed communication protocol, including the escalation path.
  • Written confirmations of essential matters that were first discussed verbally.
  • Records of what was communicated to management during the assignment, and when.

Common mistakes in practice

  • Essential points agreed over a call or in a meeting and never confirmed in writing.
  • No agreed escalation path, so a delayed response or a disagreement has nowhere to go.

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 250 · Communication with those Charged with GovernanceSIA 370 · Reporting ResultsSIA 310 · Planning the Internal Audit Assignment

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 principle is Communicate Effectively.

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 360

Take the working versions with you

Editable formats and tools from CORAA’s internal audit library that put SIA 360 into practice. Free to use.

Internal Audit Observation Format →Kickoff pack generator →Data request list generator →Evidence escalation tracker →

SIA 360 — frequently asked

What is SIA 360?

SIA 360, Communication with Management, is a Standard on Internal Audit issued by the Internal Audit Standards Board of ICAI. SIA 360 requires a written, agreed protocol for communicating with management, so that scope, approach, objectives and timing are clear. It expects continuous dialogue and timely resolution of conflicts.

Is SIA 360 mandatory?

ICAI's compendium page does not say whether the Standards on Internal Audit are mandatory or recommendatory, so we do not describe SIA 360 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 360 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 360?

The agreed communication protocol, including the escalation path. Written confirmations of essential matters that were first discussed verbally. Records of what was communicated to management during the assignment, and when.

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