The second year of the audit confirmed the positive opinion previously given by NIK. The Organisation and its Pension Fund keep accounts properly and settle all transactions in compliance with financial regulations. NIK auditors identified only minor drawbacks concerning internal control and highlighted some other improvement areas. The Poles were satisfied to hear that nearly all of their last year’s recommendations have been implemented by CERN.
NIK’s audit in CERN is conducted in close cooperation between both sides. ”We immediately inform the CERN Management of any issues that come to the surface in the course of our audit and many of them are solved on an on-going basis” - says Wiesław Kurzyca, Advisor to NIK President. The Chair of the CERN Finance Committee Charlotte Jamieson confirms that, saying: ”It’s lovely to see so much cooperation between the two groups. I think it makes the job for both CERN Management and for NIK much easier. The relationship and the thoroughness that have been developed are really appreciated by both sides. Things are evolving and improving, we’re developing good practice which is hugely beneficial to CERN.”
Having taken the external auditor’s function in CERN, the Supreme Audit Office established a team of experienced auditors under the leadership of Wiesław Kurzyca who took part in many international audit projects before.
The team carries out its audit activities in the headquarters of CERN in Geneva. To ensure the highest quality of its audit, NIK has also appointed the Steering Committee with Vice-President Jacek Uczkiewicz as its head. The Committee monitors the audit progress at its critical milestones.
NIK’s primary mandate was due to expire after a year but in June the CERN Council requested NIK to extend the audit by another two years. The decision to prolong cooperation with the Poles was taken unanimously. It means that the Supreme Audit Office will remain the external auditor of CERN for three more years.
