Organisations are spending huge amount of resources in projects and contracts. Contractual arrangement between the organisation on one hand and third parties such as customers and vendors on the other hand is a permanent feature in many organisations. The successful implementation of the projects and hence the organisation to a large extent is determined not only by the adherence to procurement and contract terms, but also on the extent to which the contract risks are managed throughout the contracting process. Compared to downstream activities, upstream activities (specifically procurement) appear to receive much attention with an inordinate amount of resources spent on them. Little effort is put on the downstream activities. Yet many countries are littered with hundreds of unfinished or never ending contracts, costing tax payers millions of dollars.

Internal auditors need to increase their knowledge and skills to enable them undertake reviews and provide assurance on the effectiveness of both upstream and downstream activities including procurement and contract management. This will further enhance their advisory and consulting roles in procurement and contract management.