Assessing Suitability,
Strategic
Management
THE SUSTAINABILITY SUITE FOR MUNICIPALITIES.
Adequacy and Effectiveness
System/Audit Program Review
Stratos has developed a proven methodology and assessment framework to help organizations
ensure their management system, audit and review programs are delivering value and
controlling risk. An independent review of these key risk management tools can be used to
assess whether they are designed and implemented to meet corporate objectives effectively
and efficiently.
Stratos’ SAE Review services are designed to assess the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of your management system or audit
program, identify the program’s strengths, opportunities and challenges and recommend clear, practical and industry leading actions to
mitigate deficiencies. An SAE Review will help your organization to:
Identify key issues and
challenges and determine
how your system/program
supports effective
decision-making and risk
management.
Evolve your systems and
programs to address the
current business climate
and clearly reflect strategic
priorities.
Deliver business value to
key stakeholders, while
optimizing staff time,
streamlining activities and
inspiring action.
Who Should Undertake an SAE Review?
SAE Reviews are well-suited for organizations looking for a credible, objective
manner to assess the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of their
management systems and programs. The review can be used to answer
important questions such as:

Is our system / program appropriate for our level of risk?

Do our systems / programs provide adequate controls for our key
sustainability exposures?

Are there opportunities to streamline procedures for improved
efficiency and effectiveness?

Do we have adequate information systems, resources and capacity
to achieve intended results?

Can we better integrate and manage non-traditional topics, including
security, community, and supply chain within existing management
systems and programs?
Satisfy ISO standard and
corporate requirements for
management review and
continual improvement.
Defining SAE
What do the terms suitability, adequacy and
effectiveness mean?
SUITABILITY
Does the system/program support
achievement of corporate strategy/objectives
and is it aligned with its organizational
structure?
ADEQUACY
Does the system/program, as designed and
executed, meet established objectives and
has it evolved to reflect changing conditions?
EFFECTIVENESS
Is the system/program producing the desired
results?
Conducting an SAE Review is considered a leading industry practice and a
key element of continual improvement in the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
cycle for management systems and audit programs. Typically, organizations with more mature management systems and programs
look to SAE reviews where value for money and effectiveness are key considerations. SAE review is also appropriate for newer
management systems, where it can be used to identify or confirm resource needs, knowledge capacity and performance measures to
best evaluate system / program progress and outcomes.
Stratos is a specialized management consulting firm that helps businesses, governments and not-for-profits recognize and act on
environmental, social and economic risks and opportunities. We help you improve performance by assessing and managing
environmental, social and governance risks, recognizing value-generating opportunities and integrating these factors into how you do
business. For more information contact: Aaron Amorosi aamorosi@stratos-sts.com / 613.241.1001 x222 and visit www.stratos-sts.com.
Strategic Management
System/Audit Program Review
Assessing Suitability,
Adequacy and Effectiveness
What are the Results?
Our methodology has been tested in a number of organizations in the mining and oil and gas sectors, as well as in the federal
government. Examples of results we’ve seen include:

Clarifying the value proposition for management systems and audit programs and how they link to organizational priorities

Improving the connection with enterprise risk management risk identification and mitigation activities to ensure key
sustainability risks are adequately controlled

Enhancing the integration of different assurance functions to reduce audit fatigue, and

Ensuring management systems and audit programs support more effective organizational sharing and learning across sites
and business units.
As part of the SAE Review process, we often undertake peer benchmarking to provide a benchmark against which to assess
performance and to identify industry-leading practices for consideration.
Key Elements of Our Methodology
1. A Customized Assessment Framework: No two SAE Assessment Frameworks are alike. While we draw on fundamental
expected conditions for each review, an important component of the review is to ensure the framework is tailored to your specific
review objectives and needs, and to the level of maturity of your
system/program.
2. Engaging Senior Management and Relevant Staff: A proven key
to success of our methodology is the involvement of your organization’s people
at all levels, from the C-suite to the shop floor. We involve relevant people
across various functions in the preliminary scoping phase to identify key issues
and challenges for focused assessment, and then test and validate preliminary
findings with a sub-set of this group. Involving senior management and staff in
the review and in the assessment of options to address deficiencies or
opportunities, helps to generate a common understanding of your current
strengths and building blocks, and builds support and buy-in for proposed
changes and improvements.
3. A Prioritized Action Plan: We provide a clear and concise report
presenting the review results, including the methodology, findings and key
recommendations, along with a focused action plan for your organization to
improve performance and implementation. Our reports include a senior
management briefing and prioritized recommendations, supported by more
detailed information and analysis.
Stratos Management System
and Assurance Services
Our team includes several Certified
Environmental Auditors and experienced
management system practitioners. Our
on-the-ground experience informs the
design, implementation and assessment
of effective management systems and
audit programs. We regularly advise
executive teams on the management and
effective oversight of environmental and
sustainability risks, and organizational
positioning on emerging risk areas and
opportunities.
For more information contact:
Aaron Amorosi, Senior Consultant
613-241-1001, ext. 222 or
aamorosi@stratos-sts.com
For more information on Stratos visit:
www.stratos-sts.com