Document owners: the overlooked role in a smooth cost audit
Why naming a single document owner shortens project cost audit fieldwork more than expanding the auditor headcount.
Audits stall when requests bounce between project managers, accounts payable, and external consultants. The fix is organisational, not technical: name one document owner with authority to pull files.
What the owner does
They maintain the request log, chase missing certificates, and confirm which folder is authoritative when two versions circulate. They do not need to answer every technical question — they need to know who will.
How we support them
Our document request list is staged: essentials in week one, deeper samples after walkthrough. Dumping eighty requests on day one overwhelms even strong teams.
A mild warning
If the owner is also running live site crises, expect slippage. Sponsors who want a fixed report date should protect a portion of that person’s week for the audit window.