Planning for and conducting an internal investigation requires careful consideration and a well-developed strategy

Conducting an internal investigation while managing a global crisis can be a daunting task but is often required to get to the bottom of what occurred, stop any ongoing conduct that could make matters worse, identify the appropriate remedial measures, be in a position to answer questions from auditors or other internal or external stakeholders, and anticipate and respond to any potentially related governmental, regulatory, or law enforcement inquiries or investigations.

Planning for and conducting an internal investigation requires careful consideration and a well-developed strategy tailored to the issue that has arisen. Although no two investigations will be conducted in the same manner, there are certain generally applicable principles that are ordinarily considered and followed as best practices when conducting an internal investigation.

This chapter sets out the most important components of the investigation lifecycle and describes the fundamental principles of conducting an effective internal investigation.