Part of the Littlechild & Haley Innovation Suite
Capability Partner™
Specialist assurance capability when and where your team needs it.
Access senior practitioners, specialist skills and additional capacity without having to build every capability in-house.
Internal audit teams cannot hold every specialist skill in-house
Internal audit and risk teams are expected to cover cyber security, technology, data, AI, transformation and complex programmes while managing constrained budgets, vacancies and changing demand.
Capability Partner™ supplements the existing team with experienced people, specialist knowledge and proportionate delivery support. It can support one review, a period of additional demand, a structured capability uplift or an ongoing co-sourced relationship.
The capability question
Traditional resourcing choice
Recruit permanently or leave the gap
Capability Partner™
Bring in the right expertise when it is needed
The relationship can flex as priorities change while the client retains ownership of the function and its stakeholder relationships.
How it works
1. Agree the capability gap
Identify the specialist knowledge, delivery capacity or development support the team needs.
2. Match the right practitioners
Provide named senior people with relevant experience and clear roles.
3. Deliver and transfer knowledge
Complete the work, strengthen coverage and leave useful capability with the internal team.
Where it can be used
Specialist assurance
IT audit, cyber security, data, digital governance, AI, risk and major programmes.
Additional capacity
Co-sourced plans, vacancies, peak demand, individual reviews and specialist investigations.
Capability development
EQA readiness, quality improvement, methodology, reporting, coaching and internal audit transformation.
Use Capability Partner™ for a single requirement or as a continuing relationship that changes with the team’s priorities.
Capability capacity and confidence
Capability
- IT audit and technology risk
- Cyber security assurance
- Data and digital governance
- Programme and change assurance
- Risk management and governance reviews
- Assurance mapping
Capacity
- Delivery of individual audit reviews
- Co-sourced audit programmes
- Short-term cover and vacancies
- Peak demand support
- Independent project assurance
- Specialist investigations
Confidence
- EQA readiness and implementation
- Global Internal Audit Standards implementation
- Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme development
- Fractional Head of Internal Audit support
- Audit Committee support
- Coaching, mentoring and internal audit transformation
What you receive
- An agreed capability plan shaped around your priorities
- Named senior practitioners with relevant expertise
- Clear scope, roles, outputs and ways of working
- Flexible co-sourced, outsourced or project-based support
- Practical deliverables and Committee-ready reporting
- Knowledge transfer and, where useful, a capability roadmap
- Regular relationship oversight and transparent communication
Why Littlechild & Haley
Senior-led delivery
Clients work directly with experienced practitioners rather than a large trainee delivery model.
Specialist expertise
The team brings internal audit, technology risk, governance and programme assurance experience.
Built around your team
L&H works with the existing function, supports its priorities and transfers practical knowledge.
Related thinking
Using new tools while keeping judgement and accountability human.
How internal audit can provide more forward-looking assurance.
Connecting assurance capability to the outcomes that matter.
Frequently asked questions
Is Capability Partner™ the same as co-sourcing?
Co-sourcing is one way to use it, but the relationship can be narrower or broader. L&H can support a single specialist review, provide temporary capacity, help develop the team or form an ongoing co-sourced partnership.
Does the client retain ownership of the internal audit function?
Yes. Capability Partner™ is designed to strengthen the existing team rather than work around it. The client retains ownership of the function, its priorities and its stakeholder relationships, with roles agreed clearly at the outset.
Which specialist areas can L&H support?
Support can include IT audit, cyber security, data, digital governance, AI, risk management, major programmes, assurance mapping, EQA readiness, quality improvement and internal audit transformation.
Where does your team need more capability or capacity?
Tell Littlechild & Haley where the gap sits. We will help you shape proportionate support around the work your team needs to deliver.
