One of the standard questions one should ask when conducting an audit is, "Do you have an internal audit program?" In many cases, the answer is something like, "Of course; we do monthly sanitation checks," or something along those lines. An internal audit is much, much more than that. It is (or should be) an intensive assessment of all elements making up the food safety management system (FSMS); it is not merely an "audit."
All audits should incorporate an assessment, but they often do not. In fact, it is a sad fact that many third-party audits have developed into simple "checklist" audits. A checklist audit is easier to do and takes less time. The auditor simply "checks the box." The facility has a pest control program—check. It has a program for cleaning and sanitizing—check. The list goes on.