Trace the development of the issue over the last ten years – you may go back further than ten years if you feel that there is a key event that must be included, but not ancient history, please! In tracing the development, identify the key stages and the changes that took place in approaches to external auditing. You should reference the arguments that influenced those changes. Select two companies or other organisations that have been influenced by the changes you have reported and analyse the effects on these companies. From this analysis you are to draw conclusions that synthesise the likely future direction that this issue will take. Your written work should be 2500 words (+ or – 5%). The word count does not include appendices, although you should remember that the point of appendices is to support “main body” analysis. No more than 10% of your words should be direct citations. This means that 90% of the words must be your own and must be properly referenced. Appendices may be your own construction or maybe fully cited work.