Local assurance for international insurers

Due to consolidation and M&A activity in the European insurance market, audit and compliance functions are increasingly centralised. Accountability, however, remains local. In the Netherlands, insurers must be demonstrably “in control”, including where activities are outsourced or delegated.

This creates a practical challenge for international audit and compliance teams. You may have the scope, framework and reporting obligations, but not always the local presence, language capability, market knowledge and capacity to execute fieldwork in the Netherlands. In that situation, an independent and experienced local audit partner can add significant value.

When does this typically apply?

In the Netherlands, QCI most often sees this in three types of situations.

• First, delegated distribution and claims handling, for example in the MGA or delegated authority channel, where brokers or intermediaries not only sell policies but also handle claims.
• Second, oversight of Dutch claims operations by a central audit or compliance function based in another country, for example personal injury claims handled in the Netherlands but monitored from abroad.
• Third, outsourcing of (parts of) claims handling to an external service provider, where the outsourcing insurer must maintain demonstrable control over quality, cycle times, customer treatment and local regulatory requirements.

How QCI supports international audit and compliance teams

QCI supports international audit, risk and compliance functions with independent audits and file reviews in the Netherlands, with a strong focus on both governance and day-to-day execution.

Our added value is built around four key elements.

1. Local expertise in the claims process Dutch claims processes have distinct characteristics in ways of working, file documentation, communication and stakeholder dynamics, especially in personal injury claims. We do not only assess “on paper”; we test actual control in daily execution.
2. Auditing both policy and files: from design to operating effectiveness A robust audit conclusion typically requires two perspectives. We first assess the design of policies, standards and the control framework. We then test operating effectiveness through file reviews, interviews and process observations.
3. Pragmatic execution and actionable reporting International teams need clear conclusions, verifiable findings and concrete improvement actions. We deliver reporting that is immediately usable for management, the audit committee and supervisory dialogue.
4. Independent and scalable fieldwork in the Netherlands We can act as a local execution partner, performing fieldwork under your audit methodology, or we can deliver a full end-to-end audit engagement aligned with your internal standards.

Our approach at a glance

We typically deliver an engagement in five steps.

1. Defining scope and audit questions We translate your risks, obligations and audit objectives into concrete test questions and a practical audit plan for the Netherlands.
2. Audit criteria and testing methodology We define the criteria (internal policies, outsourcing standards, compliance requirements, SLAs and process agreements) and make our testing approach transparent.
3. Fieldwork: document review, interviews and file reviews Depending on scope, we review policies, reporting, controls and governance, including a representative sample of claim files.
4. Analysis and findings We formulate evidence-based findings, including root cause, impact, risk assessment and prioritisation.
5. Reporting and improvement roadmap You receive a clear management summary, structured audit findings and concrete recommendations for improvement. If required, we also support remediation follow-up and re-testing.