Auditing Essentials
High performing auditors possess core competencies. Our auditing courses will build the confidence and competency high-performing auditors require to be perceived as credible and knowledgeable in the eyes of the client, audit office management and their peers.

Overview of Internal Controls for Federal Audit Offices (1-day course)

• Using internal controls to improve accountability
• Understanding & applying the five standards of internal control
• Applying effective control activities
• Assessing internal controls in an audit

Writing High-Impact Audit Reports (2-day course)

• Reporting and presenting findings
• Developing a sound message
• Streamlining the report writing process
• Writing effective audit reports

Referencing (1-day course)

• Understand why referencing is important as a quality control tool
• Understand the referencing process
• Identify desired qualifications of successful referencers
• Understand referencer roles and responsibilities
• Identify what referencers verify

Sampling: Design and Analysis for Performance Auditing (2-day course)

• Choosing an appropriate sample design for the audit objectives
• Understanding the application of nonprobability (judgmental)
  sampling
• Understanding the application of probability sampling
• Choosing appropriate sample sizes
• Minimizing errors and bias
• Analyzing sample data
• Reporting results from probability and nonprobability samples

Managing Your Work (2-day course)

• Understand and overcome barriers to priority setting
• Eliminate activities that waste time
• Organize and handle paperwork, phone calls, and e-mail more efficiently
• Clarify expectations
• Seek feedback
• Understand directions correctly the first time they are received
• Handle competing demands
• Plan work effectively

Audit Report Writing (2-day course)

• Crafting Sound Audit Objectives
• Writing User-Friendly Audit Reports:
• Balanced Tone
• Knowing the Audience's Needs
• Deductive Structure
• Charge Paragraphs
• Topic Sentences
  
  How to Write:
• Executive Summaries
• Introductory Paragraphs
• Background
• Findings Sections
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

Auditing Essentials (3-day course)

Designed primarily for newly hired auditors, this comprehensive training covers the following learning objectives:

• Understand the importance of the auditing profession
• Understand the importance of the Yellow Book and how it is organized
• Understand the importance of ethical behavior for auditors
• Describe the general standards
• Describe the phases of audits
• Describe the importance and key steps of audit planning
  
• Understand the elements of a finding
  
• Write sound audit objectives
• Collect evidence that meets the Yellow Book tests of evidence
• Understand the types of evidence
• Understand frequently used data collection and analysis methodologies
  
• Understand critical success factors for conducting interviews
• Understand the importance of quality control, including indexing and referencing
• Understand key components of audit reports
• Apply tools for writing audit reports, e.g., deductive writing style, active voice, etc.
• Define entrance and exit conferences

Ethics For Auditors (1-day course)

• What it means to be a public servant
• Overview and
• importance of chapter 2, Ethics, in the Yellow Book
• Independence
• Personal Impairments
• External Impairments
• Organizational Independence
• Gifts from outside sources
• Conflicting financial interests
• Seeking employment

Designing and Conducting Surveys

• Draft precise audit surveys
• Design questions that are objective, specific, and clearly written
• Effectively implement audit surveys
• Follow up to maximize the response rate

Audit Objectives and Audit Programs (1-day course)

• Describe the elements of soundly crafted audit objectives
• Understand the critical components of audit programs
• Apply applicable planning standards as identified in the "Yellow Book"
• Perform audits that directly link to audit programs and objectives
• Understand the tests and types of evidence

Understanding the Yellow Book (1-day course)

• Understand key Yellow Book standards
• Understand ethical responsibilities
• Understand the General Standards
• Understand performance audits standards
• Understand changes proposed in the 2010 exposure draft

Attestation Engagements and Performance Auditing: Understanding the Standards

• Defining "performance audits" and "attestation engagements.
• Differentiating between performance audits and attestation engagements
• The importance of performance audits
• Describing how attestation engagements add value
• Reviewing performance auditing standards (Chapters 7 and 8 in the "Yellow Book"
• Reviewing attestation standards (AICPA's Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements and Chapter 6 of the "Yellow Book")
  

Conducting Effective Meetings

• The importance of effective meetings
• What makes meetings ineffective? Pitfalls to avoid
• Planning effective meetings, including developing a clear agenda
• Conducting effective meetings, including handling disruptive behavior with poise and confidence
• Concluding and evaluating the meetings
• Developing an action plan

Team Building and Leadership Styles

• Understand the stages of teams
• Learn and apply helpful techniques for building and sustaining high-performing teams
• Understand and apply helpful approaches to handling conflict
• Understand a variety of leadership styles

Creative Thinking for Auditors

• Understanding learning styles
• Thinking “outside the box”
• Overcoming writer’s block
• Generating ideas
• Using “new” analysis tools
• Applying innovative approaches to teambuilding

Data Collection and Analysis Fundamentals

• Understanding frequently used data collection tools
• Collecting primary information
• Interviewing techniques
• Designing questionnaires
• Analyzing information to develop findings
• Comparing qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques

Interviewing for Information: A Structured Approach

• The eight-step interviewing model
• Active listening skills
• Effective questioning techniques
• Team interviewing
• Handling difficult interview situations

Performance Auditing: The Fundamentals

• Plan high-impact audits
• Understand the critical elements of audit programs
• Write sound audit objectives
• Collect evidence that meets the Yellow Book tests of evidence
• Successfully communicate the results of your audit findings in both writing and orally

Public Speaking for Auditors

• Planning oral presentations
• Organizing
• Employing effective delivery skills
• Preparing and using visual aids
• Video conferencing
• Fielding questions

Developing and Presenting Findings

• Differentiating different types of audit findings
• Explaining the effect objectives have on findings and message formulation
• Designing a report message
• Writing findings that incorporate all four finding elements
• Writing findings that meet the standards of evidence
• Using charge paragraphs and topic sentences to organize findings

Standards of Evidence and Audit Documentation

• What the “Yellow Book” says
• Understanding tests of evidence
• Reviewing types of evidence
• Documenting evidence to support findings
• Indexing and referencing

Streamlining the Report Writing Process

• The report writing process as a team process
• The importance of audit objectives and findings
• The link between audit objectives and audit findings
• Differentiating between types of audit findings
• Collecting evidence that meets Yellow Book standards
• Clarifying tests and types of evidence
• Summarizing findings into a coherent draft report message
• Writing effective charge paragraphs
• Composing report sections
• Writing tools that make audit reports more easily understandable and convincing
• Applying strategies to overcome report writing challenges.
• Clarifying the responsibilities of the audit manager, the AIC, and the performance team
• Conducting productive report planning meetings

Writing Effective Audit Reports

• Developing the message
• Writing reader-friendly audit reports
• Using deductive structure to present report information
• Writing paragraphs with focus, unity, and coherence
• Writing effective sentences
• Choosing words that precisely and directly convey your message

Additional On-site Workshops

• Supervision and Leadership
  
• Communications
• Data Collection and Analysis

Carole Buncher and Associates: The Competency Company™  is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.