Course Description
The audit engagement is a project, but rarely are proven project management methodologies used in managing internal audits. Audits are regularly subject to delays, changes in scope, scope creep, resource shortages, and frequent struggles with timeliness. And rarely do formal Project Management courses translate easily into specific steps and techniques that can be leveraged in an audit. This course will translate formal project management skills into audit-specific methods and techniques that will help audit teams overcome common engagement challenges and immediately increase credibility by delivering on-time and focused audits.
The tools and techniques shared can be immediately implemented in every audit process. Real-life examples of failures and successes will be covered to highlight the learning process. This course is interactive with multiple hands-on exercises and class participation to provide opportunities for you to practice what you learn.
Learning Objectives:
- Learning the basic concepts and fundamentals of formal project management methodologies from the Project Management Institute
- Understanding how to apply formal project management methodologies to the audit process
- Learning the basic tools and techniques used in formal project management
- Understanding how to use formal project management in managing audits
- Learning how to deal with changes to scope and scope creep
Course Outline
Project Management Overview
- Fundamentals of project management
- Benefits of formal project management
- Project characteristics
- Phases of project management
- Project management case studies
Project Management Fundamentals
- Project Management Institute (PMI) framework
- Cornerstones of project management
- Gantt charts
- Critical path
- Work breakdown structure
- Dependencies and scheduling
- Scope
Audits as Formal Projects—Planning
- Translating project steps into audit steps
- Choosing and modifying project tools for audits
- Formal scoping approaches—SIPOC/Visual Tools
Audits as Formal Projects—Executing, Monitoring, and Controlling
- Monitoring and controlling the audit like a project
- Measurements and metrics for audits—schedule, budget to actual, etc.
- Formal change management to minimize scope change/creep
- Communicating results—leveraging the 5 Cs
- Lessons learned and post-mortems for continual improvement
Formal Project Communication Plans
- External communication plan—audit client
- Internal communication plan—audit team
- Understanding the difference between information and communication
- Expectations and consistency
- Reporting
Managing Multiple Projects
- Managing different personalities
- Difficult people and situations
- Communication approaches
- Time management tools and techniques
Additional Information
Who Should Attend
- Internal auditor management
- Internal audit staff
Learning Level
Intermediate
Delivery
Group Live or Group Internet-Based
Field
Auditing
Advanced Preparation
None
Recommended Prerequisites
Two or more years experience performing audits
Session Duration
On Site: 2 days
CPE Credits: 16