Modern Internal Auditing Practices
Why Attend
The Internal Audit department plays a crucial role in serving the organization with a range of essential functions. These encompass activities such as evaluating internal controls, enhancing operational efficiency, uncovering and preventing fraudulent activities, ensuring adherence to organizational policies and procedures, as well as compliance with government laws and regulations.
The establishment of a robust and well-equipped Internal Audit function represents a pivotal milestone in an organization's growth trajectory. However, realizing the full potential of the audit function requires adopting an open-minded approach that embraces soft skills, fosters teamwork, leverages data analysis, promotes fraud prevention, and encourages agile and flexible thinking. Only by embracing these principles can the audit function truly contribute value to the organization.
This course addresses these critical elements and guides participants in transforming their audit function from a traditional reporting function into becoming strategic partners with other stakeholders, thereby becoming an integral and indispensable component of the organization.
Meirc Professional Certificate (MPC)
MPC certified courses by Meirc Training & Consulting are designed for those willing to challenge themselves and go the extra distance. Participants who fully attend an MPC course and successfully complete the test on the last day, will receive a Meirc Professional Certificate (MPC), in addition to the one they receive for full attendance. MPC certificates are regionally recognized and can be quite valuable when applying for more senior roles within the organization or outside.
List of Certified CoursesOverview
Course Methodology
This course is based on open discussions, question and answer sessions, group exercises, activities, videos, case studies and presentations based on best practices, case studies and core principles.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between modern and traditional audit practices
- Develop methods to promote the internal audit function
- Build a flexible internal audit plan
- Lean on anti-fraud detection and prevention techniques and incorporate them into the audit programs
- Formulate horizontal audit methodologies to assess a specific process, ensuring a more thorough and comprehensive audit scope and coverage
Target Audience
This course is suitable for anyone within the Internal Audit function, including, but not limited to, Internal Auditors, internal controllers, risk officers, external auditors and compliance officers at all levels.
Target Competencies
- Analytical skills
- Risk assessment
- Communication skills
- Writing skills
- Critical thinking
Course Outline
- The Internal Audit Function
- Internal Auditing defined
- Purpose, authority and responsibility
- Assurance, insight and objectivity
- Standards and proficiency
- Internal Auditing vs accounting – external audit and internal control
- The nature and scope of modern internal audit services
- The internal audit charter and the audit committee; the importance and role of having them
- The Internal Audit Roles – how the role of the Internal Audit has evolved to become a key element in each organization
- Types of internal audit engagements
- Promoting the Internal Audit Function
- The evolving role of Internal Audit
- Marketing the audit function and internal auditors
- Educating stakeholders on the services internal audit can provide
- Demonstrating internal audit's understanding of the culture of the organization
- Demonstrating internal audit’s understanding of the needs of key stakeholders
- Shifting the audit function from the “last” to the “first” resort
- Top tips on how to raise the profile of internal audit
- Encouraging stakeholders to use internal audit services
- Agile Auditing
- Defining Agile auditing
- Agile auditing benefits and constraints
- Deciding to go Agile
- The Scrum Framework
- Implementing Agile auditing using Scrum
- Agile auditing mindset shift
- Horizontal/Transversal Audit
- Horizontal audits defined
- Activities to include in Horizontal audits
- Horizontal vs. vertical audits, the pros and cons
- Using the right style of audit
- Reporting the horizontal audit results
- Sampling Techniques
- Discuss the basic concepts of sampling techniques
- Document analytical reviews
- Test and gather audit evidence
- Complete and document compliance and substantive tests
- Select the appropriate testing method
- Discuss statistical sampling techniques
- Determine the objectives of the sampling plan
- Develop the sampling plan
- Apply attribute sampling techniques
- Identify the sample results
- Building the Flexible Internal Audit Plan
- Building your audit universe
- Performing a risk assessment
- Obtaining stakeholders' insights
- Preparing your audit plan
- Audit Mission Cycle
- Planning the engagement
- Performing the engagement
- Supervising the engagement
- Communicating the results of the mission
- Following up on audit missions
- Internal Audit’s role and responsibility towards fraud
- Fraud risk management process
- Prevention techniques to avoid potential fraud risk events
- Detection techniques that should be established
- Supplier and outsourcing fraud
- Fraud risk matrix and fraud scenarios
- Fraud risk questionnaire
- The top 30 fraud indicators
- How to spot the danger signals
- Fraud detection and legal aspects
- Fraud investigation - managing the investigation
- Incorporating fraud detection techniques into audit programs
- Writing skills and reporting styles
- New methods to report audit findings
- Recognizing “reporting bombs”
- Executive summaries vs Detailed reports
- Distinguish barriers to effective written communication and identify ways to overcome them
- Identify the target audience and adapt writing accordingly
- Structure the audit report for greater impact
- Present audit findings in a clear and concise manner
- Produce a concise and compelling executive summary
MPC
Meirc Professional Certificate (MPC)
MPC certified courses by Meirc Training & Consulting are designed for those willing to challenge themselves and go the extra distance. Participants who fully attend an MPC course and successfully complete the test on the last day, will receive a Meirc Professional Certificate (MPC), in addition to the one they receive for full attendance. MPC certificates are regionally recognized and can be quite valuable when applying for more senior roles within the organization or outside.
List of Certified CoursesSchedule & Fees
Course Contact
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