Advanced Strategic Internal Auditing

• Delegates who have solid experience within auditing and who are now looking to contribute to the strategic development of the audit function to both equip themselves with additional skill-sets and enhance the level of protection and transparency afforded to the organisation via the pro-active internal audit function.

Course objectives

• To understand the role and impact of the internal audit function
• To develop the role of the audit function
• To conduct effective and objective audits and reporting
• To effectively contribute to organisational audit strategy
• To engage and work effectively with stakeholders
• To engage continuous improvement and quality measurement within the audit function and wider organisation
• To recognise the threats of Economic Crime to the organization and develop effective audit response
• To integrate new technology into the audit function

Course content

Review of Key Audit Function Foundations

• Review of key action points
• Developing organizational specific risk matrices
• Global best practice – case studies & analysis
• Key action points – Delegate action plan development

Risk based auditing

• Identifying areas of risk
• Classifying and quantifying risk areas
• Developing audit and re-audit frequency in line with risk
• Overview of emerging threats

Conducting effective audits

• The role of the auditor as consultant
• Utilising audit reporting to inform organisational policy development
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Measuring improvement – toolkit to objectively measure and demonstrate audit output improvements

E-Crime

• Opportunistic E-Crime overview
• Sophisticated E-Crime
• Cyber security defence systems
• External accreditation for data security

Engaging with the audit structure

• Making effective recommendations and business cases
• Presenting information effectively – combining written skills and personal presentation skills
• Contribution to the development of the long term audit strategy
• Raising the profile of internal audit within the organisation

Audit reports – working with stakeholders

• Effective post audit de-briefing
• Root cause analysis
• Developing departmental action plans with stakeholders
• Managing conflict situations

The use of technology within Economic Crime fighting

• Overview of new fraud prevention technology
• Voice analysis systems
• Data analysis systems
• Integrating the use of technology within the audit function

Effective linkage of organizational systems

• Overview of key organizational systems – Finance, HR, Governance, CSR
• Closing the loopholes to assist in legal prosecution case efficiency
• Ensuring true staff policy compliance
• Establishing & managing – Staff register of interests &
• Conflicts of interest

Engaging with External Auditing

• The key role and objectives of external audit
• Ensuring availability of evidence
• Overcoming organizational cultural challenges
• Capturing learning & growth opportunities form the external audit