Audit report writing

Presented by Mindgrove

Internal auditors need to create reports that are clear, logical and convincing. Creating compelling content needs good presentation of facts and the correct sequencing of observations and findings. This introduction to audit report writing shows you how to produce reports that have impact and add value to your organisation.

Who should attend?

• Open to everyone but best suited to those with less than three years' report writing experience or those who are new to internal audit.

What will I learn?

Upon completion you will be able to:

• write a report empathising with target audiences’ requirements
• bring into play structured writing techniques that maximise acceptance of the audit viewpoint
• apply thinking and writing strategies to maximise conciseness, precision and clarity
• self‐check your own work to help minimise oversight overheads
• implement writing techniques that improve the value outcome of an audit.

The course is accompanied by an indexed manual that includes full course text, examples and strategies for audit report writing.

Please note: this course does not teach spelling or grammar – that knowledge is assumed.

Course programme

Audience and framework: empathy with your audience

• the target audience
• structure of audit reports
• style expectations and amount of detail expected
• action plans
• process enhancements and corrective action taken during the audit
• integrating writing into the audit process – using synergy
• the five Cs approach for recording issues: Condition, Criterion, Cause, Consequence and Conclusion (recommendation or action plan)
• prioritisation and rating of recommendations
• layout of observations in reports
• quality-checking detailed findings.

Executive summaries

• introductions and background materials in executive summaries
• purpose statements
• objective and scope statements
• overall results and opinions
• creating a balanced summarisation section of key findings
• the four Cs of summary writing
• points of practice – assurance statements – audit opinions.

Conciseness, preciseness, and readability

• simplifying language – be concise and precise
• jargon and management speak - readability
• use software to aid quality assurance and enhance readability
• checking spelling and structure.

CPE competency areas covered

• Performance (Engagement outcomes)

7 CPE points

Full price

Member: £688 + VAT
Non-member: £924 + VAT

SAVE 20% by undertaking this course virtually