COURSE INFORMATION

Scheduled Dates: 12 – 16 Feb 2024 | 13 – 17 May 2024 | 12 – 16 Aug 2024 | 11 – 15 Nov 2024

Duration: 1 Week

Customized dates and one-on-one sessions can be organized.

Preamble

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Distinguish performance/VFM audits from financial audits;
• Identify the types of performance/VFM audits based on performance expectations or risks within government programs;
• Understand the role of auditing in public sector governance;
• Understand and consider the steps in planning a performance/VFM audit;
• Understand how programs are selected for audit and how performance/VFM audit objectives are developed based on identified risks/vulnerabilities;
• Describe different data collection and analysis methodologies, and their applicability to specific objectives;
• Review performance auditing approaches for economy, efficiency and effectiveness;
• Review audit program development and components of audit fieldwork;
• Identify elements of audit findings including cause, condition, criteria and effect;
• Review evidence in terms or quality, quantity, and types;
• Review audit reports and report writing; and
• Review best practice suggestions for developing audit recommendations.

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Concept and Purpose of Performance/VFM Audits

• Overview of performance auditing process
• Characteristics of performance audits
• Role of auditing in public sector governance
• Differences from financial audits
• Selected standards for performance/VFM audits
• Sources of audit guidelines
• Interdisciplinary knowledge requirements for government auditing
• Exercise – Challenges to performance auditing

2. Audit Plans

• Performance auditing planning process
• Audit selection
• Audit ability
• Estimating audit budgets
• Selection and prioritization under constraints
• Case study – Fleet Services Branch

3. Planning for Specific Audit Projects

• Audit standards
• Mapping programs
• Overview of Input-Process-Output-Outcome approach
• Definition of program
• Program design and components
• Government service delivery model
• Steps in mapping a program
• Exercise: Mapping a program within Fleet Services Branch

4. Establishing Audit Objectives and Scope

• Defining/refining the audit objective
• Develop audit scope
• Government performance expectations model
• Performance measurement
• Performance measures
• Well-developed audit objectives
• Exercise – Developing audit objectives for Fleet Services Branch

5. Audit Methodology Using a Measurement-Based Approach

• How to conduct a measurement-based performance audit
• Program definition and performance expectations
• Government expectations model
• Analyzing program performance through performance measures
• Sources of performance criteria
• Exercise: Performance criteria within Fleet Services Branch

6. Developing Audit Methodology

• Steps required to develop audit methodology
• Qualitative methods of gathering evidence
• Quantitative methods of gathering evidence
• Methodology considerations
• Exercise: Match objectives to methodologies

7. Selected Performance Audit Approaches

• Auditing input economy
• Auditing process efficiency
• Auditing outcome effectiveness

8. Audit Program and Fieldwork

• Developing the audit program
• Exercise: Capital equipment replacement program of Fleet Services Branch
• Conducting the fieldwork
• Exercise: Audit fieldwork for the Fleet Services Branch Audit

9. Audit Findings and Evidence

• Elements of audit findings
• Audit guidelines
• Audit criteria
• Types of findings
• Fieldwork standards
• Types of evidence
• Hierarchy of evidence.
• Exercise: Distinguish elements of a finding from case studies; identify different types of evidence

10. Audit Reporting and Best Practices

• Reports and report writing
• Presenting audit findings
• Describing key relationships
• Exercises: Various exercises to encourage selected best practice writing/editing practices
• Report outline development
• Developing conclusions
• Developing recommendations
• Exercise: Write a high impact recommendation
• Follow-up and Follow-through

REGISTRATION

To register, kindly fill the Seminar Registration Form and send it to us through:
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PAYMENT

1. Fees Payment - All fees are payable strictly in advance 2 working days before the course starting date.
2. Cancellation Fee - Cancellation of any participant 5 working days before the start day of a course will incur a 20% cancellation fee.
   We regret that no cancellations will be accepted within 2 working days of a course, but substitutions may be made.