Report Writing for Auditing Professionals

Why Should You Attend:

The art of audit report writing demands far more than simply listing the four elements of a finding–criteria, condition, cause, and effect. Adding the fifth element, the recommendation, may still be insufficient. This boilerplate approach to writing can threaten independent, critical thinking and undermine the entire audit process, ultimately tarnishing the credibility of the auditor.

This highly specialized webinar will offer a deep and useful toolbox of techniques that auditors can use when noting audit observations, drafting objective work papers, and composing well-structured, detailed, and fluent audit reports. The program will begin with a case study to illustrate each element of an audit checklist with a close focus on objective reporting. It will then uncover problems of ensuring validity and reliability of findings and determining root cause.

The webinar will drill down to a deeper level to organize audit content based on time-tested principles of structure. The session will also cover the two pillars of writing style: syntax (word order) and diction (word choice)—each of which poses numerous pitfalls that can compromise the integrity and objectivity of an audit report. Reviewing understandable, pertinent examples from various auditing disciplines, attendees will learn how to remedy the greatest roadblocks to clear thinking through writing and cultivate a convincing, authoritative style.

Learning Objectives:

• Draft work papers thoroughly based on objective observations
• Create a department-specific template to facilitate the writing process
• Organize audit points for greater impact
• Edit audit points for a clear, concise vocabulary for documenting audit reports

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Determining factors affecting the validity and reliability of a finding
• Assessing the appropriate level of detail
• Creating a department-specific template to facilitate the writing process
• Drafting work papers based on objective observations
• Employing formatting devices to improve the visual appeal of an audit report
• Choosing fluent sentence structure to illuminate ideas
• Developing a precise, clear, concise vocabulary for documenting audit reports

Who Will Benefit:

• Cost auditors
• External auditors
• Forensic auditors
• Internal auditors
• Consultant auditors