PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS FOR INTERNAL AUDITORS

OBJECTIVES

The course provides participants with the skills and techniques necessary to embed project management methods into the internal audit process. Formal project management methodologies can help reduce and alleviate many of the struggles with delays, prioritization, scope, and timeliness auditors routinely face. The tools and techniques shared can be immediately implemented in every audit process.

CONTENT

Project Management Overview

• Fundamentals of project management
• Benefits of formal project management
• Project characteristics
• Phases of project management
• Project management case studies

Project Management Fundamentals

• Project Management Institute (PMI) framework
• Cornerstones of project management
• Gantt charts
• Critical paths
• Work breakdown structure
• Dependencies and scheduling
• Scope

Audits as Formal Projects – Planning

• Translating project steps into audit steps
• Choosing and modifying project tools for audits
• Formal scoping approaches – SIPOC/visual tools

Audits as Formal Projects – Executing, Monitoring, and Controlling

• Monitoring and controlling the audit like a project
• Measurements and metrics for audits: schedule, budget to actual, etc.
• Formal change management to minimize scope change/creep
• Communicating results – Leveraging the 5 C’s
• Lessons learned and post-mortems for continual improvement

Formal Project Communication Plans

• External communication plan – audit client
• Internal communication plan – audit team
• Understanding the difference between information and communication
• Expectations and consistency
• Reporting

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.