Mastering Report Writing
and Communication Skills for Auditors

You will learn how to deliver audit reports which are positive, clear and focused, written in simple language and get straight to the point. You will return with proven techniques that enable your reports to ‘hit the reader between the eyes’

This training course is also designed to enable participants to develop the key skills of a modern auditor – communication, teamwork, negotiation, planning and time management – to name but a few.

You will also be introduced to the new communication ideas in the Internal Audit (IA) profession and how to apply them.

This training course will feature:

• Tips for writing better Executive summaries
• Ways to draft a report with impact
• Ideas to improve the review process after the report has been drafted
• Ways to simplify and focus the main report
• The key characteristics of effective communication
• Ways to improve your negotiation and listening skills

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

• Simplify your reports and enhance their readability
• Significantly enhance the impact of your reports
• Make your reports easier to write, easier to review and easier for management to implement
• Improve the acceptance and implementation of your recommendations
• Use all your interpersonal skills more efficiently
• Manage your time more effectively
• Negotiate more successful outcomes
• Apply proven listening skills

It is targeted at both new auditors and also more experienced personnel.  The event will be particularly beneficial for those supervising assignments, lead auditors and those being asked to lead audit teams.

This training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Heads of Audit
• Audit managers
• Senior auditors and lead auditors
• Less experienced auditors
• Quality auditors
• Other assurance professionals such as those in Compliance and QA functions who are wanting to improve their reports

This dynamic training course will utilise a variety of proven learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. This includes various exercises and case studies to provide practical application of the tools and techniques. A series of valuable tools and templates will be provided in electronic format – to take away and use immediately.

• The challenges of audit reporting
• The main problems with audit reports
• The need to create impact
• Analysis of 4 actual reports
• Evaluation of your own reports – using a proven method
• The Executive summary

• The psychology of audit reports
• Writing reports with impact
• The need to make reports more positive
• How to simplify the content
• Highlighting the issues that really matter
• Improving the review process

• The main report
• Writing a clear, concise report
• Forming and expressing the audit opinion
• Recommendations and action plans
• Finalising the report
• The need for follow-up – should this be carried by IA?

• The challenges for auditors
• The characteristics of effective communication
• The impact on productivity of clear communication
• Interpersonal skills for auditors
• Influencing
• The power of senior management and stakeholder engagement

• The power of Effective negotiation
• Negotiating during each audit phase
• The need for win-win solutions
• Listening - the most important audit skill?
• Types of listening and the importance for IA
• Time Management

Anderson Certificate of Completion will be provided to delegates who attend and complete the course