Audit Report Writing

Auditors often, inadvertently, create ineffective audit reports – they are unclear, offer no logical sequence and fail to convince the reader. 

This brief course provides a stimulating and practical introduction to audit report writing and focuses on report structure and effectiveness.

Suitability and duration

Suitability: Beginner - Intermediate

Duration: 1 day

Who should attend

This course is open to all. The heart of the course is in the correct sequencing and presentation of observations to create a compelling content. The result is the production of reports that are seen to contribute significant value.

Benefits

Skills

After completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Write a report using information that meets target audiences’ requirements
• Deploy a structure for writing up observations that maximise acceptance of the audit viewpoint
• Apply strategies to maximise conciseness and improve readability

Support Materials

This course is accompanied by an indexed manual that includes briefings, examples, and strategies for use in audit report writing.

Programme

Audience and framework: empathy with your audience

• The target audience
• Approved structures for audit reports
• Trends and changes in audit reporting

The nitty-gritty: writing up observations

• The 5 “Cs” approach
• The condition (finding)
• The criterion (yardstick)
• The cause (reason)
• The consequence (effect)
• The conclusion (recommendation)
• Quality checking observations
• Audit rating scales and opinions
• Common variations in report layouts: Paragraph structure / Table structure / Action Strip Structure

Good writing: conciseness and readability

• Brevity
• Phrasing and jargon
• Design and layout