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Project Management for Auditors

Date(s): Mar 07, 2018 - Mar 08, 2018
Time: 8:30AM - 5:00PM
Registration Fee: $429.00
Cancellation Date: Mar 01, 2018
Location: JOHN M. KEEL LEARNING CENTER
City: Austin
Parking Info:

Parking for SAO, Professional Development courses is in Garage B (1511 San Jacinto Blvd.). The Garage signage may read 1511 San Jacinto or Garage B. The elevator in Garage B is not reliable. If you are unable to walk the stairs, please contact the professionaldevelopment@sao.texas.gov for alternate parking arrangements. Handicapped parking is free at the meters around the downtown area.

A course coordinator will Email you a parking permit prior to the course start date. A permit must be displayed or you will be ticketed.


Course Description

An audit is a project that requires planning, time, resources and a very specific set of skills. Most auditors have the subject matter expertise to perform an audit, yet few understand what it truly takes to manage a successful project from start to finish, considering the business implications of the audit results. Project management is more than simply examining the books, and auditors can benefit greatly from applying project management techniques to complete projects on time and on budget. 

 

In two intensive days, attendees will learn the basics of project management, including how to achieve improved cost control, resource utilization and timelier audit conclusions. Attendees will participate in hands-on exercises that teach how to apply these techniques to increasing productivity in the internal audit process. Using audit-specific examples, you will learn project planning, scheduling, control, and decision support concepts and methodologies - the basics of project management. At the conclusion of the seminar, you will have gained the skills to better initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close your audit, all while decreasing the time and costs required to perform the audit and increasing audit efficiency and quality.


Potential CPE Credits: 16.0
Govt Hours: This class meets 16.0 hours of the 24-hour requirement for governmental CPE under Government Auditing Standards (yellow book), in most cases.
Technical Hours: This class meets 16.0 CPE credits of technical training in compliance with Texas Admin. Code Rule 523.102.

Instruction Type: Live
Experience Level: INTERMEDIATE
Category: Auditing

Course Objectives

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

  • Understand the basics of project management
  • Utilize project management techniques in the internal audit process
  • Use skills to better execute audits with increased efficiency and quality

Course Outline

 

1. Project Management and Audit
• defining project management and the project management process
• major processes in the Life of a Project
• major processes in an internal audit
• project management’s relevance to internal audit
• expanding audit project leaders’ core competencies

 

2. Cornerstones of Project Management
• what is a project?
• the project triangle
• key project management definitions
• 10 knowledge areas of project management
• elements of a project plan
• mapping, scheduling, and controlling the project
• allocating resources
• identifying problems early in the process

 

3. Applying Project Management Strategies to IA
• why project management?
• successful audit/project management: key factors
• the audit/project planning process
• using project management to plan audits
• time estimates
• common workflow planning problems
• managing resources
• guidelines and examples of good audit/project management
• improving time management

 

4. Applying Project Management to the Audit Process
• the benefits of adopting a project management focus
• the relationship of planning to control
• maximizing your investment in planning
• developing a work breakdown structure
• developing early warning systems
• minimizing your investment in fieldwork
• writing and issuing meaningful reports promptly

 

5. Practice Scenarios
• defining project scope and requirements
• developing the Project Work Plan
• defining activity dependencies and creating network diagrams
• estimating work
• producing a project plan
• monitoring and controlling projects
• closing the project

 

6. The Successful Project Manager
• project manager attributes
• roles and responsibilities
• focus areas: communication, motivation, and problem-solving
• 7 ways to succeed
• 7 ways to fail
• directing and managing others
• conducting meetings and interviews
• rational and creative problem-solving techniques

 

7. Meeting Today’s Audit Challenges with Project Management Techniques
• how the project manager’s role differs in compliance and operational reviews
• multi-tasking: an essential competency for managing operational audits
• how to avoid bottlenecks
• how to differentiate workflows for assurance and consulting reviews
• how to manage your project when you don’t know the final product at the onset
• Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
• enterprisewide risk assessment
• special projects

 


Instructors

Kathleen Crawford

Kathleen Crawford is a Senior Consultant for MIS Training Institute. She has more than 25 years' experience in internal audit and fraud investigation. Ms. Crawford is a consultant, specializing in assurance, investigative and advisory projects. Previously, she was an Internal Auditor for Vinfen Corporation, a private, nonprofit human services organization. There she assisted management in the standardizing operations, developing policies and procedures and improving processes. Ms. Crawford also investigated suspected financial crimes, collecting evidence to support successful prosecution and recovery of assets. She created unique methodology to detect and document fraud while complying with unique requirements of MA and CT human services regulations.

Ms. Crawford began her career as a bank auditor, first with Bank of New England, then Eastern Bank and State Street Bank. In all three institutions, she was responsible for both internal audits and fraud investigations. Ms. Crawford holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix, attended Babson College Graduate School of Business, and holds a BA in English from Boston College. A member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, she is a past President of the Greater Boston Chapter of the IIA. She is also a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Association for Talent Development. Ms. Crawford serves as Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Foxborough Regional Charter School and its foundation, Friends of FRCS. She is also Chair of Vinfen Corporation's Family Advisory Council, a group that consults on issues important to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.


Additional Information

TAC Rule 523.142(g) requires the CPE Sponsor to monitor individual attendance and assign the correct number of CPE credits. Participants will be asked to document their time of arrival and departure in compliance with this Rule. Additionally, attendance will be monitored throughout the day and CPE certificates will reflect actual attendance of each participant.

If you are making travel plans to come to Austin, we recommend making "refundable" air and hotel reservations or waiting until 14 days before the class to actually book your reservations. Courses are occasionally canceled or rescheduled due to low enrollment. We determine whether a course has enough participants 16 days prior to the course date. If we cancel or reschedule, we will email the participant and his or her billing contact no later than 14 days before the original class date.

The course coordinator will contact you with parking information. Handicapped parking is free at the meters around the downtown area.

Vending machines with Coca-Cola products and various snack items are available. There is also a refrigerator and microwave in our coffee bar area. Feel free to bring in your own drinks and food if you prefer.

You might want to bring a light sweater or jacket, as room temperatures vary.

To see answers to our Frequently Asked Questions, visit http://www.sao.texas.gov/training/faq.html.