Most people think of internal audit as a compliance formality, a box to check once a year. In reality, a well-run internal audit function is one of the few places in a company that sees the whole picture: financial risk, operational weaknesses, cultural resistance, and everything in between, which is exactly why the role now demands far more than accounting knowledge alone.

This integrated training program from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy equips participants with the full toolkit of a modern internal auditor: from planning and evidence gathering to communicating with senior management, applying technology and data analysis, and leading audit teams with the ethics and cultural awareness the role increasingly requires.

Who Should Attend?

• Managers and owners of public and private companies.
• Managers of internal audit departments in large companies.
• Managers of financial auditing and evaluation offices.
• Employees in administrative and financial internal auditing.

Course Objectives:

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

• Apply the integrated program for performing internal audits end-to-end.
• Follow the latest trends in developing internal audit offices' role.
• Apply financial control principles and assess administrative performance.
• Identify errors and risks in administrative policy through internal audit.

• Module 1: What Internal Audit Is For

  • Definition, objectives, and importance of internal auditing.
  • Differences between internal and external auditing.
  • International standards (IIA) and the regulatory bodies behind them.

• Module 2: Seeing Risk Before It Becomes a Problem

  • Types of risk faced in internal auditing.
  • Identifying and assessing risk, and risk management strategies.
  • Risk-based auditing (RBA) as a planning approach.

• Module 3: Planning the Audit

  • Phases of planning: objectives, scope, and timeline.
  • Collecting the information and data needed before fieldwork begins.

• Module 4: Gathering and Analyzing Evidence

  • Techniques for gathering evidence: documents, interviews, observation.
  • Data analysis tools and methods, including big data techniques.
  • Evaluating findings and documenting evidence properly.

• Module 5: Reporting What You Found

  • Structuring an internal audit report: summary, findings, recommendations.
  • Communicating effectively when presenting to management.

• Module 6: From Recommendation to Real Change

  • Following up on the implementation of recommendations.
  • Measuring the effectiveness and impact of audit findings.
  • Performance improvement strategies based on audit results.

• Module 7: Handling Difficulties and Building Relationships

  • Common challenges auditors face and how to overcome them.
  • Building effective communication with senior management.
  • Enhancing cooperation between internal audit and other departments.

• Module 8: Public Sector vs. Private Sector Auditing

  • Specifics of internal auditing within government institutions.
  • Challenges, opportunities, and standards in profit-driven organizations.

• Module 9: Technology and Data in Modern Auditing

  • Tools and applications of technology in internal auditing.
  • Digital transformation's impact on audit efficiency.

• Module 10: Culture, Ethics and Resistance

  • How organizational culture influences internal audit outcomes.
  • Handling cultural resistance during audit processes.
  • Professional ethics and their role in internal audit credibility.

• Module 11: Compliance and Global Standards

  • Compliance with accounting and regulatory standards.
  • Implementing audit processes according to international standards.

• Module 12: Leadership and Team Development

  • Leadership skills required of internal auditors.
  • Continuous professional development and building effective teams.

• Module 13: Sustainability and the Future of Internal Audit

  • Integrating sustainability practices into audit work.
  • Global transformations and future trends in internal auditing.