Course	Internal Audit Excellence: Advanced Practices, Strategies & Impacts
Duration	5 Days
Date	July 06-10,2026
Venue	Bangkok, Thailand
Investment	1,890 USD
Email	info@bctci.com
WhatsApp	+66 94 7800 807

Course Objectives:

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

• Understand the evolving role of internal audit in modern organizations.
• Apply advanced internal audit practices aligned with governance, risk, and control expectations.
• Strengthen audit planning using risk-based and strategy-focused approaches.
• Improve audit execution through better evidence gathering, testing, analysis, and documentation.
• Use data analytics and technology to improve audit efficiency and audit quality.
• Evaluate internal controls, operational effectiveness, compliance, fraud risks, and governance processes.
• Develop stronger audit findings, recommendations, and value-added reports.
• Communicate audit results effectively to management, audit committees, and stakeholders.
• Measure the impact of internal audit on organizational performance and risk reduction.
• Build a practical internal audit excellence roadmap for continuous improvement.

Personal and Organizational Impacts:

Personal Impacts:

Participants will be able to:

• Improve confidence in planning and leading complex audit assignments.
• Strengthen professional judgment and critical thinking.
• Develop stronger skills in risk assessment, control evaluation, and audit reporting.
• Communicate findings with greater clarity, influence, and professionalism.
• Understand how to move from checklist auditing to value-added assurance.
• Use modern audit tools, data, and technology more effectively.
• Build credibility with senior management and audit committees.
• Enhance career readiness for senior audit and governance roles.

Organizational Impacts:

The organization will benefit through:

• Stronger governance, accountability, and oversight.
• Improved risk identification and risk response.
• More effective internal controls and compliance systems.
• Better detection of process weaknesses, inefficiencies, and fraud risks.
• Higher-quality audit reports and more practical recommendations.
• Increased management trust in internal audit.
• Better alignment between audit work and organizational strategy.
• Improved operational performance and decision-making.
• Stronger audit committee support and assurance confidence.
• A more mature, strategic, and impact-driven internal audit function.

Course Outline:

Internal Audit Excellence, Governance, and Strategic Positioning

Module 1: The Modern Role of Internal Audit

• Evolution of internal audit from control checking to strategic assurance
• Internal audit as a governance, risk, and control partner
• Assurance, advisory, and consulting roles
• Expectations of boards, audit committees, and senior management
• Characteristics of a high-performing internal audit function

Module 2: Internal Audit Standards and Professional Expectations

• Overview of international internal audit standards
• Principles of independence and objectivity
• Ethics, integrity, confidentiality, and professional behavior
• Quality, competence, and due professional care
• Documentation and evidence expectations

Module 3: Governance, Risk, and Control Frameworks

• Understanding governance structures and accountability
• Relationship between governance, risk management, and internal control
• Three Lines Model and internal audit’s role
• COSO internal control concepts
• Linking audit work with enterprise risk management

Module 4: Internal Audit Strategy and Annual Audit Planning

• Developing an internal audit strategy
• Linking audit plans to organizational objectives
• Building a risk-based annual audit plan
• Prioritizing audit areas based on risk and impact
• Aligning audit resources with strategic priorities

Module 5: Internal Audit Maturity Assessment

• What audit maturity means
• Assessing current audit processes, people, tools, and governance
• Identifying capability gaps
• Benchmarking audit performance
• Designing an internal audit improvement roadmap

Advanced Risk-Based Audit Planning and Execution

Module 6: Advanced Risk Assessment for Internal Auditors

• Identifying strategic, operational, financial, compliance, and technology risks
• Assessing likelihood, impact, velocity, and control strength
• Developing audit risk ratings
• Using risk registers and management input
• Connecting risk assessment to audit scope

Module 7: Audit Scoping and Objective Setting

• Defining clear audit objectives
• Setting audit scope and boundaries
• Identifying key risks and key controls
• Avoiding over-scoping and under-scoping
• Preparing audit planning memoranda

Module 8: Audit Programs and Testing Strategies

• Developing audit programs based on risks and controls
• Designing test procedures
• Compliance testing vs. substantive testing
• Sampling methods for audit testing
• Adjusting audit procedures during fieldwork

Module 9: Evidence Collection and Documentation Excellence

• Characteristics of strong audit evidence
• Interviewing, observation, inspection, recalculation, and confirmation
• Working paper quality standards
• Evidence sufficiency and reliability
• Avoiding common documentation weaknesses

Module 10: Fieldwork Management and Audit Supervision

• Managing fieldwork timelines and deliverables
• Allocating responsibilities within audit teams
• Reviewing workpapers and audit evidence
• Managing difficult auditees and information delays
• Maintaining audit quality under pressure

Advanced Audit Techniques, Analytics, Fraud, and Controls

Module 11: Internal Control Evaluation

• Understanding control design and operating effectiveness
• Preventive, detective, and corrective controls
• Manual vs. automated controls
• Control walkthroughs and process mapping
• Identifying control gaps and weaknesses

Module 12: Operational Auditing for Performance Improvement

1. Auditing efficiency, economy, and effectiveness
2. Reviewing business processes and workflows
3. Identifying waste, duplication, and delays
4. Evaluating service delivery and productivity
5. Developing performance improvement recommendations

Module 13: Compliance and Regulatory Auditing

• Understanding compliance risk
• Reviewing policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements
• Testing compliance controls
• Identifying root causes of non-compliance
• Reporting compliance gaps and corrective actions

Module 14: Fraud Risk Auditing

• Common fraud risks in organizations
• Fraud red flags and warning signs
• Role of internal audit in fraud prevention and detection
• Fraud risk assessment techniques
• Coordinating with investigation, legal, and compliance teams

Module 15: Data Analytics for Internal Audit

• Role of data analytics in modern internal audit
• Identifying audit questions suitable for analytics
• Using data to test full populations instead of samples
• Exception analysis, trend analysis, and duplicate testing
• Building data-driven audit findings

Strategic Reporting, Communication, and Stakeholder Impact

Module 16: Root Cause Analysis for Audit Findings

• Moving beyond symptoms to root causes
• Five Whys technique
• Fishbone analysis
• Linking root cause to risk and impact
• Developing practical corrective actions

Module 17: Writing High-Impact Audit Findings

• Criteria, condition, cause, consequence, and corrective action
• Writing clear and evidence-based findings
• Avoiding vague or judgmental language
• Rating findings based on risk and impact
• Developing actionable recommendations

Module 18: Internal Audit Reporting Excellence

• Structure of a professional audit report
• Executive summaries for senior management
• Presenting risk, control gaps, and business impact
• Balancing assurance and advisory messages
• Making reports concise, practical, and decision-focused

Module 19: Communication and Stakeholder Management

• Building trust with auditees and management
• Managing disagreement over findings
• Conducting opening and closing meetings
• Communicating sensitive issues professionally
• Influencing management action without losing independence

Module 20: Audit Committee and Senior Management Reporting

• Understanding audit committee expectations
• Reporting significant risks and control failures
• Presenting trends, themes, and systemic issues
• Communicating internal audit performance
• Supporting board-level assurance and oversight

Quality Assurance, Transformation, and Internal Audit Impact

Module 21: Quality Assurance and Improvement Program

• Purpose of audit quality assurance
• Internal quality reviews
• External quality assessments
• Audit performance indicators
• Continuous improvement of the audit function

Module 22: Technology, Automation, and Digital Auditing

• Digital tools for audit planning and fieldwork
• Audit management systems
• Continuous auditing and continuous monitoring
• Automation of repetitive audit tasks
• Preparing internal audit for digital transformation

Module 23: Measuring Internal Audit Impact

• Defining audit value and impact
• Measuring implementation of recommendations
• Tracking risk reduction and control improvement
• Reporting cost savings, efficiency gains, and compliance improvements
• Linking internal audit results to organizational performance

Module 24: Building a Strategic Internal Audit Function

• Designing the future audit function
• Skills and competencies for modern auditors
• Talent development and audit team capability building
• Balancing assurance, advisory, and strategic support
• Creating an internal audit excellence roadmap

Module 25: Practical Workshop and Action Planning

• Conducting an audit maturity self-assessment
• Designing a risk-based audit plan
• Drafting high-impact audit findings
• Developing an audit improvement action plan
• Group presentation and facilitator feedback

Main Takeaways

Participants will leave the course with:

• A clear understanding of advanced internal audit practices.
• Practical skills in risk-based planning and audit execution.
• Improved ability to evaluate internal controls and governance processes.
• Stronger skills in fraud risk auditing, compliance auditing, and operational auditing.
• Ability to apply data analytics in audit work.
• Improved confidence in preparing high-impact audit reports.
• Better communication skills for dealing with management and audit committees.
• Stronger understanding of internal audit quality and performance measurement.
• Ability to measure and communicate the impact of internal audit.
• A practical roadmap for improving the internal audit function.

Main Essentials:

The key essentials of this course include:

• Risk-Based Internal Auditing
  Focusing audit work on the areas that matter most to organizational objectives and risks.
• Governance and Control Assurance
  Strengthening confidence in governance, accountability, internal controls, and compliance.
• Advanced Audit Execution
  Improving scoping, evidence gathering, testing, documentation, and supervision.
• Fraud and Compliance Awareness
  Enhancing the auditor’s ability to detect red flags, assess fraud exposure, and review compliance systems.
• Data-Driven Auditing
  Using analytics to improve audit coverage, accuracy, and value.
• Strategic Audit Reporting
  Producing concise, evidence-based, and management-friendly audit reports.
• Stakeholder Communication
  Building productive relationships while maintaining audit independence.
• Audit Quality and Performance
  Strengthening quality assurance, audit KPIs, and continuous improvement.
• Impact Measurement
  Showing how audit work improves controls, reduces risks, and supports organizational performance.
• Audit Excellence Roadmap
  Developing a practical improvement plan for a stronger and more strategic audit function.

Suggested Training Methodologies

The course may be delivered through:

• Interactive lectures and guided discussions
• Internal audit case studies
• Risk assessment workshops
• Control evaluation exercises
• Audit planning simulations
• Audit finding writing practice
• Root cause analysis exercises
• Group presentations
• Audit report review activities
• Practical action planning