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COSO-Based Internal
Auditing
(2-3 days)
What you will gain from this seminar:
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How to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley
Sections 302 and 404, and how to add value beyond mere compliance |
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Proven evaluation tools for the
Control Environment and for process controls |
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How to plan,
monitor and aggregate audit results to support an entity-wide opinion on
internal control |
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How to apply COSO to every
audit project, with hands-on exercises and a case study |
Who should attend: Internal
auditors who want to base their audit work on the COSO control framework.

Course
Outline
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Sarbanes-Oxley and COSO
 | Sarbanes-Oxley internal control requirements and related
rulings |
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Internal Control –
Integrated Framework (the COSO report)
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The challenge: how to evaluate soft controls
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Five principles for evaluating soft controls
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A “working inventory” of soft controls |
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Components,
Factors, Points of Focus, sample evaluation tools—and how to use these
elements |
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Implementation Guides for Sections 302 and
404
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Emerging
principles for organizations and internal audit |
|
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How World-Class Audit Departments Are
Evaluating Soft Controls
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Overview of IIA research study, Control Model Implementation: Best
Practices |
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The critical components:
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Self-assessment
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Risk assessment |
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The types of tools used
for COSO-based internal control evaluation |
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Tools & Techniques for Entity-Wide
Evaluation
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Overview of Internal Controls –
Commercial Federal |
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Management Interview Guide and
Self-Assessment Tool |
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Self-Assessment Survey – Ameritech |
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New tools for the
Control Environment and related entity-wide controls
– El
Paso Corporation’s Internal Control Assessment Survey
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United Stationers’ Self Assessment Survey
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Alcatel’s Internal Control Questionnaire |
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Tools & Techniques for Process-Level
Evaluation
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Management Assessment of Risks and
Controls – Freddie Mac |
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New Tools for Activity-Level Evaluation:
ALLTEL, Bemis, Supervalu, Land O’Lakes |
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Self-Assessment Workshops – Two Common
Techniques, Case Study |
(Participants are invited to
bring their own tools to share and get feedback)
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The Role of Internal Audit
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How to plan and monitor audit coverage to support an entity-wide opinion on
internal control |
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How to roll up results of audit projects into an entity-wide opinion
– from IIA Research Study: A Framework for Internal Auditing’s
Entity-Wide Opinion on Internal Control
– Williams Companies |
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COSO-Based Auditing, Using the
Risk/Control Matrix as a Self-Assessment Tool
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The Traditional Audit Process |
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A Better Audit Process |
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Audit Simulation: Introduction to
Monolithic Diversified Industries |
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Phase I: Planning
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Planning steps for a participative audit |
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The acquisition audit approach |
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Audit Simulation: Notes on research of the
human resource function |
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Audit Simulation: Participative audit
planning meeting |
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Identifying and assessing risks: four helpful
categories |
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Characteristics of well-defined audit objectives |
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Audit Simulation: Define audit objectives
and scope for MDI Human Resources audit |
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Phase II: Evaluate the Adequacy of
System Design
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Documenting internal controls: traditional methods
vs. the risk/control matrix |
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Concepts and exercises in using the risk/control
matrix
– Defining objectives
– Identifying and analyzing risks
– Identifying controls |
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Alternative versions of the risk/control matrix
– COSO-ized
– Designed for Sarbanes-Oxley: Ameritrade, TCF
– Sample completed matrix |
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Key points in using the tool |
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Phase III: Evaluate the Effectiveness
of Controls
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Fieldwork: purpose and methods |
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Rules of audit evidence, and how they apply to
soft controls |
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Five principles for evaluating soft controls |
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A risk/control matrix for evaluating the control
environment |
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Tool for evaluating effectiveness of soft
controls: the CSA Questionnaire |
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Phases I-III: Develop Recommendations
for Improvement
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The five attribute approach |
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Form for developing and reporting audit findings |
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Participative reporting |
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Phase IV: Reporting
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Techniques and formats to support participative
auditing |
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How to Make It Happen
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Six Critical steps in implementing your new tools
and techniques |
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Internal control training for management and/or
all employees – Cargill |
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Benefits of implementing COSO |
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[ COSO-Based IA ] [ Sarbanes-Oxley ] [ Best Practices ] [ ERM ] [ Soft Controls ] [ Operational ] [ New Auditor ] [ Leadership ] [ Relationship ] [ Report ] |