Lead Auditor Course

Course Description

This practical two-day Lead Auditor Course is designed for people who are responsible for planning, conducting or leading workplace audits and assurance activities.

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The program focuses on the practical skills required to conduct effective management system audits, rather than simply working through a checklist.

Participants work through the complete audit process, from establishing audit objectives and scope through to evidence gathering, audit team leadership, findings, closing meetings and reporting.

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The course also explores risk-based auditing, critical controls and the difference between what an organisation says happens and what actually happens in practice.

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Participants who successfully complete this program will develop the skills and knowledge required to confidently:

• Plan and prepare for management system audits

• Establish audit objectives, scope and criteria

• Apply risk-based auditing principles

• Develop audit plans, sampling strategies and audit trails

• Conduct opening and closing meetings

• Interview workers, supervisors and managers

• Gather and evaluate objective evidence

• Follow evidence trails and identify areas requiring further investigation

• Distinguish evidence from assumptions and opinion

• Identify conformity, nonconformity and systemic weaknesses

• Write clear and defensible audit findings

• Lead and coordinate an audit team

• Manage conflicting or incomplete evidence

• Reach evidence-based audit conclusions

• Prepare clear and useful audit reports

• Apply critical control and assurance thinking to high-risk activities.

 

Our Lead Auditor Course combines theory with practical exercises, simulated interviews, audit planning activities and realistic audit scenarios so participants can apply what they learn throughout the program.

 

Dates (Face-to-Face Delivery in Dubbo)

​See upcoming dates

 

9am - 4pm each day

Tea, coffee, morning tea and lunch provided

 

Who Should Attend

This course is suitable for:

• WHS and HSE professionals

• Quality professionals

• Risk and assurance professionals

• Internal auditors

• Compliance personnel

• Workplace supervisors and managers

• Consultants

• Contractor assurance personnel

• People responsible for workplace audit programs

• Existing auditors wanting to strengthen their practical auditing skills.

 

Previous auditing experience is useful but is not essential.

 

Course Content

The two-day program covers:

 

Understanding Management System Auditing

• Purpose and principles of auditing

• First, second and third-party audits

• Audits, inspections, investigations and assurance

• Auditor independence and professional judgement

• Common audit failure modes.

 

Planning the Audit

• Audit objectives

• Scope

• Criteria

• Audit methodology

• Audit team responsibilities

• Risk-based audit planning

• Sampling strategies

• Developing audit trails.

 

Conducting the Audit

• Opening meetings

• Interviewing techniques

• Gathering objective evidence

• Reviewing documents and records

• Workplace observations

• Evidence triangulation

• Following evidence trails

• Work as Imagined versus Work as Done.

 

Leading the Audit Team

• Allocating audit responsibilities

• Coordinating audit activities

• Monitoring audit progress

• Managing conflicting evidence

• Supporting audit team members

• Managing difficult audit situations

• Maintaining audit scope and integrity.

 

Audit Findings

• Conformity

• Observations

• Opportunities for improvement

• Nonconformity

• Systemic weaknesses

• Writing evidence-based findings

• Defending audit findings.

 

Risk and Critical Control Assurance

• Risk-based assurance

• Control implementation

• Control effectiveness

• Critical controls

• Verification

• Recognising control degradation.

 

Closing and Reporting

• Reaching audit conclusions

• Audit team review

• Closing meetings

• Managing disagreement

• Audit reporting

• Communicating significant findings to management

• Follow-up and corrective action.

 

Entry Requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.

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Participants should have a reasonable understanding of workplace management systems, business processes, WHS, quality, risk, compliance or assurance activities.

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Participants who currently undertake workplace audits, inspections or assurance activities will particularly benefit from the practical content of the program.

 

Assessment Requirements

Participants will complete practical and knowledge-based activities throughout the course.

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Assessment activities may include:

• Development of an audit plan

• Audit scope and sampling exercises

• Simulated opening meetings

• Audit interviews

• Evidence-gathering activities

• Audit team exercises

• Writing audit findings

• Defending audit findings

• Simulated closing meetings

• Short knowledge assessment.

 

The emphasis is on demonstrating practical auditor capability rather than simply completing a written examination.

 

Certificate

Participants who successfully complete the course requirements will receive an Orana Skills Centre Certificate of Completion for the 2-Day Lead Auditor Course – Practical Management Systems Auditing.

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This course is professional development training and is not currently a nationally recognised qualification.

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Course Delivery

This course is delivered face-to-face at Orana Skills Centre in Dubbo NSW.

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The program is highly practical and includes simulated audit activities, group exercises, workplace scenarios and facilitated discussions.

The course can also be delivered in-house for organisations wanting to develop the capability of their internal audit, WHS, quality, risk or assurance teams.

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Please email admin@oranaskillscentre.com for group or in-house delivery enquiries.

 

Invoicing and Payment

$1,295 per participant including GST. An invoice will be sent to the nominated email address. Booking is confirmed upon payment of invoice. We also accept payment plans. 

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Please email admin@oranaskillscentre.com if you have any questions.