HOW TO WRITE AUDIT REPORT WITH 6 STEPS (TRAINING HRDF CLAIMABLE)
The ultimate objective of internal audit reporting is not to describe what we found or to make recommendations for improvement. It is to persuade readers to take action.
1. Keep It Short
"This report by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read."
The lessons for internal auditors: (1) Internal audit reports are most persuasive when they are tailored to our stakeholders' needs; and (2) if we overwhelm our readers with too much information, our reports will have less impact. If a word, idea, or sentence does not contribute directly to the point, consider eliminating it.
2. Keep It Simple
The best internal audit reports express big ideas in small words, never small ideas in big words. Our writing is most persuasive when we use clear, direct, and familiar language. This does not mean "dumbing down" our reports; it does mean clear and effective communication — the opposite of legalese.
The lesson for internal auditors: There's a reason you rarely see bureaucratic language or legalese in marketing materials: Plain language sells ideas better. Even if all of your stakeholders are capable of reading and understanding a doctoral dissertation, that doesn't mean they will want to. Your writing is more likely to be persuasive if it is not pompous, unnecessarily complicated, or loaded with technical jargon.
3. Make Your Best Ideas Stand Out
We need to make it easy for busy executives to read, absorb, and act on the results of our work. Keeping things short and simple can help, but we also must organize our reports to make the most important ideas stand out.
Message-style headings, subheadings, and call-out boxes can bring attention to the most important information in your report. Don't hesitate to use examples, tables, color, charts, or pictures to clarify and add emphasis to important issues. Also consider using an executive summary, table of contents, and/or index to help the reader easily find information in your report. For longer reports, an executive summary is essential.
The lesson for internal auditors: Different stakeholders have different needs, so we need to help individual readers access the specific information they need. Our writing won't be persuasive if key messages are lost in the details.
4. Don't Neglect the Basics
If it contains misspellings or incorrect grammar or punctuation, readers may get the impression that you are not detail-oriented or, worse, careful about your work. Even a single error can adversely impact your credibility. It may not be fair, but if your report contains errors (careless or otherwise), your well-reasoned arguments may fall flat.
The lesson for internal auditors: Pay attention to details. It's difficult to be persuasive if you lose your credibility because you ignored the basics.
5. Consider the Implications
We all try to be unbiased, but sometimes we overlook the implication of our words. If we want readers to buy into our ideas, our tone needs to be objective — even when we deliver a negative message.
The lesson for internal auditors: We rarely persuade by making someone feel hostile or defensive. If our report seems biased or unfair, the client is likely to tune us out.
6. Remember the Five C's
Criteria (what should be)
Condition (the current state)
Cause (the reason for the difference)
Consequence (effect)
Corrective action plans/recommendations
TRAINING CALENDAR FOR 2020
FINANCE & ACCOUNTING PROGRAM
100% HRDF CLAIMABLE
JAN 2020
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FI190
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Credit Management and Debt Recovery
– Zero Debt Initiative (New)
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6&7 Jan
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MG070
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Tax Planning For Malaysian Company
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6&7 Jan
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FI180
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Financial Controls Under Current
Economic
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8&9 Jan
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FI182
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Audit Report Writing for Internal
Auditors
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13&14 Jan
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FI056
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Accounts Payable: From Accounting
to Management
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15&16 Jan
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FI163
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Integrated Tax Planning
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22&23 Jan
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FI071
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Bookkeeping & Accounting Skills
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29&30 Jan
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FI188
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Budgeting & Planning For Organization
Progress (New)
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29&30 Jan
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FEB 2020
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FI049
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Accounts Receivable & Credit
Policies Management
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3&4 Feb
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FI201
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Handling Full Set of Accounts – A
Practical Approach (New)
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3&4 Feb
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FI183
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Managing P&L & SST
Implementation
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5&6 Feb
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FI142
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Transfer Pricing
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10&11 Feb
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FI184
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Financial Literacy For Millenials
(with Games)
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17&18 Feb
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FI150
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Finance For Non-Finance
Professionals *SBL-Khas
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19&20 Feb
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FI035
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Credit Control and Debt Collection
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24&25 Feb
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FI017
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Accounting – A Fresh Start
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26&27 Feb
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MAR 2020
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FI155
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Budgeting & Cashflow Projection
For Non-Accounting Managers/Executives
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2&3 Mar
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FI189
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Cost Analysis – The Right Costing
System (New)
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2&3 Mar
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MG017
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Fundamental of Costing &
Budgeting
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9&10 Mar
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FI179
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Valuations Basics of Private
Company
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11&12 Mar
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FI033
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Techniques on Collecting Hard Core
Debts
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16&17 Mar
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FI202
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Costing Techniques & Pricing
Decisions – The First Step (New)
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16&17 Mar
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FI186
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Management Accounting for
Non-Finance
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18&19 Mar
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MG069
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Strategic Cash Flow Management
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30&31 Mar
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