Certificate in Modern Internal Audit Practices (CMIAP) |Smart

Overview

Why Attend

The Internal Audit department plays a crucial role in serving the organization with a range of essential functions. These encompass activities such as evaluating internal controls, enhancing operational efficiency, uncovering and preventing fraudulent activities, ensuring adherence to organizational policies and procedures, as well as compliance with government laws and regulations.

The establishment of a robust and well-equipped Internal Audit function represents a pivotal milestone in an organization's growth trajectory. However, realizing the full potential of the audit function requires adopting an open-minded approach that embraces soft skills, fosters teamwork, leverages data analysis, promotes fraud prevention, and encourages agile and flexible thinking. Only by embracing these principles can the audit function truly contribute value to the organization.

This course addresses these critical elements and guides participants in transforming their audit function from a traditional reporting function into becoming strategic partners with other stakeholders, thereby becoming an integral and indispensable component of the organization.

Course Methodology

This course is based on open discussions, question and answer sessions, group exercises, activities, videos, case studies and presentations based on best practices, case studies and core principles.

Course Objectives

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

Differentiate between modern and traditional audit practices
Develop methods to promote the internal audit function
Build a flexible internal audit plan
Lean on anti-fraud detection and prevention techniques and incorporate them into the audit programs
Formulate horizontal audit methodologies to assess a specific process, ensuring a more thorough and comprehensive audit scope and coverage

Target Audience

This course is suitable for anyone within the Internal Audit function, including, but not limited to, Internal Auditors, internal controllers, risk officers, external auditors and compliance officers from all levels.

Target Competencies

Analytical skills
Risk assessment
Communication skills
Writing skills
Critical thinking

Course Outline

The Internal Audit Function
- Internal Auditing defined
- Purpose, authority and responsibility
- Assurance, insight and objectivity
- Standards and proficiency
- Internal Auditing vs. accounting – external audit and internal control
- The nature and scope of modern internal audit services
- The internal audit charter and the audit committee; the importance and role of having them
- The Internal Audit Roles – how the role of the Internal Audit has evolved to become a key element in each organization
- Types of internal audit engagements
Promoting the Internal Audit Function
- The evolving role of Internal Audit
- Marketing the audit function and internal auditors
- Educating stakeholders on the services internal audit can provide
- Demonstrating internal audit's understanding of the culture of the organization
- Demonstrating internal audit’s understanding of the needs of key stakeholders
- Shifting the audit function from the “last” to the “first” resort
- Top tips on how to raise the profile of internal audit
- Encouraging stakeholders to use internal audit services
Agile Auditing
- Defining Agile auditing
- Agile auditing benefits and constraints
- Deciding to go Agile
- The Scrum Framework
- Implementing Agile auditing using Scrum
- Agile auditing mindset shift
Horizontal/Transversal Audit
- Horizontal audits defined
- Activities to include in Horizontal audits
- Horizontal vs. vertical audits, the pros and cons
- Using the right style of audit
- Reporting the horizontal audit results
Sampling Techniques
- Discuss the basic concepts of sampling techniques
- Document analytical reviews
- Test and gather audit evidence
- Complete and document compliance and substantive tests
- Select the appropriate testing method
- Discuss statistical sampling techniques
- Determine the objectives of the sampling plan
- Develop the sampling plan
- Apply attribute sampling techniques
- Identify the sample results
Building the Flexible Internal Audit Plan
- Building your audit universe
- Performing a risk assessment
- Obtaining stakeholders' insights
- Preparing your audit plan
Audit Mission Cycle
- Planning the engagement
- Performing the engagement
- Supervising the engagement
- Communicating the results of the mission
- Following up on audit missions
Internal Audit’s role and responsibility towards fraud
- Fraud risk management process
- Prevention techniques to avoid potential fraud risk events
- Detection techniques that should be established
- Supplier and outsourcing fraud
- Fraud risk matrix and fraud scenarios
- Fraud risk questionnaire
- The top 30 fraud indicators
- How to spot the danger signals
- Fraud detection and legal aspects
- Fraud investigation - managing the investigation
- Incorporating fraud detection techniques into audit programs
Writing skills and reporting styles
- New methods to report audit findings
- Recognizing “reporting bombs”
- Executive summaries Vs. Detailed reports
- Distinguish barriers to eﬀective written communication and identify ways to overcome them
- Identify the target audience and adapt writing accordingly
- Structure the audit report for greater impact
- Present audit ﬁndings in a clear and concise manner
- Produce a concise and compelling executive summary

Schedule & Fees

2026 Schedule & Fees

18 - 22 Oct, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

18 - 22 Oct, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Nov, 2026

English

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Nov, 2026

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

2027 Schedule & Fees

17 - 21 Jan, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

17 - 21 Jan, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Feb, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Feb, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

18 - 22 Apr, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

18 - 22 Apr, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

9 - 13 May, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

9 - 13 May, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

18 - 22 Jul, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

18 - 22 Jul, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Aug, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

8 - 12 Aug, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

17 - 21 Oct, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

17 - 21 Oct, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Nov, 2027

English

Per participant USD 2,900

7 - 11 Nov, 2027

Arabic

Per participant USD 2,900