COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the course on Support & Assist in Quality Audits. This course is designed to provide you with the essential knowledge and skills needed to effectively assist and support quality audits within your organisation. By mastering these skills, you can help ensure that your organisation meets the highest standards of quality and compliance.

We begin with an overview of the Australian auditing benchmarks. These benchmarks provide the standards and guidelines that govern auditing practices in Australia, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and reliability in the audit process. Understanding these benchmarks is crucial for conducting effective and compliant audits.

Next, we will explore various auditing methods and techniques. This section will cover the different approaches to auditing, including both qualitative and quantitative methods. By learning these techniques, you will be able to choose the most appropriate methods for different audit scenarios and ensure comprehensive assessments.

An understanding of current Australian audit practices is essential for staying up-to-date with industry standards. This section will discuss the latest trends, methodologies, and best practices in the field of auditing in Australia, helping you align your audit processes with contemporary standards.

Developing a robust audit plan is fundamental to successful audits. This section will outline the key components of an audit plan, including scope, objectives, methodologies, and resources. A well-structured audit plan serves as a roadmap for conducting thorough and effective audits.

Analysing patterns and risks in organisational quality systems is a critical skill for auditors. This section will cover techniques for identifying trends, assessing risks, and evaluating the effectiveness of quality systems within an organisation. By understanding these patterns and risks, you can provide valuable insights for continuous improvement.

Leveraging technology can significantly enhance the audit process. This section will explore various tools and technologies used in quality audits, such as audit management software, data analytics tools, and digital documentation systems. Using technology effectively can streamline audits and improve accuracy.

Effective audit preparation involves reviewing your role in the audit team and assessing past audits' impact. This section will guide you in sourcing and checking organisational documents, reviewing and requesting further documentation, resolving document issues with stakeholders, and referring specialist aspects to the lead auditor. Understanding these elements ensures thorough preparation and accurate audits.

Preparation is key to successful audits. This section will cover how to prepare checklists and tools, confirm the audit schedule and resources, plan for potential issues and mitigation strategies, align preparation with the audit plan, choose appropriate methods and techniques, and create entry and exit agendas. Thorough preparation sets the stage for efficient and effective audits.

The entry meeting is the starting point of the audit process. This section will discuss how to gather and analyse initial information, access relevant information sources, conduct an initial document assessment, communicate with relevant parties, and analyse and communicate risks and trends. Conducting a successful entry meeting ensures all parties are aligned and informed.

Evaluating information involves comparing audit findings to established benchmarks, deciding on the compliance level, and supporting decisions with relevant information. This section will guide you through the evaluation process, ensuring accurate and justified audit outcomes.

Reporting findings is a critical step in the audit process. This section will cover how to prepare recommendations for corrections, compare results to audit objectives, and report improvement recommendations. Clear and actionable reporting helps organisations address issues and improve their quality systems.

The exit meeting concludes the audit process. This section will discuss how to prepare the exit meeting agenda, explain the audit context and follow-up actions, and ensure all parties understand the audit findings and next steps. Conducting an effective exit meeting ensures clarity and agreement on the audit outcomes.

This course aims to equip you with the comprehensive skills and knowledge necessary to assist and support quality audits effectively. By the end of this course, you will be prepared to contribute significantly to the audit process, ensuring your organisation maintains high standards of quality and compliance.

This course is designed to align with the content outlined in the Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency BSBAUD411 Participate in quality audits. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Australian Auditing Benchmarks

·       Australian Standards on Auditing (ASA)

·       Regulatory Framework

·       Quality Assurance Reviews

·       Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB)

·       Professional Ethics and Independence

·       Sector-Specific Benchmarks

2. Auditing Methods and Techniques

·       Risk-Based Auditing

·       Compliance Auditing

·       Internal Control Testing

·       Substantive Testing

·       Sampling Methods

·       Observation and Inspection

·       Inquiry and Confirmation

·       Analytical Procedures

·       Forensic Auditing

·       IT Auditing

3. Current Australian Audit Practices

4. Key Components of an Audit Plan

5. Analyse Patterns and Risks in Organisational Quality Systems

·       Understanding the Quality System Framework

·       Pattern Analysis

·       Interrelationships Analysis

·       Risk Analysis

·       Continuous Improvement

6. Technology for Quality Audits

7. Review Role and Documents

·       Evaluate Role in Audit Team

·       Assess Past Audits' Impact

·       Source and Check Organisational Documents

·       Review and Request Further Documentation

·       Resolve Document Issues with Stakeholders

·       Refer Specialist Aspects to Lead Auditor

8. Prepare for Audit

·       Prepare Checklists and Tools

·       Confirm Schedule and Resources

·       Plan for Issues and Mitigation

·       Align Preparation with Audit Plan

·       Choose Methods and Techniques

·       Create Entry and Exit Agendas

9. Conduct Entry Meeting

·       Gather and Analyse Information

·       Access Relevant Information Sources

·       Initial Document Assessment

·       Communicate with Relevant Parties

·       Analyse and Communicate Risks and Trends

10. Evaluate Information

·       Compare Information to Benchmarks

·       Decide on Compliance Level

·       Support Decision with Information

11. Report Findings

·       Prepare Recommendations for Corrections

·       Compare Results to Audit Objectives

·       Report Improvement Recommendations

12. Conduct Exit Meeting

·       Prepare Exit Meeting Agenda

·       Explain Audit Context and Follow-Up

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.