Master the art of writing clear, persuasive audit issues that actually drive change and get management to take action.
Audit reports are only as effective as the action they inspire. Too often, critical audit findings are lost in technical jargon, overly complex explanations, or poorly structured arguments, leaving management disconnected and unmotivated to act. "Say It So They Care: Writing Clear and Convincing Audit Issues" transforms the way audit professionals communicate their findings by focusing on the intersection of clarity, impact, and persuasion.
This course delves into the art and science of drafting issue statements that resonate directly with business leaders. It explores techniques for distilling complex audit observations into concise narratives that highlight true business risk and strategic value. The material bridges the gap between technical audit execution and executive-level reporting, examining how to construct communications that clearly articulate root causes, compelling business impacts, and logical recommendations. Through a deep dive into targeted writing strategies and stakeholder psychology, this course provides a comprehensive blueprint for elevating audit influence, eliminating miscommunication, and driving meaningful organizational improvement.
7 activities • 6 videos • duration: 1h 18m
Audit Smarter, not Harder - with Elizabeth and Audie the Internal Otteror!
Elizabeth McDowell, CPA, CIA has over 20 years of audit experience and is the founder of Audit Forward, an innovative internal audit consulting and training firm. Elizabeth is passionate about advancing and advocating for the internal audit profession and was recognized as one of the 2023 Internal Audit Beacons by Richard Chambers. Elizabeth makes auditing and training fun (no, really!) with the help of her mascot, Audie the Internal Otteror. Elizabeth’s most recent industry experience was at Achieve, where she was Sr. Director, Audit Strategy; prior to that, she held internal audit leadership roles at Elevations Credit Union, Fidelity Investments, and Xcel Energy after first starting her career at Ernst & Young.
Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.
Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.
