Seeking: Internal Audit Training Material - Practice Audits?

[Ingeniero1]

Sample / Practice audit material?

I am presently training our four internal auditors (IA). I have a lot of experience but have only attended one IA two-day seminar for ISO 9001:2000. Besides covering the Standard, discussing the intricacies of auditing in general and as applicable to this Standard, I was planning to conduct ‘mock’ audits using written descriptions and documentation of a fictitious organization.

Does any one know where I may find such documentation as intended for practice in classroom/seminar settings? I would rather not have to write (read: invent) operation descriptions, procedures, and resulting audit findings if such already exist.

By the way, I will also administer a very generic, 12- to 15-question test to show that the material was covered and understood by my IAs.

Thanks!

Alex

 

[Cari Spears]

I always use our own stuff. It already exists.

 

[e006823]

The Quality Council of Indiana's CQA primer includes some case studies.

Bob

 

[RoxaneB]

Cari's got an excellent idea and one that I employ in my own course...use case studies and exercises applicable to your industry! It makes the concept of auditing hit home.

Did the course you attended not provide any "mock audit" material or case studies? I'd suggest using those and, where possible, reword them so that seem more in line with something that could happen at your company.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Cari's got an excellent idea and one that I employ in my own course...use case studies and exercises applicable to your industry! It makes the concept of auditing hit home.

I agree, and I do the same thing: I also have a look at a few old audits and pick material and examples from them. Some I make up. Oh, and don't forget to make things more interesting by providing some scenarios that are very borderline and a few that are clearly not deviations...

That usually sparks an amusing discussion

Added later: I forgot to say that when you use "real" background material, you will be able to put the students findings to good use, by pushing on to true corrective actions. That's a great start for a new auditor... to actually achieve something worthwhile right away.

/Claes

 

[db]

At Internal-Auditor.com's Scenario Question-of-the-Month you will find a bunch of mini-case studies, if it will help.

 

[Ingeniero1]

I have a couple of very simple examples as were used in the seminar I attended. Unfortunately, the good examples were handed out and then collected at the end of the exercise (naturally), so I don't have them anymore.

I would use our own (unquestionably the best option), except that none exist. Although the company is approaching half-a-century in operation (I have been here just one year) there has never been an audit or anything resembling such, so I would have to create it from scratch.

Alex

 

[Douglas E. Purdy]

Nice Resource!

db,

Thanks for the resource.

Doug

 

[Cari Spears]

...I would use our own (unquestionably the best option), except that none exist.

Sorry Alex, I should have been clearer. I meant, take your own existing procedures, work instructions, control plans, etc. and use them for your classroom practice and mock audits.

Personally, I don't even do the "mock" part of it. I accompany new auditors, blend their training right into an already scheduled audit after we have practiced in the classroom.

 

[Cari Spears]

...Oh, and don't forget to make things more interesting by providing some scenarios that are very borderline and a few that are clearly not deviations...

That usually sparks an amusing discussion

Added later: I forgot to say that when you use "real" background material, you will be able to put the students findings to good use, by pushing on to true corrective actions. That's a great start for a new auditor... to actually achieve something worthwhile right away.

/Claes

Exactly!