Effective Writing for Auditors

Clearly written communication there may be no more important skill for any auditor at any level in an organization. Effective auditors understand the importance of developing informative and persuasive documents and writing them clearly and concisely. This course will help auditors at all levels refine their writing skills and brush up on the basics. Facilitators provide guidance on all aspects of effective writing, applicable to all types of audit-related documents. You will learn techniques for organizing information and ideas as well as strategies for paragraphing, clarity, conciseness, readability, and tone. You also will explore best practices for giving and receiving feedback on writing. This course focuses on writing skills. If you are seeking a course that focuses on the structure and organization of audit reports, then you should consider Audit Report Writing as an alternative or prerequisite.

Course Duration: 2 Days CPE Hours Available: 16 CPE Knowledge Level: Intermediate Field of Study: Communications Prerequisites: This course focuses on writing skills. If you are seeking a course that focuses on the structure and organization of audit reports, then you should consider Audit Report Writing as an alternative or prerequisite. Advance Preparation: Computers are recommended for completing exercises and writing practice. Delivery Format: Seminar, On-site

Course Outline: The Writing Process and Task Analysis Define the writing process Identify the key elements in a writing task analysis, including the writing objectives, the readers, and the limitations on the writer and the task Develop main messages

Tool of Organizing Assess immediate and delayed styles for presenting the message Create mind maps Create outlines Use five logical patterns: chronological, topical, comparative, cause and effect, and spatial

Paragraphing and Formatting Write unified, developed, and coherent paragraphs Use topic sentences Use bullet lists, headings, and font characteristics

Readability and Conciseness Use strategies for summarizing details Discuss readability factors Use the key-word technique Use six easy edits for conciseness

Clarity Tone Examine elements that affect tone Revise to control tone Revise to improve sentence clarity

Reviewing and Editing Distinguish between reviewing and editing, and understand the best uses of each Distinguish between justified and unjustified changes Assess strategies for receiving and responding to feedback