seminar titles - explanations...list of titles for seminars l.a. hajiloizos bsc., fcca, cia, cfe,...

LIST OF TITLES FOR SEMINARS

L.A. Hajiloizos BSc., FCCA, CIA, CFE, CRMA, MSDI, FRI.

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1. SEMINAR TITLES FOR INTERNAL AUDIT:

• Root cause analysis: definition of a Root Cause Analysis (RCA), define the problem, collect data and evidence and classify, Classify the causes within the causal factors, Think of corrective actions or improvement measures, Think of effective solutions that can prevent recurrence, implement, monitor, conducting a root cause analysis, repercussions, types of RCA – the 5 whys?, Ishikawa diagram (fishbone), logic tree, Failure mode effects analysis (FME), Fault tree analysis, conclusions.

• Preparation of an Internal Audit Procedure Manual: the internal audit procedures manual and its usefulness. A template will be provided at the end of the seminar that candidates can immediately use to create their own manual. Full explanations and examples will be used at every section of the manual making it very easy for the creation of the manual.

• Auditing the Internal Control Environment (soft & hard controls): definition of internal control and strong internal control environment; what is the difference of the hard controls and soft controls. How do you audit soft controls?

• Preparation of an Internal Audit Charter: definition of an IAD charter. What’s its role and functionality, how is to be used, how long it should be reviewed, what it should contain who signs it and what to do after it has been properly authorised?

• Creation of effective Audit Committees (AC Charter): AC charter; what it should contain, who authorises it, how often it should be updated. What is an AC, its functionality, to whom it reports to, who reports to it in accordance to Corporate Governance?

• The relationship between the Audit Committee & the Internal Auditor: what is the correct and proper relationship between the AC and the internal auditor? What about the external auditors?



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• Training for AC directors: what are the proper duties and functions of an

internal audit team. How should be made up, what kind of type of directors should be its members? What are their roles and duties? How often should they meet up? What kind of decision can they take?

• Report Writing techniques – value added service (do’s and don’ts): how should a report look like – introduction – main body – conclusion. How does this apply to the internal audit report? Executive summary vs the full analysis report. Report writing techniques, short sentences, short paragraphs, meaningful words, what to avoid and what to include in a report.

• Full internal audit from A-Z - practical assignment (use of lap-tops): from the assigning of an audit cycle in the audit plan to the fact finding task, the first and last conferences, the TOR, the Control Self-Assessment Questions i.e. ICQ, the audit programs, the sample selection methodology, the analysis and testing of data i.e. compliance/substantive testing, CAATT’s, the working paper indexing, and the final report writing the presentation to the AC and the WIP/Follow up report.

• Quality Review of an Internal Audit department: The IIA standards on passing a Quality review by external auditors. How to perform an inhouse quality review program as per the recommendations of the IIA.

• Auditing a Risk based environment: How do you audit a risk-based

environment. What tools can aid you in achieving this? How do you prioritise your company's risks? What kind of evidence to you collect? What is the difference between classical internal audit and risk based internal audit?

• The process of writing Risk based Audit Programmes: reversing a procedures manual into questions, updating them every year, use Objectives, risks, internal controls, internal steps, cross referencing to working papers.

• Managing the internal audit department: recruitment of staff, continuous trainings, evaluations, budgets cost and time, review of working papers and reports, coaching of staff, motivation of staff, preparing the presentations to the AC.

• Internal Audit of:

• Insurance companies (claims, underwriting etc.) • Reinsurance companies (claims, underwriting, retrocession etc.) • Hotels (front office, maintenance, housekeeping, F&B department, etc.)



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• Real Estate & Construction Companies (stocks, projects etc.) • Cement factories and Quarries, (production, distribution, extraction etc) • Industrial laundries • Mobile Telecommunications Companies (contracts, stocks, marketing,

Sales, billing, accounting, HR etc.) • HR audit (recruitment, contract, compensations, employee files, TMS,

absences, overtimes, motivation, appraisals, development, trainings etc.)

• Preparation of a Risk based yearly plan (audit plan): practical example

on categorising the processes, departments and or Group companies into High Medium or Low risks. Based on this categorisation the creation of the Risk - based audit plan following the risk categorisation that was extracted from the practical session.

• Revenue assurance: receivables, cash receipts skimming & larceny • Code of Ethics for Accountants and Auditors: Ethics Programs, Ethics,

and Legality, Corporate governance, Code of ethics, Internal and External Fraud Report. Round table discussions: the challenges of applying the code of ethics

• Artificial Intelligence and the Internal Auditor: Introduction into the

history of AI, Artificial Intelligence – considerations for the internal audit profession, Technological Advances Versus Internal Controls, Big data & Algorithms, Types of Artificial Intelligences, what are the AI Opportunities and Risks? The role of the internal auditor in an AI environment, Re-emphasising Cyber Resilience, CAATs Vs CAATTs, AI Auditing Framework, Measuring Performance of AI, Are we ready for an AI future?

• Communicating effectively for Audit Success: the communication

model, listening vs hearing, basic body language skills, presentation skills, the art of a zen presentation, interviewing skills and negotiation skills.

• Corporate Governance strategies for Internal Auditors: How do you

audit the Corporate Governance process in your company? How do you audit the Board, and its committees?

• Leadership Skills for an IA: 5 levels of Leadership, Process of Great

Leadership, Leadership principles, setting realistic goals for your team, Training and coaching, Role assignment and responsibilities, Developing team skills, Performance monitoring, Attributes of leadership, Top leader qualities, Leadership and direction,



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• Risk & Risk management from an internal auditors’ perspective: introduction and scope of the seminar, controlling risk, risk assessment a practical example, fraud risk analysis, case study

• Cutting Edge Internal Auditing Processes: The Modern Internal Auditor

(Classical V’s Modern Internal Auditor, Facing the new challenges head on, Corporate Governance). A Fully Functional IAD (Bench marking your Internal Audit department, Enhancing the right internal audit team, Internal Audit cutting-edge methodology, Continuous monitoring). Thinking Out of The Box (The applicability of the “Three Lines of Defence Model”, The challenges of the Assurance Vs the Consultancy roles, Fraud Investigations, Communication challenges)

See also below Fraud Seminars



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2. FRAUD SEMINARS:

• The responsibility of management and others for fraud: internal

controls and the Three lines of defence model fully explained. The responsibilities of each one of the three lines of defence to fraud.

• Financial Statements Fraud: The Cost of Financial Statement Fraud, Why Financial Statement Fraud Is committed? the various types of FS fraud, overstating of assets or revenues and understating of expenses and liabilities, What Red Flags Are Associated with Fictitious Revenues? What Red Flags Are Associated with Timing Differences? What Red Flags Are Associated with Improper Asset Valuation? What Red Flags Are Associated with Concealed Liabilities and Expenses? What Red Flags Are Associated with Improper Disclosures? What Red Flags Are Associated with Financial Statement Fraud in General?

• Contract and Procurement Fraud: Methods of fighting frauds for the

contract & procurement process (Interview techniques, Analysis of documents/data, Observation skills, Forensic auditing (including digital forensics), Basics of contract law, Procurement methods, Phases in the Procurement Process, Categories of Procurement Fraud Schemes, Preventing Contract and Procurement Fraud

• Interview theory and applications for fraud: Preparation, Interview(er) Characteristics, Elements of Conversation, 5 General types of questions: 1. Introductory questions (Theme Development, Methodology, what is my purpose? Establish Transitional Statement, Seek Continuous Agreement), 2. Informational questions (Controlled Answer Techniques, Note-Taking, Theme Development, Methodology, Difficult People, Volatile Interview, 3. Assessment questions (Verbal clues, Non-verbal clues) 4. Closing questions, 5. Accusatory or Admission-Seeking Questions)



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• Receivables Fraud - indicators / prevention / detection • Payroll Fraud - indicators / prevention / detection

• Expenses Fraud - indicators / prevention / detection • Cash Receipts Fraud - indicators / prevention / detection • Fraud prevention & detection measures: ACFE report to the nations

analysis, added value of an internal auditor, Companies tend to see the immediate cash loss in a fraud case and they fail to see the indirect ripple effects, hard and soft controls, control breakdown, COSO framework, Fraud Risk Assessment, The fraud theory approach, interviewing skills, basic body language rules, reading FS skills, observation skills, processes that could help protect a company from itself, data analysis, reporting of internal and external fraud, whistle blowing system.

• A-Z of a Fraud investigation and reporting – a practical case study;

Three actions to help mitigate fraud, combating fraud, fraud investigation, plan for the worst scenario, auditing vs. fraud examination, the A team, The fraud theory approach, case study, analyse existing data, creating the hypothesis, which three tools to be used in a fraud investigation?

• Fraud awareness & company health check: what you need to know about fraud, prevention and detection techniques

• Forensic audits: What is Forensic accounting/auditing? Types of fraud

(Corruption: Bribery, Kickbacks, Economic Extortions, Illegal Gratuities, Collusion, their detection and prevention controls) Corruption (Conflict of interest schemes, their detections and prevention controls Asset Misappropriation, Financials statements fraud) Forensic auditing basic skills

• Digital Forensics: Digital evidence and their Volatility, Locating digital

evidence (Computer systems, Printers, copiers, scanners and faxes, Data storage devices, Networks, Smart Phones and Cloud environments) Computer Investigations V’s Computer Forensics, Reporting and Testifying.

• Developing and Integrating an Anti-Fraud Compliance and Ethics

Program: There will be a detailed explanation of the Anti-Fraud Program Development and Implementation process and Compliance with Corporate Ethics (Internal control measures and their detours, Promoting the Development and Implementation of a Program to Combat Fraud and Compliance with Corporate Ethics, The impact of fraud on the company, Preventive Control Procedures, Training tactics for officials and



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executives, Hotlines for fraud, Checks on recruitment of new employees, Creating and communicating anti-fraud policy, Ethics programs.

• Fraud prevention and controlling: Introduction - ACFE – Report to the

Nations 2018, Internal controls soft and hard, The three lines of defence model, Assessing and managing fraud risks, Methods of fighting fraud, Processes for discovering and assessing fraud (Interview skills, Assessment and analysis of data, Observation skills), Prevention skills and Techniques (Corporate Governance, Employee recruitment, The role of the internal auditor, The role of the external auditor), Prevention skills and Techniques, Data analysis and trends, Reporting internal and external frauds.

See also below Risk Seminars



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3. RISK MANAGEMENT

• ERM – Enterprise Risk Management: COSO history and latest updates

on risk. Embedding of risk, the role of the risk manager and the risk committee.

• Risk management a key to corporate governances: how does risk affect the companies. Risk is one of the main pillars of the Corporate Governance. The Risk Committee, its role and functionality. The relationship between the risk manager and the risk committee.

• Risk assessment – and the preparation of a risk register: Introduction to Risk and Risk Management, explanations on the risks and risk appetite, the risk wheel, the risk/heat map, risk factors, ERM. Having defined the risk factors then you categorise your risks into High Medium and Low and then you prepare a heat map and from there you can easily create the risk register.

• Risk Management in Insurance Companies: Solvency II and its effects

on the insurance companies from the risk perspective. • How to write up a Risk based Audit Plan: practical example on

categorising the processes, departments and or Group companies into High Medium or Low risks. Based on this categorisation the creation of the Risk - based audit plan following the risk categorisation that was extracted from the practical session.

• Risk & Risk management from an internal auditors’ perspective:

Introduction to Risk and Risk Management, explanations on the risks and risk appetite, the risk wheel, the risk/heat map, risk factors, ERM. How the



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internal auditor can audit the work of the risk manager, the risk register, and the risk appetite. The use of a practical case in order to produce the risk-based audit plan.

See also below Soft Skills Seminars



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4. SOFT SKILLS

• The art of presentation; the ZEN way (keynote / PPP and the

presenter’s skills and techniques): this shows the techniques that are required by someone that is to present an interactive and live presentations to keep the participants opined to their chairs irrespective of the length of the presentation. It then moves to the presenter’s skills that are necessary to deliver such a presentation, the fears and how to overcome them. This works whether you have technical issues to present and/or financial numbers etc.

• Procedure Manuals writing techniques (flow Charts): this is a seminar that assists those that would like to record their companies processes into flow charts/diagrams. There are basically two main methodologies that can be followed, the paper trail as well as the controls trail per process. Both are fully explained with practical workshops.

• Communication seminar: what is communication and the methods of

communication. What to do and what not to do. It includes presentation skills, reading the unsaid words and responding correctly.

• Sales Techniques: communication skills, negotiation skills and the 18

essential sales/Business development skills that are needed to close a deal and bring in the clients.

• How to prepare for a job interview and succeed: – skills and

techniques required for the actual interview, how to write an application letter and how to fix your CV.



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• Negotiation Skills: how to negotiate your way out of difficult situations, what are the norms and best practices with full hands on examples.

• Conflict and Anger management at the work place: how are conflicts

arise, what are the sources of conflicts, the different types of people and how to handle them, using preventive & identification measures. It expands also on communication skills and body language and provides guidance on how to resolve conflicts.

• Leadership skills: full explanations with practical examples on the

necessary skills that a leader should possess in order to be able to lead their teams to more efficient and effective results whilst keeping them motivated and engaged at all stages of the projects. It deals with coaching skills, communication skills etc.

• Understanding and Responding to stakeholders’ expectations: this a

seminar that helps all employees (all levels) of any company on how to understand their stakeholders needs, expectations and wants and then use these skills and tactics in order to respond to them and managing to at least meet their stakeholders’ expectations. Resulting in a happy stakeholder.

• Customer support: the techniques and skills that are a must for everyone

dealing with clients and facing complaints etc. what do you need to know, what do you need to do and what do you need to avoid doing. Practical examples from various industries.

See also below Corporate areas seminars



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5. CORPORATE AREAS - General:

• Modern Corporate Governance: the history and evolution of the CG

recommendations. The latest CG rules and regulations for all industries. How to mitigate your risk exposures through the implementation of proper CG in your organisation even if it’s not mandatory by law or supervisory authorities.

• Corporate Social Responsibility CSR: definition of corporate social responsibility, how it’s being used by various companies in the various industries etc. what are the benefits of having a CSR and who is responsible for it.

• How to create a Business Plan: what do you need to include in a BP (1-

5 years) and what not! A template will be given at the end of the seminar that can be used immediately by the delegates to record their companies BP.

• How to create an Authority & Approval Guideline for your company:

this is a document that fully describes all the possible Authorities and approval limits that exists in your company and how are these applied. This is a very useful tool for the external, internal auditors as well as the risk manager of the company. It provides accountability to the employees.

• The Business Continuity plan and Disaster Recovery: a full analysis of

the steps to be taken to write a BCP & DR plans and its practical applications in the workplace.

The End.

seminar titles - explanations...list of titles for seminars l.a. hajiloizos bsc., fcca, cia, cfe,...

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