Project Auditing and Quality Reviews Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Project Managers, Internal Auditors and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-PM-122

Before you join: Participants should understand the basic project life cycle, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, stakeholders and change control.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Projects can appear healthy while carrying untested assumptions, weak controls, incomplete evidence and unresolved quality defects. Audit and quality review work provides decision-makers with a defensible view of whether a project is meeting approved requirements, protecting resources, managing risk and producing accepted deliverables. This matters in capital programmes, technology implementations, public-sector reform, banking change portfolios, donor-funded projects and operational improvement initiatives where failures can create financial, regulatory, safety or service consequences.

This course develops the practical skills needed to plan, conduct, report and follow up project audits and quality reviews. Participants work with ISO 19011 audit guidance, ISO 9001 quality principles, project governance controls, stage-gate reviews, risk-based sampling, evidence testing, root-cause analysis and corrective-action management. They learn to assess scope, schedule, cost, procurement, stakeholder, quality, risk and change controls; distinguish assurance from project delivery; write evidence-based findings; and present conclusions that senior sponsors can act upon.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with cases, group review assignments, simulated interviews, document testing and report-writing activities. Participants progressively build a project audit file using a realistic project scenario, then adapt the same tools to their own work. They leave with a reusable audit plan, review checklist, evidence register, findings log, corrective-action tracker and management report structure suitable for use on active projects.

The course suits project managers moving into assurance responsibilities, internal auditors reviewing projects, PMO professionals, quality managers, programme staff and sponsors who need stronger project control and review discipline.

What you will be able to do

  • Plan a risk-based project audit using an audit charter, scope statement and criteria matrix
  • Assess project governance, controls and quality arrangements against agreed requirements
  • Apply ISO 19011 principles to interviews, evidence collection and audit documentation
  • Test scope, schedule, cost, risk, procurement and change-control evidence
  • Conduct stage-gate and quality reviews using defined acceptance criteria and checklists
  • Write evidence-based findings with clear condition, criteria, cause, effect and recommendation statements
  • Develop corrective-action plans with owners, deadlines, verification methods and escalation routes
  • Present a complete project audit report and assurance recommendation to project stakeholders

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible audit findings instead of relying on informal project impressions
  • Challenge project status claims through documented evidence and control testing
  • Lead stage-gate reviews with clear criteria, decisions and follow-up actions
  • Write concise assurance reports for sponsors, steering committees and audit functions
  • Build credibility for project assurance, PMO governance or internal audit roles

For your organisation

  • Earlier identification of schedule, cost, quality and governance control failures
  • More consistent project reviews across programmes, business units and suppliers
  • Clearer accountability for corrective actions, due dates and verification evidence
  • Better quality of information presented to sponsors and steering committees
  • Stronger audit trails for regulatory, donor, customer and board scrutiny

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish project assurance roles and establish an appropriate review mandate.

  • Project assurance roles, authority lines and independence requirements
  • Three-lines model applied to project governance responsibilities
  • Audit charters defining scope, access, confidentiality and escalation
  • Stage-gate assurance mapped to initiation, planning, delivery and closure
  • Distinguishing first-line controls from independent quality assurance activities
  • Assurance calendars coordinated with steering committees and portfolio reporting

Participants can assess whether project quality arrangements meet defined requirements and acceptance criteria.

  • ISO 9001 quality management principles applied to project delivery
  • Quality planning linked to requirements, standards and acceptance criteria
  • Defining quality assurance, quality control and inspection responsibilities
  • Process maps showing inputs, controls, outputs and accountable owners
  • Quality metrics for defects, rework, acceptance and customer satisfaction
  • Documented information controls for procedures, records and approved templates

Participants can prepare a risk-based audit plan aligned with project priorities and assurance needs.

  • Risk-based audit planning using likelihood, impact and control maturity
  • Audit universe identifying projects, workstreams, suppliers and governance forums
  • Scoping reviews around material risks, critical milestones and dependencies
  • Audit objectives translated into testable questions and evaluation criteria
  • Sampling approaches for documents, transactions, deliverables and project decisions
  • Resource plans assigning reviewers, specialist support and review timelines

Participants can define audit criteria and collect sufficient, relevant and reliable evidence.

  • Criteria matrices linking requirements, controls, evidence sources and tests
  • ISO 19011 evidence principles of sufficiency, relevance and reliability
  • Document review techniques for plans, registers, minutes and approvals
  • Interview protocols using open questions, probing and corroboration
  • Evidence registers recording source, date, owner and test conclusion
  • Triangulating statements, records and observed practices before reaching conclusions

Participants can test project governance arrangements and identify control weaknesses.

  • Governance structures tested against decision rights and delegated authority
  • RACI matrices reviewed for accountability gaps and conflicting responsibilities
  • Steering committee minutes assessed for challenge, decisions and escalations
  • Control design evaluated through preventive, detective and corrective measures
  • Segregation of duties checked across approvals, payments and change decisions
  • Management information tested for accuracy, timeliness and decision usefulness

Participants can assess whether project scope and changes are controlled through traceable approvals.

  • Requirements traceability matrices linking needs, specifications, tests and acceptance
  • Work breakdown structures reviewed for missing deliverables and ownership
  • Scope baselines compared with approved business cases and project charters
  • Change requests tested for impact analysis, approval and implementation evidence
  • Configuration management controls applied to specifications, drawings and software releases
  • Benefits assumptions examined for ownership, measurement and dependency controls

Participants can test schedule and cost controls using baseline, variance and forecast evidence.

  • Integrated master schedules reviewed for logic links, milestones and critical paths
  • Schedule baselines tested against approved scope, resources and delivery assumptions
  • Earned value management indicators interpreted for cost and schedule performance
  • Cost forecasts reconciled with commitments, actuals, contingencies and approved budgets
  • Variance analysis tested for root causes, recovery actions and escalation
  • Milestone evidence checked against completion criteria and formal acceptance

Participants can evaluate whether project risks, issues and dependencies receive effective control attention.

  • Risk registers reviewed for ownership, scoring, treatment and residual exposure
  • Issue logs tested for ageing, escalation thresholds and closure evidence
  • Dependency maps analysed for sequencing risks and external delivery commitments
  • Risk appetite statements translated into project escalation and decision thresholds
  • Contingency reserves assessed against quantified risks and approval controls
  • Assumptions logs challenged through validation dates, owners and triggers

Participants can assess supplier controls, contract performance and project procurement evidence.

  • Procurement plans reviewed against sourcing strategy, approvals and competition requirements
  • Supplier due diligence tested for capability, financial standing and conflicts
  • Contract deliverables traced to specifications, milestones and acceptance records
  • Service-level measures assessed for accuracy, exceptions and remedial actions
  • Invoice approvals tested against contract terms, deliverables and delegated authority
  • Supplier risk reviews linked to performance, dependency and exit planning

Participants can conduct structured fieldwork while maintaining objectivity, professionalism and evidence discipline.

  • Opening meetings establish objectives, methods, access arrangements and communication protocols
  • Fieldwork plans sequence interviews, document tests, observations and daily debriefs
  • Interview notes distinguish facts, interpretations, commitments and unresolved questions
  • Walkthroughs trace selected transactions through project processes and approvals
  • Observation techniques identify deviations from procedures, standards and stated practices
  • Daily evidence reviews confirm gaps, emerging findings and additional testing needs

Participants can convert tested evidence into clear findings and credible root-cause conclusions.

  • Finding statements structured around condition, criteria, cause, effect and recommendation
  • Five Whys analysis separates symptoms from underlying control failures
  • Fishbone diagrams classify people, process, technology, data and governance causes
  • Impact assessments quantify cost, delay, quality, compliance and stakeholder consequences
  • Finding ratings calibrated through risk severity, likelihood and control effectiveness
  • Management responses assessed for factual accuracy and ownership commitments

Participants can design corrective-action plans and verify whether agreed actions resolve findings.

  • Corrective-action plans define actions, owners, deadlines, resources and success measures
  • Preventive actions address systemic causes before similar failures recur
  • Action trackers record status, evidence, dependencies and overdue escalations
  • Closure criteria distinguish completed tasks from verified control improvements
  • Follow-up testing confirms implementation, operating effectiveness and residual risk
  • Escalation routes address disputed findings and overdue management actions

Participants can produce concise reports that support timely management decisions and action.

  • Executive summaries state overall assurance conclusions and priority decisions
  • Audit reports present scope, criteria, methods, findings and limitations
  • Visual dashboards communicate ratings, trends, actions and unresolved exposures
  • Recommendations framed as practical control improvements with accountable owners
  • Closing meetings test factual accuracy without weakening independent conclusions
  • Steering committee presentations focus attention on decisions, risks and commitments

Participants can plan and facilitate stage-gate reviews using defined readiness and acceptance criteria.

  • Stage-gate criteria define readiness, evidence requirements, decisions and conditions
  • Gate review packs combine plans, risks, financials, deliverables and approvals
  • Readiness assessments test unresolved issues, dependencies and resource constraints
  • Deliverable review checklists assess completeness, accuracy, traceability and acceptance
  • Go, conditional-go, hold and stop decisions documented with rationale
  • Post-gate actions monitored until conditions and decision requirements are satisfied

Participants can use project data to target review effort and identify control exceptions.

  • Data quality checks identify missing fields, duplicate records and inconsistent dates
  • Trend analysis reveals recurring delays, cost overruns and ageing actions
  • Exception reporting flags overdue risks, unapproved changes and missed milestones
  • Dashboard tests reconcile reported status with underlying project source data
  • Sampling data supports targeted tests of approvals, invoices and deliverables
  • Simple audit analytics document logic, assumptions, outputs and review limitations

Participants can protect review integrity when facing conflicts, pressure and disputed evidence.

  • Independence threats assessed through self-review, familiarity and management pressure
  • Conflict-of-interest declarations managed before assigning review responsibilities
  • Confidential information handled through access controls, retention and reporting protocols
  • Professional scepticism applied to optimistic forecasts and unsupported status claims
  • Disputed findings resolved through additional evidence, criteria clarification and escalation
  • Difficult conversations maintain respect while addressing accountability and control failures

Participants can assess troubled projects and recommend proportionate recovery and escalation actions.

  • Recovery assessments diagnose scope, schedule, cost, capability and governance weaknesses
  • Independent health checks validate reported progress against objective delivery evidence
  • Recovery plans sequence stabilisation actions, decisions, resources and communication
  • Re-baselining criteria distinguish justified recovery from concealed performance failure
  • Escalation thresholds trigger sponsor intervention, independent review or project suspension
  • Lessons learned capture recurring control failures for portfolio-level improvement

Participants can design a repeatable project assurance programme for a PMO or delivery function.

  • Assurance frameworks define review types, frequency, roles and reporting routes
  • Project segmentation prioritises reviews by value, risk, complexity and strategic importance
  • Standard checklists tailored for projects, programmes, suppliers and transformation initiatives
  • Quality review calendars aligned with lifecycle gates and portfolio reporting cycles
  • Assurance metrics track finding trends, action closure and control maturity
  • Continuous improvement loops update methods from review outcomes and lessons learned

Participants can build, review and present a complete project audit and quality review package for a realistic project.

  • Audit charter establishes mandate, scope, criteria, access and reporting arrangements
  • Risk assessment prioritises governance, delivery, financial and quality control tests
  • Evidence plan selects documents, interviews, samples, observations and analytical procedures
  • Review findings document condition, criteria, cause, effect and agreed actions
  • Corrective-action tracker assigns owners, deadlines, verification evidence and escalation routes
  • Management report presents assurance conclusion, priorities, decisions and recovery recommendations

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Risk-based project audit plan template
  2. Project quality review checklist
  3. Audit criteria and evidence matrix
  4. Project control testing workpaper pack
  5. Corrective-action tracking register
  6. Executive assurance report template

Who should attend

  • Project Managers — need independent review methods and stronger control evidence
  • Internal Auditors — assess project controls, governance and delivery risks
  • PMO Managers — establish repeatable assurance standards across project portfolios
  • Quality Managers — conduct structured reviews of project processes and deliverables
  • Programme Managers — monitor cross-project risks, findings and corrective actions
  • Project Sponsors — challenge project status reports and gate decisions confidently

Skills and tools covered

Project audit planningQuality review methodsEvidence evaluationControl testingCorrective action managementAssurance reporting

Tools and standards

ISO 19011, ISO 9001, PMBOK Guide, Earned Value Management

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce standards, methods and decision criteria, followed by case-based analysis of project charters, plans, registers, reports and deliverables. Participants work in groups to plan audits, test evidence, conduct simulated interviews, assess findings and prepare corrective actions. Review simulations develop judgement under realistic time constraints and conflicting stakeholder views. Individual application planning helps participants adapt templates and review methods to their own projects, PMO arrangements or internal audit assignments.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand the basic project life cycle, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, stakeholders and change control. Experience working on a project team, PMO, quality function, internal audit team or programme office is useful because course cases use real project documentation and governance decisions. Participants should be able to read project plans, risk registers and status reports. Prior audit certification, formal quality management training, accounting expertise, statistical knowledge and experience with ISO standards are not required.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand basic project management concepts such as scope, schedule, budget, risk and change control. You do not need prior internal audit experience, ISO certification or formal quality management training.

Bring a laptop if possible, plus a non-confidential project charter, status report, risk register or review challenge from your work. Course templates and case materials are provided.

It is designed for project managers, PMO staff, internal auditors, quality managers, programme personnel and sponsors with assurance responsibilities. It is particularly useful for people reviewing projects rather than only delivering project tasks.

General project management courses focus on planning and delivering work. This course concentrates on independently testing project controls, judging evidence, reporting findings and verifying corrective actions.

Participants can use the audit plan, evidence matrix, review checklists and action tracker on current projects immediately. The methods support planned audits, stage-gate reviews, project health checks and recovery assessments.

The first week establishes audit planning, evidence methods and reviews of core project controls. The second week develops fieldwork, findings, reporting, quality gates, recovery reviews and a final capstone audit package; each day runs 08:30-16:30 with about 6.5 contact hours.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

More courses in Project Management

Project Management PRINCE2 7 Practitioner Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Project Management Programme Management Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Project Management Project Appraisal and Risk Management Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Project Management Project Audit and Quality Assurance Training Course 5 days · from USD 1,100 · next 16 Nov Project Management Project Budgeting and Cost Estimation Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Project Management Project Collaboration Skills Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Project Management Project Controls Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Project Management Project Controls, Risk and Governance Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov