Professional certification · Audit & assurance
Risk-based assurance from business case to post-completion review. Five days, Monday to Friday, of practical audit work with an Excel toolkit you keep, leading to certification with 40 PMI PDUs.
Course overview
Assurance where the money and the risk are
Projects, and the contracts that deliver them, are where organisations commit their largest sums of money, take some of their biggest risks and suffer their most visible failures. Boards, audit committees, funders and the public increasingly expect independent assurance that major projects are well governed, that contracts are awarded fairly and that money is spent for the value intended.
The Certification in Auditing of Projects & Contracts equips auditors, project professionals and oversight bodies to provide that assurance across the whole life of a project: from risk management and the business case, through procurement, tendering and contract award, into delivery, cost and schedule control, and finally handover and post-completion review. It closes with two areas where failure is most costly: IT projects and business continuity.
Delegates work in small audit teams on practical case exercises in every module, using an Excel toolkit they keep.
How every module runs
- IcebreakerA short talk or game that links the topic to your own work, from a boda-boda risk line to a fuel gauge on the road to Hoima.
- Focused inputShort facilitator briefings with infographics and worked examples. No long lectures.
- Hands-on activityYour audit team applies the module to a practical case exercise using the Excel tools, then presents findings in the 5C format.
What is said in the room stays in the room. A Parking Lot captures your own project issues all week, and Friday’s open forum is dedicated to them.
Learning outcomes
By Friday afternoon you will be able to
- Explain risk, risk appetite and risk culture, and apply qualitative and quantitative techniques to identify, analyse and evaluate project risks.
- Plan and facilitate a project risk workshop and produce a prioritised risk register and heat map.
- Diagnose the common causes of project failure and use checklists to test whether a project is set up to succeed.
- Compare PRINCE2 7, the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition, ISO 21500/21502 and Agile, and tailor audit work to the approach in use.
- Plan and carry out a risk-based project audit: select projects, time involvement, assess risk maturity and identify residual risk above appetite.
- Audit procurement strategy, tendering and contract award, recognising red flags of collusion, corruption and poor value for money.
- Evaluate contract administration during delivery: valuations, variations, claims, bonds, guarantees and performance management.
- Use critical path analysis and earned value analysis to assess schedule and cost performance and to challenge forecasts.
- Audit handover, commissioning, completion certificates and post-completion reviews, and turn lessons into lasting change.
- Apply the approach to IT projects and to business continuity management, including IT disaster recovery.
- Write clear, evidence-based audit findings using the 5C format (Condition, Criteria, Cause, Consequence, Corrective action).
What this course is ideal for
Built for the people who fund, run, buy for and audit projects
- Internal auditors, audit managers and heads of internal audit who audit projects, procurement and contracts
- Audit committee and board members who oversee major capital, infrastructure and IT programmes
- Project, programme and PMO managers who want to prepare for audit and build assurance into delivery
- Procurement, contract management and commercial staff, including members of contracts and evaluation committees
- Risk, compliance, governance and fraud prevention professionals
- Finance managers, quantity surveyors, cost controllers and engineers who certify contract payments
- External and public-sector auditors, inspectorate staff and development-partner fiduciary and monitoring staff
- Consultants who supervise contracts or provide independent project assurance
- Oil and gas operators, contractors and suppliers: project controls, contracts, procurement and national content staff
- Petroleum sector regulators and Government oversight bodies
Prerequisites. No formal prerequisites. A working knowledge of projects, procurement or audit is helpful. Delegates should bring a laptop with Microsoft Excel (or a compatible spreadsheet) for the hands-on tools.
Course outline
Thirteen modules across five parts
Understanding Risk and Project Risk
Modules 1–2Projects, Project Audit and Project Risk Management
Modules 3–6Auditing Procurement, Tendering and Contracts
Modules 7–8Auditing a Major Project
Modules 9–11Auditing Specific Projects
Modules 12–13Final assessment and open forum
Friday afternoonFinal course assessment: 30 multiple-choice questions and a case scenario (50 marks, pass mark 70%). Closing session: an open forum and project clinic on delegates’ own projects, personal 30-60-90 day action plans, course evaluation and award of certificates.
Training schedule
Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:30
Days 2 to 5 open with a recap quiz and Parking Lot review. Timings are a guide and the facilitator may adjust them.
Understanding Risk and Project Risk
| 08:30–09:15 | Opening session: welcome, introductions, course map, case study briefing, pre-course diagnostic |
| 09:15–10:30 | Module 1: Fundamentals of Risk and Risk Management (part 1) |
| 10:30–10:50 | Tea break |
| 10:50–13:10 | Module 1 (part 2) incl. Activity 1.1: Project risk workshop |
| 13:10–14:10 | Lunch |
| 14:10–15:20 | Module 2: The Challenges and Risks in Successful Project Delivery |
| 15:20–15:35 | Break |
| 15:35–16:20 | Module 2 (part 2): Activity 2.1 Project risk checklist |
| 16:20–16:30 | Daily wrap-up |
Projects, Project Audit and Project Risk Management
| 08:30–08:45 | Recap quiz and Parking Lot review |
| 08:45–10:30 | Module 3: Projects and Project Audit: The Risk-Based Approach (Activity 3.1) |
| 10:30–10:50 | Tea break |
| 10:50–11:30 | Module 3 (part 2): Case Study 3.2 Auditing agile projects |
| 11:30–12:50 | Module 4: Steps in Project Audits (part 1) |
| 12:50–13:50 | Lunch |
| 13:50–14:55 | Module 4 (part 2) incl. Activity 4.1 |
| 14:55–15:10 | Break |
| 15:10–16:20 | Module 5: Common Project Management Mistakes (Activity 5.1) |
| 16:20–16:30 | Daily wrap-up |
Risk Rules, Procurement and Tendering
| 08:30–08:45 | Recap quiz and Parking Lot review |
| 08:45–10:10 | Module 6: Golden Rules of Project Risk Management (Activity 6.1) |
| 10:10–10:30 | Tea break |
| 10:30–12:25 | Module 7: Auditing Procurement (Activity 7.1) |
| 12:25–13:25 | Lunch |
| 13:25–15:25 | Module 8: Auditing the Tendering Approach (Activity 8.1: Red flags) |
| 15:25–15:40 | Break |
| 15:40–16:20 | Module 8 (part 2): Activity 8.2 Choosing a contractor |
| 16:20–16:30 | Daily wrap-up |
Auditing a Major Project
| 08:30–08:45 | Recap quiz and Parking Lot review |
| 08:45–10:30 | Module 9: The Project in Progress (part 1; Activity 9.1 begins) |
| 10:30–10:50 | Tea break |
| 10:50–11:15 | Module 9 (part 2): Activity 9.1 completed |
| 11:15–12:50 | Module 10: Cost and Schedule Control (part 1: budgets, control and EVM) |
| 12:50–13:50 | Lunch |
| 13:50–14:40 | Module 10 (part 2): Activity 10.1 Auditing the costs |
| 14:40–14:55 | Break |
| 14:55–16:20 | Module 11: Handover and Post Audit (Activity 11.1) |
| 16:20–16:30 | Daily wrap-up; assessment briefing |
Auditing Specific Projects, Assessment and Close
| 08:30–08:45 | Recap quiz and Parking Lot review |
| 08:45–10:30 | Module 12: Auditing IT Projects (Activity 12.1) |
| 10:30–10:50 | Tea break |
| 10:50–12:35 | Module 13: Auditing Business Continuity Management (Activity 13.1 tabletop) |
| 12:35–13:35 | Lunch |
| 13:35–15:05 | Final Course Assessment (MCQ + case scenario) |
| 15:05–15:20 | Break |
| 15:20–16:30 | Closing Session: open forum (project clinic), action plans, evaluation, certificates |
What you take home
Materials you keep and use at work
Student’s Kit
Course notes and infographics, activity worksheets, 16 reusable audit templates, self-checks and your action plan.
CAPC Audit Toolkit
An Excel workbook of 14 hands-on audit tools, pre-loaded with sample data so you can see them work, then use them on your own projects.
Certification with 40 PDUs
The CAPC Certification from PPMSI, carrying 40 PMI Professional Development Units (PDUs) you can claim towards maintaining your PMP or other PMI certification.
- 1Risk Register & Heat MapM1, M6
- 2Project Readiness ChecklistM2
- 3Audit Prioritisation & Risk MaturityM4
- 45C Findings LogM4–M13
- 5Issue LogM6
- 6Tender Red FlagsM7, M8
- 7Contractor Evaluation MatrixM8
- 8Critical Path CalculatorM9
- 9IPC Test, Variations & SecuritiesM9
- 10Earned Value CalculatorM10
- 11Cost Ledger TestM10
- 12Post-Completion Review ScorecardM11
- 13IT Go-Live ReadinessM12
- 14BIA & BCM AuditM13
Certification
Earning your certification and 40 PDUs
Attendance
Attend at least 80% of contact sessions.
Activity portfolio
Submit every module activity with your audit team.
Final assessment
Score at least 35 of 50 marks: 30 multiple-choice questions and a case scenario.
Delegates who meet the attendance requirement but not the assessment requirement receive a Certificate of Attendance and may resit once within 90 days.
Certified delegates receive 40 PMI Professional Development Units (PDUs), which PMI certification holders can claim towards renewing their certification.
PMI registration
Registered and approved by PMI
PPMSI is a PMI Premier Authorized Training Partner. This course is registered and approved by PMI under course code PPMSI_AUD, and certified delegates earn 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs).
- PMI course code
- PPMSI_AUD
- Total PDUs
- 40
PDUs by Talent Triangle area
- Ways of Working9
- Power Skills11
- Business Acumen20
- Total40
Hours of instruction applicable to each PMI certification
| Area | Certification | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Management | PMI-PMOCP | 4 |
| Portfolio Management | PfMP | 6 |
| Business Analysis | PMI-PBA | 5 |
| Agile | PMI-ACP, DASM, DASSM, DAC, DAVSC | 3 |
| Risk Management | PMI-RMP | 4 |
| Scheduling | PMI-SP | 2 |
| Sustainability | CSPP, CSPP-cp | 2 |
| Advanced Project Leader | APL | 2 |
Each figure is the number of hours that count towards that certification. They are not added together.
Enquire and register
Book a place or bring the course in-house
Contact PPMSI for the next intake dates, venue and fees, or to run the course for your audit, procurement or project team.
- Public intake. Join delegates from other organisations in Kampala or live online.
- In-house delivery. For one organisation, with the case discussion tailored to your projects.