With greater demand for accountability of public spending, financial audit represents a key element in enhancing confidence of intended users in financial statements.

An audit can result in auditors’ expression of opinion on whether the financial statements are prepared in accordance with an applicable financial reporting framework. In this regard financial audits are conducted in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) and relevant ethical requirements.

The growing role of public sector financial auditors requires them to regularly upgrade auditing techniques and methodologies. Empowered with adoption of new approaches, financial auditors can obtain appropriate audit evidence and consequently reduce audit risks.

What you will learn

The workshop will cover the following topics:

Risk analysis, including the risk of fraud
Financial system and internal control
Audit approaches
Audit techniques, including statistical sampling
Audit report and forming an opinion
Follow-up of the audit findings

The course will combine introductory presentations with group discussions and case study work. Program will be also complemented by a demonstration of Slovenian audit practice.

How you will benefit

The workshop will focus mainly on the three stages of auditing: planning the audit, performing the audit and reporting.

Experts from the Dutch Ministry of Finance will discuss the importance and role of financial auditing, its main principles, approaches to verification of financial statements, how to form an opinion to be given by auditors at the end of an audit, and follow-up of the audit findings. Two Slovenian experts will present a case study on performing financial audit based on financial statements.

This workshop will focus on practical experiences and concrete examples from practice rather than theoretical overviews, with significant time allotted for discussions. It will help the participants strengthen and expand their financial audit knowledge.

Who should attend

The workshop is designed for both internal and external public sector auditors who are dealing with today’s constructive and challenging financial audits.

As the workshop will be held in ENGLISH with no translation, participants should have a good command of English.

The workshop will be highly participatory. Participants are encouraged to be active in discussions and exercises throughout the three-day event.

Faculty

Leo Stoffels, Central Audit Service, Ministry of Finance, the Netherlands

Leo Stoffels (1958) is a Dutch CPA at the Dutch Central Government Audit service. He has extensive experience in public sector auditing. Previously he was a specialist at the Professional Expertise department and presently is as audit manager responsible for audits of European funds and for various audits in the domain of IT management and operational audits.

Evert van Waegeningh, Central Audit Service, Ministry of Finance, the Netherlands

Evert van Waegeningh MSc (1983) is a Dutch auditor at the Dutch Central Government Audit service. He has extensive experience in public sector auditing. His main fields of expertise are (financial) audit, audit design, evaluation, trainee supervisor and special audit assignments in the field of social engineering.

Zdenka Vidovič, Expert, Slovenia
Zdenka Vidovič, MSc, is a certified auditor and state internal auditor. At the beginning of her professional career she worked as an inspector and auditor for the Public Accountancy Service and later on as a public sector auditor. In 1995, she was appointed as the Member of the Court of Audit and at the end of her nine years mandate she acted as the Deputy President. Between 2005 and 2011 she was a head of the Public Sector Auditing Department at the KPMG Slovenia, d.o.o. in Ljubljana. She was involved in consultancy and training projects for a wide range of national and international organizations in the areas of public sector internal controls, auditing and accounting. She is currently retired, cooperates with the KPMG and works in the capacity of the Associate Fellow to the CEF.

Metka Sedej, Expert, Slovenia
Metka Sedej started her career in 2004 with KPMG Slovenija d.o.o., where she worked for four years. In 2008, she joined CEF’s team where she was responsible for the certification accounting programme and for the workshop in the field of accounting and auditing. In 2010, she decided to continue with the auditing career and started to work for IB Interbilanz Audit d.o.o. From 2014, she has been working for Pwc d.o.o. She also holds ACCA qualification.

Financial Audit

What you will learn

How you will benefit

Who should attend

Faculty

Application procedure