Audit Interviewing: The Known, Unknown & Getting the Facts – March 2026

Description

$275 (per person) includes an online webinar for 4 hours of CPE credit

In this fast-paced, four-hour webinar, government auditors will take a deep dive into the three key phases of audit interviewing. At its core, interviewing is a structured process, much like a targeted search, used to gather testimonial evidence that informs decision-making and supports audit results, opinions, and conclusions.

Government auditors at all levels will build practical skills to plan and conduct effective interviews, validate known information, and uncover relevant unknowns. This course blends foundational theory with real-world application, emphasizing communication strategies and questioning techniques for both in-person and remote interviews.

This highly engaging session explores a critical principle of gathering testimonial evidence: “Auditors are there to learn – not teach!”  Participants will also learn best practices for establishing rapport, strengthening listening skills, and taking effective interview notes.

If you’ve heard that testimonial evidence is the least reliable form of evidence, this course will challenge that assumption. You’ll learn how to validate testimonial evidence through professional skepticism, identify red flags, eliminate assumptions, and recognize deceptive behaviors. This helps auditors get to the facts and confidently rely on what they hear and observe during interviews.

This live CPE webinar is ideal for both new and experienced auditors who want to sharpen their interviewing skills. Upon completion, you’ll be prepared to walk into an interview room, join a conference call, or log in remotely with confidence. Registrants will receive practical templates and checklists to help gather testimonial evidence that supports compelling audit messages, actionable recommendations, and impactful results.

This powerful 4-hour webinar features Frank W. Jones, a governmental auditor, manager, and trainer with over 35 years’ experience leading teams to execute complex audits of the Internal Revenue Service.  Frank is an award-winning trainer for the Council of the Inspector General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) and routinely delivers engaging presentations at conferences for the audit community.

Learning objectives:

• Recognize the role and phases of audit interviewing and how it supports evidence gathering
• Identify steps to establish rapport and maintain professionalism during interviews
• Determine effective questioning strategies that balance the use of open, closed, probing, leading, and controlling questions
• Describe steps to manage conflict and interviewee personality traits
• Recognize verbal and non-verbal listening cues to evaluate credibility and detect inconsistencies
• Describe how to take notes that clearly document interview results

Program Level: Basic
Field of Study: Auditing (Governmental)
Who Should Attend: Governmental auditors who seek to learn new skills and have responsibility for conducting interviews during all phases of the audit cycle
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation Required: None
Instructional Method: Webinar (Group Internet Based)
CPE Credit Hours: 4

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Central

Webinar Leader:

Frank W. Jones, CIA

Frank Jones currently serves as a Management Analyst with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) in Atlanta, GA. Frank previously served as an Audit Manager in the Returns Processing and Account Service program and as an Audit Director in the Compliance and Enforcement Operations Program. His auditable areas included IRS’s Small Business/Self Employed and Wage and Investment Income Operating Divisions functional offices that include Examination, Collection, Criminal Investigation, Office of Professional Responsibility, Field Assistance, Electronic Tax Administration, Media and Publications, and Stakeholder, Partnership, Education and Communication. Frank is an auditing instructor for TIGTA and has served as a Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) adjunct instructor since 2009. In addition, Frank regularly presents at Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Local Government Auditors and the Association of Government Auditors conferences.

Frank began his career with the IRS Inspection Service in 1989 and has been with TIGTA since its establishment in 1998. While with TIGTA, he has participated in several notable customer service reviews where Frank and his team have played the role of taxpayers and conducted anonymous visits to IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites. For this review, auditors evaluated IRS employees and volunteers’ ability to correctly answer tax law questions and prepare accurate tax returns. During the 2008 filing season, Frank expanded his efforts and his team conducted anonymous visits to unenrolled commercial tax return preparation companies. The results from these reviews were instrumental in the IRS establishing the Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint and Paid Preparer Strategy.

Frank has received CIGIE awards for innovative customer service performance audits, the inaugural Adjunct Instructor Training Award of Excellence (2016) and the Barry R. Snyder Joint Award of Excellence (2024) for his contribution helping redesign the Introductory Auditor Course.   Frank is a mentor with more than 35 years of auditing experience. The unique blend of high energy and positive outlook on life makes his presentations motivational, leaving class participants excited and enthusiastic about the auditing profession. His educational mission is to inspire all students to go from being good to great auditors.

Frank has a BA in Accounting and Finance from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a Certified Internal Auditor. Frank lives in Stone Mountain, GA with his wife Lori. In his free time, Frank enjoys coaching basketball, reading, playing on-line chess, fantasy football, and spending time with his family.

Questions? You can find our FAQ here and our policies here.

To see a breakdown of how many polls and minutes of attendance are required for this webinar, see this page.