From Objective to Report: Managing Audit Budgets & Milestones – January 2026

Description

$525 (per person) includes an online webinar for 8 hours of CPE credit

If completing audits feels like a race against the clock and you start drafting the report when all the work is completed, you are not alone. This course shows project managers how to use professional judgment to estimate timeframes and manage resources. By connecting the overall audit objective and risk assessment, auditors will develop comprehensive audit plans, stronger findings and a report message that flows directly from the work performed.

Instead of backing into dates or scrambling at reporting time to develop the report message, auditors will learn to develop and adjust audit plans, reallocate resources, evaluate evidence, and anticipate reporting needs throughout the audit cycle.

Whether you are managing a solo engagement or leading a team, you do not have to stay stuck in reactive mode. Through practical exercises, real-world scenarios, and proven planning techniques, auditors will learn how to shift their mindset from “finish then write” to “write while you work.” By the end of this course, auditors will:

• Expand critical thinking skills
• Improve forecasting of project milestones
• Reduce rework
• Allocate and manage resources
• Deliver timely and impactful audit results

This powerful 8-hour webinar features Frank W. Jones, a governmental auditor, manager, and trainer from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration with more than 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:

• Define the interdependent phases of an audit and their impact on time and budget
• Compare the relationship between performance measures and managing audit resources
• Recognize the relationship between the four types of overall audit objectives and how each drives the report message from day one
• Define how to integrate the development of precise audit sub-objectives and tests that align with the elements of a finding and budgeted hours
• Identify the steps and key factors to estimate realistic timelines that align with planned audit scope and methodologies
• Identify best practices to avoid scope-creep and digging rabbit holes that compromise audit timeliness and stakeholder confidence with audit results
• Determine how to evaluate project management steps to adjust audit plans that either support or undermine effective and timely audit reporting

Program Level: Basic
Field of Study: Auditing (Governmental)
Who Should Attend: Governmental auditors who seek to learn new skills and have responsibility for executing the planning, fieldwork, and reporting phases of an audit engagement
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation Required: None
Instructional Method: Webinar (Group Internet Based)
CPE Credit Hours: 8

Date: January 14-15, 2026 (Wednesday-Thursday)
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.