Performance Audit Methodology (PAM). Module 2

The course Performance Audit Methodology (PAM) is created by the European Court of Auditors and consists of five modules.

Module two will be focused on selecting and defining a performance audit:

• Identify what steps are involved in identifying an audit area, understanding it and defining precise audit questions to be answered with the audit;
• Strategic considerations for selecting an audit task;
• Preliminary work & understanding the audit area;
• Tools for understanding the audit area (Programme Logic Model, Risk Assessment, Issue Analysis).

Global learning objectives

At the end of the 5-module training, learners should be able to:

• Identify the principles of a performance audit;
• Distinguish a performance audit from other audits (financial and compliance audits, internal audits), other products from the Court (e.g. reviews, opinions), as well as from similar products outside the audit world (e.g. evaluations);
• Identify and know the key principles for the different stages of the performance audit, based primarily on international standards and be able to relate those to the Court’s standards;
• Identify tools to conduct each stage of a performance audit and be able to select them appropriately.