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Institute of Advanced Technological and Commercial Studies

Glossary

Audit: checking against evidence, and concluding

An audit checks that an organisation genuinely applies what it says it applies. It proceeds on evidence and by observation, against an announced framework, and concludes with a citable report. What left a trace can be found, and that is why evidence is retained.

What an audit establishes

An audit holds an organisation's real practice against the framework it applies. The auditor announces the scope, examines evidence, observes in the field, interviews the people concerned, then produces a report separating findings from recommendations. What left no trace cannot be found: which is why internal control and audit always travel together.

  • Scope and framework are announced before the mission
  • Documentary review, field observation and interviews
  • The report separates findings from recommendations

How a mission unfolds

The Health, Safety and Environment programme prepares for site audits: safety register, work permits, prevention plans, incident reports. The Industrial Site Safety certificate places the candidate in the auditor's seat on a simulated site, with findings to write and an action plan to propose.

  1. 01

    1 — Framing

    Scope, framework applied, calendar and contacts are announced to the organisation.

  2. 02

    2 — Documentary review

    Registers, procedures, authorisations and execution records are examined one by one.

  3. 03

    3 — Observation

    The field confirms or qualifies what the documents state: this is the heart of the mission.

  4. 04

    4 — The report

    Substantiated findings, ranked recommendations and a dated action plan, delivered to management.

Programmes that prepare for audit

2 catalogue programmes put “Audit” to work: 138 credits and 1380 taught hours in total. The official rule holds throughout — one credit stands for 25 hours of work, 10 of them taught. Every line below is recomputed from the programme page: level, duration, credits, taught volume and fees in Guinean francs appear exactly as filed in the official catalogue.

ProgrammeLevelDurationVolumeFees
Health, Industrial Safety and EnvironmentBachelor's degree2 years120 credits · 1200 taught hours5 400 000 GNF per year
Certificate in Industrial Site Safety ManagementProfessional certification6 months18 credits · 180 taught hours3 800 000 GNF in total

Points that come up often

Who can carry out an internal audit?

Someone trained in the framework and independent of the department audited. That independence is what gives the report its value.

How long does a mission last?

From a few days to a few weeks depending on scope. The calendar is announced at framing, along with the contacts involved.

What happens to the report?

It goes to management, who settle the action plan. A follow-up then checks that each point produced the expected effect.

Audit: checking against evidence, and concluding — Glossary | IHETC — IHETC