Auditing Performance Outcomes

Gain the skills of advanced program performance assessment and evaluation methodology for determining impact (benefit) attributable to agency program operations, investments, and changes. Learn to identify and validate cause and effect relationships in determining the outcome results of a program initiative or change. Explore various evaluation designs to isolate the results or impacts attributable to an initiative or intervening variable by comparing performance achieved with the initiative to performance without it. Learn the conditions, strengths, and weaknesses of applying each design, in accounting for rival causes. Through multiple case exercises, practice planning audits and evaluations using the design methodologies that lead to valid and supportable findings. Learn how to prepare a Cost/Benefit Analysis to determine if outcome results attributable to a program initiative are worth the cost.

What You Will Learn

• Recognize what audit questions call for an impact audit with the objective of determining the outcome results attributable to a program or initiative
• Explain how impact audits with a focus on outcome results are similar to and different from traditional performance audits
• Describe the basic methodology for conducting impact audits
• Define and apply the finding elements for impact audits
• Cite the items of background information about the program or initiative under audit that needs to be collected in conducting an impact audit
• Write objectives that provide direction for planning and reporting on impact audits
• Identify rival causes that can adversely affect an auditor's ability to draw sound conclusions about the results attributable to a program or initiative
• Choose and apply the methodology design that is most applicable in conducting a given impact audit considering data availability and rival causes
• Explain the use of Cost and Benefit Analysis and how the results of impact audits are used in such analysis
• Prepare a Cost and Benefit Analysis of an implemented program or initiative

Who Should Attend

Auditors with extensive experience in performance auditing.

Health & Safety Protocols

For all on-site training in the insular areas, the Graduate School USA's Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI) works closely with local training hosts to ensure that participants, instructors, and training support staff enjoy a safe learning experience. Please note the following:

• Full details of PITI-VITI's health and safety guidelines are available here.
• Local health and safety guidelines for the government of US Virgin Islands, which will be hosting this training, is available at https://www.covid19usvi.com/.
• Please contact PITI-VITI Admin at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Tuition Fees

With funding support from the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, courses are available free of charge for government accountability professionals within the insular areas. The course fee is waived and there is no cost to register and attend, Professionals who do not meet the above criteria, please contact [email protected].