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About Us
Publications & Presentations
Join us on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT for a live online presentation: Mastering the Language of Audits: Roles, Standards, and Strategic Application.
Our featured presenter, Douglas Hileman—co-author of COSO's Achieving Effective Internal Control Over Sustainability Reporting—will break down the audit function from first principles. Drawing on decades of experience as an auditor, auditee, and monitor, Doug demystifies the terminology and cuts through the noise. You will learn the critical differences between internal and external audits, limited and reasonable assurance, and the many audit-adjacent activities that frequently get mislabeled.
Key Takeaways:
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The Non-Auditor’s Glossary: Master the essential terminology, from internal vs. external to limited vs. reasonable assurance.
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Pitfall Prevention: Identify the common mistakes organizations make before, during, and after audits.
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Strategic Leverage: Learn how to proactively use audits as a tool for program improvement and organizational credibility.
Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of their role in the audit process and a practical framework to use audits to their strategic advantage.
I wrote this “Auditees’ Bill of Rights” to help auditees navigate the audit process. Audits are initiated because it’s important to get something right. If policies, procedures, or controls do not support organizational objectives, that could be a problem. Better to check now than find out the hard way later. An audit is not a weapon for intimidation. It is a professional service that can help you improve. Audits can be stressful and intimidating. Few have the full-time job of “getting audited.” The audit is important. So are you. Use your voice when needed, and get the most out of your audit.
(Click here to access the full document)
Douglas Hileman, co-author of COSO's Achieving Effective Internal Control Over Sustainability Reporting, breaks down the audit function from first principles. Drawing on decades of experience as auditor, auditee, and monitor, Doug demystifies the terminology, clarifies the difference between internal and external audits, limited and reasonable assurance, and the many audit-adjacent activities that are frequently mislabeled. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of their own role in any audit process and a practical framework for using audits to their advantage. Register Here
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