Auditing Technique
Masterclass
Stop checking boxes. Start reading systems.
A two-day advanced programme for auditors who want to audit with judgment, not just procedure.
Built for experienced audit professionals
This is not an introductory course. It is designed for practitioners who already audit — and want to audit better.
Practising auditors
Internal auditors, third-party auditors, and lead auditors in sustainability, quality, safety, social, and environmental management systems. Typically 3–15 years of experience.
Technical reviewers and certification decision makers
Professionals who review audit reports, make certification decisions, or manage audit quality. The masterclass sharpens grading consistency and technical judgment.
Audit teams seeking calibration
Organisations where multiple auditors work to the same standard but grade findings differently. The in-house format brings the whole team to a shared level of rigour.
What you will master
Eight concrete competencies — each tested through practice, not just presented in slides.
Write findings at the right level
Distinguish between an incident-level observation and a system-level non-conformity. Write NCs that drive real corrective action.
Separate correction from corrective action
Stop accepting quick fixes as CAPA closure. Learn to verify that root cause has been addressed — not just the symptom.
Conduct confident opening and closing meetings
Set the right tone with any auditee — from a farm owner to a corporate board. Present findings with clarity and composure under challenge.
Apply root cause analysis
Use the 5 Whys and People–Process–System framework to trace findings to their real cause — and assess whether CAPA genuinely addresses it.
Interview effectively and probe deeper
Move from compliance questions to insight questions. Handle reluctant witnesses, overly cooperative auditees, and sensitive topics with professional skill.
Sample strategically, not randomly
Direct your audit effort to where risk is highest. Design a sampling approach that reflects the audit's risk landscape — not habit or convenience.
Project professional presence
Understand how appearance, body language, and non-verbal communication affect auditee confidence and the credibility of your findings.
Harmonise grading across the team
Calibrate what constitutes a Major NC, Minor NC, and Observation — so your team's findings are consistent, defensible, and credible to clients and regulators.
Two days. Nine modules. One transformation.
Every module combines a concise input with a hands-on activity — role play, simulation, case study, or writing exercise.
- Pre-training self-assessment debrief
- ISO 19011:2018 — seven principles revisited
- What separates a good auditor from an excellent one
- Programme objectives and ground rules
- Professional appearance: field vs. corporate settings
- Why the first 90 seconds define the audit's tone
- Non-verbal communication — posture, eye contact, composure
- Body language signals that undermine credibility
- Managing nervousness and transitions between settings
- Adapting your presence: farm owner vs. board room
- Six elements of a professional opening meeting
- Representing the certification body with authority
- Explaining scope without jargon — for any auditee type
- Structuring the closing meeting: priority order of findings
- Handling disagreement and pushback professionally
- The proprietary firm challenge — the owner is the MD
- The funnel technique: Open → Clarify → Probe → Confirm → Show me
- The six auditor's friends — and the seventh
- Using silence as a tool
- Two interview traps: the reluctant witness and the cooperative auditee
- From observation to lead to finding
- Noticing what experienced auditors miss
- The three-part NC structure: requirement, non-fulfilment, evidence
- Incident level vs. system level — the critical distinction
- Correction vs. corrective action — and why auditors confuse them
- The "So what?" test for finding quality
- Grading: Major NC, Minor NC, Observation, Noteworthy Effort
- What to avoid: blame, speculation, adjectives
- Anonymous card exercise: one thing I will change, one question for tomorrow
- Facilitator debrief — group patterns and key themes
- Preview of Day 2 technical modules
- Optional homework: bring two NCs you have written recently
- Rapid-fire Day 1 recall — 5 questions, 5 minutes
- Anonymous card themes from Day 1
- Day 2 preview and objectives
- Why auditors need to understand RCA — your role in CAPA verification
- The 5 Whys — how to apply it and how it is misused
- People / Process / System framework
- Recognising shallow CAPA disguised as corrective action
- What verification evidence is needed to close a Major NC
- Worked example: PPE non-compliance → system failure
- Sampling is not random — it is risk-informed
- Defining the population before selecting the sample
- High-risk areas in sustainability and organic audits
- How to justify your sample selection in the audit report
- What happens when a high-risk area is under-sampled
- ISO 19011 §5.4 — risk-based approach to audit planning
- Auditee scenario: Greenleaf Agri Exports — 3rd year of certification
- Document pack with deliberate gaps and inconsistencies
- Opening meeting (10 min) → document review (20 min) → closing meeting (20 min)
- Roles: audit team, auditee MD, farm manager, HR coordinator
- Structured observation sheet for non-participants
- Full debrief covering all modules across both days
- Grading calibration exercise — three anonymised findings from the simulation
- Stop / Start / Keep — individual commitment exercise
- Personal action plan: one behaviour change in the next audit
- Peer accountability partner — 30-day check-in commitment
- Feedback to the organisation: what needs to change at the system level
- Certificate presentation and close
The masterclass format
Role plays and simulations
Every major skill is practised, not just presented. Participants run real audit scenarios — opening meetings, worker interviews, closing meetings under pressure.
Your own material
We use real NCs and findings from your organisation as case study material. Participants recognise the problems — and cannot dismiss them as theoretical.
Peer calibration
Grading exercises expose inconsistencies within the team. The debrief builds a shared standard — so a Major NC means the same thing to every auditor on the team.
Personal action plan
Each participant leaves with a written commitment to one specific behaviour change in their next audit, and an accountability partner to check in with at 30 days.
Masterclass with Saikat Basu
Saikat has spent over two decades in the field — conducting audits, training audit teams, and building assurance programmes across sustainability, quality, safety, and social compliance. He has worked with certification bodies, large corporates, and agri supply chains across India and internationally.
This masterclass is drawn directly from his audit practice. The case studies are real. The scenarios come from audits he has led. The gaps he addresses — in finding writing, closing meetings, and root cause thinking — are the ones he has seen repeatedly, at every experience level.
Participants in this masterclass are trained by the same person who has designed audits, reviewed audit reports, and built audit programmes for clients across India. The facilitation brings practitioner experience to every module — not curriculum delivered from a manual.
Your team. Your context.
Your standards.
The masterclass is designed to be delivered at your premises, customised to your audit scope, your standards, and your real gaps.
- We use your actual NCs and findings as the primary case study material
- Scenarios are built around your audit type — sustainability, organic, ISO, social compliance
- Ideal for teams of 10–30 auditors, reviewers, and decision makers
- Delivered in English or Hindi — or bilingual where needed
- Can be structured as a 1-day refresher or full 2-day masterclass
- Post-training support available: report review, calibration sessions
Certification bodies and assessors
For organisations deploying teams of auditors across multiple clients and standards. Builds common grading language and professional conduct.
Corporate internal audit teams
For companies with internal audit functions covering sustainability, EHS, quality, or social compliance. Sharpens technical depth and report quality.
Agri and supply chain audit programmes
For organisations auditing farms, ICS, and supply chain partners. Covers the specific challenges of field audits, worker interviews, and proprietary firm management.
NGOs and development sector auditors
For teams auditing social programmes, community compliance, or beneficiary verification — where interview technique and evidence standards are critical.
- End-of-course assessment
At the end of the training course, participants will undergo a brief assessment to earn their certification.
The assessment can be completed online or on paper and consists of multiple-choice questions.
- Approved certification
The digital or printed certificate by Consultivo academy will be issued on course completion.
- What information is included on my certificate?
This certificate includes trainee’s name, company name, course name, date of completion, expiry date and name of the approval body (Consultivo academy).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Questions? We have answers.
Is this course available as an open programme with public enrolment?
Currently, this masterclass is delivered exclusively as an in-house programme. This is intentional — the core value lies in using your team’s real NCs as case study material, which requires a dedicated cohort from one organisation. We run occasional open cohorts; contact us to be notified.
What experience level is appropriate for participants?
The masterclass is designed for auditors with at least 2–3 years of active auditing experience. It is not an introductory course — participants are expected to already understand what an NC is, how audits are structured, and what ISO 19011 covers. The programme sharpens existing skills; it does not build them from scratch.
Can we customise the content for a specific standard or sector?
Yes — and this is one of the primary advantages of the in-house format. We have delivered versions of this programme for sustainability and organic certification auditors, ISO management system teams, social compliance auditors, and corporate EHS audit functions. The simulation, case studies, and role play scenarios are all tailored to your audit context.
Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes. All participants receive a Consultivo Academy certificate of completion. The certificate notes the programme title, duration, and the ISO 19011:2018 alignment of the curriculum. It is suitable for continuing professional development (CPD) records.
Can this be delivered online or as a hybrid programme?
The full 2-day masterclass is most effective in person — the role plays, simulation, and peer calibration exercises require physical presence. A condensed 1-day version focusing on the technical modules (finding writing, root cause analysis, sampling) can be delivered in a live virtual format. Contact us to discuss the right structure for your team.
What preparation do participants need to do before the masterclass?
We send a pre-training package approximately one week before the programme. It includes a 10-minute self-assessment questionnaire, two NC statements to read and reflect on, and a short reflection prompt. Participants are asked to bring two or three NCs they have personally written in the last six months. No formal preparation beyond this is required.
Get in touch
Bring the masterclass to your team
Tell us about your team, your audit scope, and what you want to improve. We will send you a customised proposal within 48 hours.
- We customise the case studies to your actual audit findings
- Available across all major cities and states in India
- Proposal includes suggested agenda, facilitator profile, and indicative investment
- Flexible on batch size, duration, and delivery format
- Post-training report quality review available as an add-on
Request a proposal
We respond within one business day.
