AUDITS – PMP Tools and Techniques

Audits

Audits are a critical part of any organization’s quality management system. They help ensure that products and services meet the highest standards of quality and compliance. The audits also help organizations identify areas where they can improve their processes and procedures.

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines an audit as “an independent examination of project deliverables, activities, or results to determine whether they conform to specified requirements.” Audits can be conducted at various levels within an organization, including project-, program-, portfolio-, and organizational-level audits.

Project audits are typically conducted by an external body, such as a government agency or independent certification body. These audits assess whether a project is following the defined processes and procedures set forth in the project management plan. Program- and portfolio-level audits are usually conducted internally by an organization’s own staff. These audits assess whether the program or portfolio is aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives. Organizational-level audits are usually conducted by external bodies, such as accreditation agencies, to assess an organization’s compliance with relevant standards, such as ISO 9001 or CMMI. No matter what level they’re conducted at, all audits should be planned and executed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.

It is a structured process used to determine whether the project complies with organizational policies and procedures. There can be quality audits, risk audits, procurement audits, and verification & configuration audits.