Change Management Audit: Assessing the Effectiveness of Change Management Processes within IT
Ensuring Controlled and Compliant IT Change Initiatives through Effective Audit Practices
Course Schedule
| Date | Venue | Fees (Face-to-Face) |
|---|---|---|
| 02 – 06 Jun 2025 | London, UK | USD 3495 per delegate |
Course Introduction
In today’s rapidly evolving technological environment, change is constant—but without proper governance, IT changes can introduce serious risks. This course provides IT auditors and change managers with the expertise to assess the effectiveness, compliance, and risk posture of IT change management practices.
Participants will learn how to audit IT change processes to ensure changes are authorized, documented, tested, and implemented in a controlled and secure manner. Aligned with industry best practices and frameworks like ITIL and COBIT, this training helps reduce the risks of failed changes and improve IT service continuity.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
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Understand the components and lifecycle of IT change management
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Assess the effectiveness of change governance frameworks
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Audit IT change control processes against standards and policies
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Identify control gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities
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Develop audit plans, testing procedures, and reporting mechanisms
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Provide recommendations that enhance change outcomes and compliance
Why you Should Attend
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Learn to evaluate IT change policies, workflows, and approvals
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Ensure alignment with regulatory, compliance, and audit requirements
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Reduce change-related incidents and improve service uptime
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Strengthen coordination between IT, audit, and operations teams
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Improve audit value by focusing on strategic risks and controls
Intended Audience
This program is designed for:
â—Ź IT Auditors and Internal Auditors
â—Ź Change Managers and IT Governance Professionals
â—Ź IT Risk & Compliance Officers
â—Ź IT Managers and Process Owners
â—Ź Information Security Officers
â—Ź Professionals involved in IT service management and controls
Individual Benefits
Key competencies that will be developed include:
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In-depth understanding of change management processes
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Ability to audit change control procedures and identify risks
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Familiarity with ITIL, COBIT, and related frameworks
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Skills in planning and conducting IT audits
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Enhanced reporting, root cause analysis, and communication skills
Organization Benefits
Upon completing the training course, participants will demonstrate:
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Stronger IT change governance and internal control environment
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Reduction in failed changes and IT disruptions
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Enhanced ability to meet compliance and regulatory standards
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Consistent change documentation and accountability
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Greater audit assurance and strategic value
Instructional Methdology
The course follows a blended learning approach combining theory with practice:
● Strategy Briefings – Deep dive into change management lifecycle, ITIL, and COBIT frameworks
● Case Studies – Real-world IT change failures and successful controls
● Workshops – Simulated audits, change documentation reviews, and control testing
● Peer Exchange – Group discussions on audit findings and IT risks
● Tools – Templates for audit planning, testing sheets, and reporting formats
Course Outline
Training Hours: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Daily Format: 3–4 Learning Modules | Coffee Breaks: 09:30 & 11:15 | Lunch Buffet: 01:00 – 02:00
Day 1: Foundations of IT Change Management – 07:30–15:30
Module 1: Introduction to IT Change Management – 07:30–09:30
â—Ź Purpose and value of IT change control
â—Ź Common risks and failure points in change processes
â—Ź Types of changes (standard, emergency, normal)
Module 2: Frameworks and Governance – 09:45–11:15
â—Ź Overview of ITIL, COBIT, and ISO/IEC 20000
â—Ź Key governance components and control objectives
â—Ź Policy requirements and stakeholder roles
Module 3: Change Lifecycle & Documentation – 11:30–01:00
â—Ź Change request creation and approval
â—Ź Change Advisory Board (CAB) function
â—Ź Planning, testing, and implementation
Module 4: Workshop – Mapping Your Change Lifecycle – 02:00–03:30
â—Ź Group exercise to model organizational change process
â—Ź Discussion of risk points and control alignment
Day 2: Planning the Change Management Audit – 07:30–15:30
Module 1: Audit Planning and Scoping – 07:30–09:30
â—Ź Setting audit objectives and boundaries
â—Ź Stakeholder engagement and scope definition
â—Ź Risk assessment and prioritization
Module 2: Developing Audit Programs – 09:45–11:15
â—Ź Creating audit checklists and testing procedures
â—Ź Aligning audit focus with business impact
â—Ź Sampling change tickets and logs
Module 3: Auditor Roles and Independence – 11:30–01:00
â—Ź Key responsibilities and professional ethics
â—Ź Managing conflicts of interest and reporting lines
â—Ź Communicating audit criteria clearly
Module 4: Workshop – Drafting a Change Audit Plan – 02:00–03:30
â—Ź Group work on scoping and planning
â—Ź Peer review of draft audit plan
Day 3: Conducting the Audit – 07:30–15:30
Module 1: Gathering Audit Evidence – 07:30–09:30
â—Ź Reviewing policies, logs, and approval records
â—Ź Interviewing stakeholders and observing processes
â—Ź Using IT tools to validate change activities
Module 2: Testing Change Controls – 09:45–11:15
â—Ź Authorization, risk assessment, and rollback readiness
â—Ź Segregation of duties and emergency changes
â—Ź Testing adequacy and effectiveness of controls
Module 3: Identifying Nonconformities and Risks – 11:30–01:00
â—Ź Evaluating deviations from policy or expected controls
â—Ź Categorizing findings by severity and impact
â—Ź Prioritizing based on risk and likelihood
Module 4: Workshop – Simulated Audit Interviews – 02:00–03:30
â—Ź Interview simulation and change record analysis
â—Ź Group debrief and audit findings discussion
Day 4: Reporting and Follow-Up – 07:30–15:30
Module 1: Writing and Structuring the Audit Report – 07:30–09:30
â—Ź Report components: background, scope, findings, recommendations
â—Ź Balancing technical detail and executive summaries
â—Ź Writing actionable recommendations
Module 2: Communicating Results and Recommendations – 09:45–11:15
â—Ź Effective communication with stakeholders and IT teams
â—Ź Handling disputes and clarifications professionally
â—Ź Driving agreement on corrective actions
Module 3: Corrective Action Plans and Monitoring – 11:30–01:00
â—Ź CAP design and follow-up tracking
â—Ź Re-auditing and continuous improvement
â—Ź Integrating results into broader IT risk programs
Module 4: Workshop – Report Review Exercise – 02:00–03:30
â—Ź Prepare a summary audit report in groups
â—Ź Peer and instructor feedback
Day 5: Integrating Change Audit into Broader Assurance – 07:30–15:30
Module 1: Role of Change Audits in IT Governance – 07:30–09:30
â—Ź Linking change audits with ITGCs, cybersecurity, and operational audits
â—Ź Providing assurance on system integrity and uptime
â—Ź Supporting internal and external compliance
Module 2: Strategic Recommendations for Audit Committees – 09:45–11:15
â—Ź Presenting change risks at executive level
â—Ź Escalation of critical control weaknesses
â—Ź Using metrics and audit analytics
Module 3: Final Group Case Study – 11:30–01:00
â—Ź Simulated end-to-end change audit
â—Ź Group presentations on findings and corrective plans
Module 4: Course Review and Certification – 02:00–03:30
â—Ź Recap and Q&A
â—Ź Participant feedback and assessment
â—Ź Distribution of certificates
Certification
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion in IT Change Management Audit, confirming their capability to conduct, evaluate, and report on the effectiveness of change control processes and enhance IT governance practices.