Flagship course
Procurement Control Sampling
Six weeks of structured practice for auditors who need samples that defend themselves — and findings written for people who will push back.
What you will leave with
- A reusable sampling memo template aligned to your category risk tiers
- An exception log that tracks root cause, owner, and retest date
- Finding narratives reviewed against a challenge checklist
- A short brief for commercial partners explaining why items were selected
This course pairs with the procurement audit management app so artefacts land in the same evidence trail your team already uses.
Informational pricing
£420 per learner · self-paced
Team cohorts of eight or more receive a facilitated office hour. Pricing here is informational only — no checkout on this site.
Access window: 12 months from enrolment confirmation.
Modules
Each module ends with a working-paper artefact, not a quiz for its own sake.
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Module 1 — Framing the cycle
Map spend, contracts, and prior-year issues into a risk heat that drives sample size — without inventing precision you cannot defend.
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Module 2 — Control Sampling Desk
Choose between statistical and judgmental approaches, document rationale, and handle substitutions when a record is missing.
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Module 3 — Exception discipline
Separate isolated misses from control design failures. Log owners and due dates that commercial teams will recognise.
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Module 4 — Writing for challenge
Draft findings with criterion, condition, cause, and effect — then stress-test wording with a peer review rubric.
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Module 5 — Closing the trail
Package evidence in the procurement audit management app, including attachments, status history, and sign-off.
Instructor
Helen Marwood
Former head of commercial assurance for a multi-site NHS trust. Helen has led over forty procurement audit cycles and designed the Control Sampling Desk exercises used in this programme.
Learner notes
“Module 3 forced us to stop calling every miss a ‘training issue’. Our remediation board finally saw pattern language.”
★★★★☆ — Solid on sampling math; the app walkthrough could use one more recorded demo for late joiners.
FAQ
Do I need the procurement audit management app already?
Helpful but not required. Module 5 includes a sandbox orientation. If your organisation uses a different system, you can export the artefacts as PDFs.
How much time per week?
Plan for four to five hours, including one live office hour in team cohorts. Self-paced learners often batch modules on quieter Fridays.
Where does this course fall short?
We do not cover forensic investigation techniques or criminal referral pathways. If your engagement may escalate beyond control testing, you will need a specialist partner — we say so early so expectations stay honest.
Is there a certificate?
Yes — a completion certificate after you submit the five artefacts. It is not a regulated professional qualification.