How to Improve Export Compliance with Effective Audits

Both State and Commerce Departments recommend regular audits as part of their compliance program guidelines -- the mere thought of which strikes fear into compliance professionals who have been struggling just to keep up with changing rules as a result of Export Control Reform.  Despite their negative image, export compliance audits are one of the most effective tools for improving and validating your compliance program.  Whenever possible, audits should not be about digging to see how many violations you can find.  Instead, audits should strive to find the weaknesses in your compliance program and spot clear options for making cost-effective improvements.

The Export Compliance Training Institute is pleased to announce that Felice Laird will use her nearly 30 years of export compliance experience to lead a practical and instructive webinar on what you need to know about audits.

Outline of the webinar:

• Vocabulary— what is the difference between a self-audit, government audit, outside audit, directed audit

• Why should a company do an audit?

  • Part of compliance program

  • Asked to do it by parent company or new owner

  • Asked to do it in an M&A contract

  • Asked to do it by government

  • Do it before you formalize compliance program

• Special considerations for the company affected by Export Control Reform

• Options for doing the audit

• Using internal resources outside export compliance (but you may have to make sure the internal resource knows enough to do an audit)

• Using a resource inside, like someone from corporate

• Using an outside resource, like a law firm or a consulting firm

• How to budget and create a time table for an audit

• How to develop an audit module (example: What are the key areas to be audited? What methodology is going to be used? Will it involve lots of document reviews?)

• How to figure out who to interview

• What you do after the audit? Example: obtain a written report, identify deficiencies, suggest ways to fix, give time table

• Who do you give the report to?

• What happens if you find violations?

• How to decide if you are going to do a Disclosure of violations?

• How do you manage a Voluntary Self-Disclosure (VSD) for violations done during an audit

Our Export Compliance Audits Webinar will provide PowerPoint slides and include live video and commentary from Felice Laird who is an Instructor with ECTI. Webinar participants are invited to submit questions during the webinar, the final 30 minutes of the webinar will be allotted to answering attendees questions.

Computer Requirements:           

• Internet (broadband recommended)

• Speakers/headset is required to hear the presentation (telephone call-in option not available)

• Access to your computer to install a small plug-in required by the webinar software

• SEE FULL COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS AND ACCESS REQUIRED DOWNLOADS

Please read the Webinar Terms and Conditions before you register.