Cambridge
Academy
In London

Introduction

Performance Quality Assurance (PQA) ensures that performance reporting, KPIs, processes, and outcomes are credible, consistent, and continuously improving. Senior PQA leaders must build governance, assurance frameworks, and quality controls that strengthen decision-making, reduce risk, and increase organizational trust. This advanced program equips participants with practical methods to design PQA strategies, implement risk-based assurance plans, and lead sustainable quality governance across functions.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

·        Design a Performance Quality Assurance strategy aligned to organizational goals and risk priorities

·        Establish governance, standards, and accountability for KPIs and performance reporting

·        Implement risk-based assurance planning, testing, and quality controls

·        Strengthen data quality management, issue resolution, and CAPA discipline

·        Develop executive-ready assurance reporting, insights, and escalation practices

·        Build continuous improvement routines, maturity roadmaps, and capability plans

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

·        Senior Managers and Managers of Performance Quality Assurance

·        Performance management, reporting, and KPI governance leads

·        Quality, compliance, internal control, and audit professionals supporting performance systems

·        PMO, strategy, and operational excellence leaders responsible for performance assurance

·        Data governance and analytics leaders involved in KPI and reporting quality

Course Outlines

Day 1: PQA Strategy, Scope & Governance Foundations

·        Defining Performance Quality Assurance: purpose, scope, and value to leadership

·        PQA operating models: centralized, federated, and shared-accountability approaches

·        Governance design: decision rights, forums, escalation thresholds, and RACI

·        Standards and policies: KPI definition standards, reporting rules, and documentation requirements

·        Activity: PQA maturity assessment + governance gap analysis

Day 2: KPI Governance, Reporting Standards & Control Design

·        KPI lifecycle governance: propose, approve, change, retire

·        KPI integrity: definitions, formulas, thresholds, targets, and metadata (KPI dictionary)

·        Reporting standards: pack structure, commentary requirements, and version control

·        Control design: completeness, accuracy, timeliness, authorization, and segregation of duties

·        Workshop: Build a KPI governance charter + reporting standards toolkit

Day 3: Risk-Based Assurance Planning & Testing Methods

·        Risk-based assurance planning: assurance universe, risk scoring, and annual plan design

·        Testing methods for KPI and reporting assurance: walkthroughs, sampling, re-performance

·        Data lineage and traceability: from source systems to reports (evidence chain)

·        Assurance documentation: workpapers, issue logs, and quality review checklists

·        Practical activity: Assurance testing simulation (trace a KPI to source + validate calculations)

Day 4: Data Quality Management, Issue Handling & CAPA Leadership

·        Data quality dimensions: accuracy, completeness, consistency, validity, timeliness

·        Monitoring and detection: exception reporting, trend monitoring, and anomaly flags

·        Root cause analysis tools: 5 Whys, fishbone, Pareto, process mapping

·        CAPA discipline: corrective vs. preventive actions, owners, timelines, validation testing

·        Case study: KPI failure investigation + CAPA plan and verification approach

Day 5: Assurance Reporting, Continuous Improvement & Sustainability

·        Assurance reporting: rating severity, impact, and clear recommendations

·        Executive communication: concise dashboards, risk narratives, and decision asks

·        Continuous improvement routines: quality reviews, lessons learned, and control enhancements

·        PQA capability building: training, coaching, and embedding quality culture