A tailored course, built for your situation
Mastering SOC 2; A Step-by-Step Guide to Compliance Readiness
A tailored course for CGI Partner-level leaders navigating efficiency pressure with regulator-facing deliverables.
$199 one-time
24-hour access provisioning
30-day money-back guarantee
Hand-built implementation playbook
12 modules. 12 chapters per module. 144 chapters total.
12 modules, each with 12 chapters (144 chapters total), text-based, plus downloadable templates and a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Regulator-facing reviews and M&A escalations requiring urgent, clean handoffs.
The situation this course is for
At Julie’s level, the burden isn’t strategy, it’s the repeated, high-stakes cycle of assembling evidence for external review. The pressure isn’t on understanding compliance, it’s on producing consistently clean, defensible packages on tight timelines. The course tackles the real friction: turning complex control environments into trusted, handover-ready outputs without team burnout.
Who this is for
Julie is a Partner-level manager at CGI, operating at the intersection of delivery leadership and compliance execution. She navigates federal and enterprise contracts where audit readiness and clean handoffs are non-negotiable. Her credibility hinges not on vision, but on the quality and speed of artifacts she delivers under scrutiny.
Who this is not for
This course is not for practitioners who only execute checklists, or those not involved in packaging deliverables for regulators, internal audit, or M&A due diligence cycles.
What you walk away with
- Produce regulator-facing review packages that pass validation on first submission
- Reduce pre-audit preparation time from weeks to under one business week
- Build reusable evidence trails that survive team turnover and leadership changes
- Gain consistent, clean handoffs from internal teams on control mappings and attestation
- Deliver board-prep papers and M&A artifacts with minimal rework under time pressure
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. Foundations of SOC 2 Trust Principles
Establish a clear grounding in security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy as applied in federal contractor environments.
12 chapters in this module
- Understanding the five Trust Service Criteria in context
- Mapping AICPA requirements to CGI client environments
- Differentiating Type I and Type II scopes clearly
- Common misconceptions about SOC 2 applicability
- How cloud infrastructure shapes control boundaries
- Regulatory overlap between SOC 2 and FedRAMP
- Client expectations for deliverables and reporting
- Timeline expectations for first-time SOC 2 audits
- Internal vs external auditor roles defined
- Building stakeholder alignment before scoping
- Control objective vs control design clarity
- Common triggers for initiating a SOC 2 project
Module 2. Defining the Audit Boundary
Learn to precisely scope what’s in and out of a SOC 2 review, avoiding overreach and unnecessary burden.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying systems and services in scope
- Documenting logical and physical boundaries
- Handling multi-tenant environments fairly
- Excluding shared or third-party components
- Client-specific scope adjustments explained
- How to handle hybrid on-prem and cloud setups
- Defining user roles and access levels clearly
- Boundary documentation templates and samples
- Avoiding scope creep from client requests
- Timeframe considerations for reporting period
- Handling software-as-a-service components
- Scope sign-off process with internal stakeholders
Module 3. Control Selection and Mapping
Translate SOC 2 requirements into specific, implementable controls aligned with existing CGI processes.
12 chapters in this module
- Mapping controls to actual team workflows
- Avoiding generic control language in practice
- Leveraging existing ISO 27001 mappings where valid
- Customizing controls for client-specific needs
- Using RACI models in control ownership
- Documentation depth: what assessors actually review
- Control hierarchy: from policies to procedures
- How to handle compensating controls properly
- Version control for control documentation
- Aligning control evidence with team capacity
- Automation potential in control execution
- Common control gaps in federal integrations
Module 4. Evidence Collection and Retention
Build a repeatable system for gathering, storing, and retrieving audit evidence efficiently.
12 chapters in this module
- Types of evidence required per control type
- Logs, screenshots, and attestations explained
- Retention periods aligned with client contracts
- Secure storage and access protocols
- Centralized vs decentralized evidence models
- Timestamping and authenticity verification
- Sampling methods for large datasets
- Automated evidence collection tools overview
- Handling remote team contributions
- Evidence review cycles with control owners
- Common evidence deficiencies in first attempts
- Checklist for evidence completeness
Module 5. Internal Readiness Assessment
Conduct a rigorous self-review to identify gaps before the external audit begins.
12 chapters in this module
- Designing a pre-audit review timeline
- Assigning internal reviewers by domain
- Checklist development for control maturity
- Evidence sufficiency scoring system
- Identifying high-risk controls early
- Gap analysis techniques and templates
- Reporting findings without blame
- Prioritizing remediation by risk level
- Revalidation planning for fixes
- Stakeholder communication during review
- Common blind spots in internal assessments
- Using findings to refine SOC 2 scope
Module 6. Working with External Assessors
Navigate the auditor relationship with clarity, confidence, and control over deliverables.
12 chapters in this module
- Selecting the right audit firm for client needs
- Auditor onboarding and boundary alignment
- Document request lists: what to expect
- Scheduling evidence delivery efficiently
- Handling auditor follow-ups promptly
- Clarifying auditor interpretations fairly
- Managing conflicting feedback from teams
- Maintaining ownership of narrative tone
- Escalation paths for disagreement
- Time tracking during audit fieldwork
- Common auditor pain points to avoid
- Post-audit debrief best practices
Module 7. Report Drafting and Review
Assemble the final SOC 2 report with precision, clarity, and alignment to client expectations.
12 chapters in this module
- Structure of the SOC 2 Type II report
- Writing the system description section
- Describing controls in plain, accurate terms
- Avoiding overstatement in assurance language
- Inclusion of complementary user controls
- Visual aids: diagrams and flowcharts
- Approvals needed before final sign-off
- Client-specific reporting variations
- Confidentiality handling in distribution
- Revising based on auditor feedback
- Common report drafting errors
- Final quality check before release
Module 8. Management Assertion Letter
Author a credible, defensible management assertion that withstands scrutiny.
12 chapters in this module
- Purpose and audience of the assertion letter
- Required elements per AICPA standards
- Tone and formality expectations
- Delegation of signing authority
- Accuracy and completeness declarations
- Handling third-party service dependencies
- Dates and time period statements
- Exclusions and limitations section
- Legal review prerequisites
- Version control and final approval
- Common misstatements to avoid
- Template adaptation for client industry
Module 9. Remediation Planning
Turn audit findings into actionable, time-bound fixes without team disruption.
12 chapters in this module
- Classifying findings by severity
- Developing root cause analysis
- Assigning owners for each item
- Setting realistic remediation timelines
- Tracking progress transparently
- Evidence revalidation strategy
- Internal sign-off on fixes
- Communicating status to stakeholders
- Burn-down planning for open items
- Avoiding recurrence through process change
- Leveraging findings for future cycles
- Handoff to operations teams
Module 10. Client Reporting and Handover
Deliver SOC 2 artifacts to clients with clarity, context, and confidence.
12 chapters in this module
- Packaging the final report for client use
- Including executive summary and highlights
- Providing control mapping to client needs
- Handling client-specific questions
- Training client teams on report use
- Secure delivery methods and tracking
- Follow-up support timeline
- Client feedback collection
- Updating internal knowledge base
- Handover checklist for future renewals
- Avoiding over-commitment in client support
- Documenting lessons learned
Module 11. Continuous Monitoring Setup
Implement ongoing control checks to maintain compliance between audits.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying key controls for monitoring
- Automated alerting for control failures
- Monthly review cadence design
- Role-based access reviews
- Log retention and review schedules
- Change management integration
- Incident response linkage
- Reporting to leadership teams
- Tooling options for monitoring
- Maintaining evidence trails over time
- Handling turnover in control ownership
- Annual review and refresh process
Module 12. Scaling SOC 2 Across Offerings
Extend success from one engagement to multiple client contracts and service lines.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying reusable control components
- Template standardization strategy
- Training new teams efficiently
- Adapting for different client industries
- Managing multiple audit timelines
- Resource planning across engagements
- Client onboarding playbooks
- Leveraging past evidence securely
- Building internal center of excellence
- Marketing compliance as a differentiator
- Feedback loop from assessors to sales
- Long-term compliance roadmap
How this maps to your situation
- Efficiency pressure at CGI
- Regulator-facing deliverables
- M&A due diligence demands
- Partner-level oversight expectations
Before vs. after
Before
Spends cycles reassembling evidence, chasing teams, and reworking board-prep papers under audit pressure.
After
Receives clean, trusted handoffs of regulator-facing papers with minimal input, freeing time for strategic leadership.
What's included with your purchase
- 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
- Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Delivery and format
- Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Time investment: Approximately 90 minutes of focused reading and implementation planning, designed for completion over a single weekend.
If nothing changes
Continuing to rely on ad-hoc evidence collection increases rework, burnout, and delays in client deliverables, especially under M&A or regulatory scrutiny.
How this compares to the alternatives
Generic SOC 2 training covers theory; this course gives you the exact templates, checklists, and decision paths used by teams that deliver clean handoffs under audit timelines. No fluff, no framework overview, just what works in federal and enterprise settings.
Frequently asked
Is this course only for first-time SOC 2 audits?
No. It’s designed for both initial and renewal cycles, with emphasis on clean, repeatable handoffs under time pressure.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Will this work if we’re using ISO 27001 as a foundation?
Yes. The course includes direct mappings and divergence points between ISO 27001 and SOC 2 controls.
$199 one-time. Approximately 90 minutes of focused reading and implementation planning, designed for completion over a single weekend..
Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.
30-day money-back guarantee·
144 chapters·
Hand-built playbook included·
Account access within 24 hours