scholarly journals Possibilities of Performance Audit to Increase the Transparency of Activities in the Municipality

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-76
Author(s):  
Laima Liukinevičienė ◽  
Audra Jokubauskienė

The article analyzes the implementation of the transparency principle in implementing the performance audit in the municipality. The performance audit is qualified as a specific control function in order to objectively assess the functionality of public sector entities in terms of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, initiating operational and governance advancement. It is important to investigate this object in municipalities due to the following factors: 1) according to the assessment of the transparency of Lithuanian municipalities published in 2019 by “Transparency International” of the Lithuanian branch, municipalities have become more transparent as well as the recommendations were provided to municipalities; 2) Recent research conducted in foreign countries shows broader audit opportunities for initiating positive change in organizations. The aim of the research: having established the principle of transparency as one of the most important indications of good governance, to provide for the possibilities of increasing the transparency of municipal activities during the performance audits. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature, the content of documents, qualitative analysis of the expert interview and the content of the material collected during it, and categorization.The analyzed sources show how during these two decades of developing the theoretical concept of good governance the importance of the principle of transparency has grown, it has become one of the most important features of good governance; the concept of implementing transparency in public sector organizations has developed as well. Today, the principle of operational transparency is implemented both through strictly formalized government activities and by involving citizens in public governance that requires much honesty, competencies and non-traditional solutions of civil servants. How can a performance audit contribute to this? In order to gain new insights, experts were interviewed: researchers and practicians. Recommendations from external evaluators on transparency in municipalities were used to develop the guidelines for the expert interviews. The research revealed that in municipalities it is important to create greater opportunities for the citizens to participate in monitoring and involvement in decision-making. The directions for increasing the transparency of municipal activities through performance audits that have been highlighted by experts are as follows: 1) periodic performance transparency audits by including constantly updated performance transparency criteria in the audit; 2) creation of a non-corruption organization; 3) increasing the transparency of budgeting and implementation; 4) submission of budget reports with audit conclusions; 5) attention to the clarity of the content of audit reports, diversity of accessibility; 6) periodic monitoring of the effectiveness of audit findings; 7) integration of audits of social responsibility activities into other forms of performance evaluation, thus not increasing the number of audits but seeking greater integration of the principle of transparency. The experts proposed transparency evaluation criteria that can be easily integrated into the evaluation process.

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourdes Torres ◽  
Ana Yetano ◽  
Vicente Pina

Performance audits allow audit institutions to contribute to the improvement of the economy, efficiency, and/or effectiveness of public sector entities through the recommendations of their reports. To assess the impact of the performance audits carried out by EU Supreme and Regional Audit Institutions, this article analyzes whether these recommendations are implemented in practice or not. The results show that there are two main ways in which the recommendations included in the performance audit reports produce an impact: the Anglo-American way, based on auditee actions and follow-up processes, and the Germanic way, based on parliamentary action.


Author(s):  
Sunny Agbo ◽  
Jude A Aruomoaghe

The efficient and effective management of financial resources forms the basis for achieving good governance. In achieving the good governance, fiscal transparency and accountability must be ensured. Performance audit provides the platform to determine if the resources are being managed with due regard for economy, efficiency and effectiveness and that accountability requirements are being met reasonably. This study looks at performance audit as a tool for fighting corruption in Nigerian public sector administration. Questionnaires were distributed and analysed using the Pearson’s correlation co-efficient and we discovered that performance audit could be an effective tool in curbing corruption. It was suggested that performance audit report should be made public and stringent punishment should be melted on offenders to serve as deterrent to others.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-38
Author(s):  
Appah E. ◽  
Onowu J.U. ◽  
Adamu A.J.

This study investigated the effects of public sector audit, good governance and financial transparency on financial accountability of twenty – six (26) ministries in the Rivers State Civil Service. The study employed cross sectional survey research design. The population consisted of twenty – eight ministries and the Taro Yamene model was used for sample size determination while simple random sampling was employed. The study used primary and secondary sources of data collection. Questionnaire was the primary source of data collections after the application of content and face validity while Cronbach alpha was employed to test the reliability of the instrument. The dependent variable was financial accountability index while the independent variables consisted of financial audit index, performance audit index, compliance audit index, good governance index and financial transparency index. The responses obtained from the questionnaire were analysed with univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis. The multiple regression analysis suggested that there is a positive and significant relationship between financial audit index, performance audit index, compliance audit index, good governance index and financial transparency index on accountability in public sectors in Rivers State. The study concluded that public sector audit, good governance and financial transparency promote financial accountability in the Nigerian public sector. Therefore, the following recommendations were provided amongst others that The Accounting Officers in government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA) should carry out government business in accordance with accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency, responsiveness, forward vision and rule of law for the welfare of the citizens.


2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Duncan-Marr ◽  
Stephen J Duckett

Board evaluation is a critical component of good governance in any organisation. This paper describes the board self-evaluation process used by Bayside Health, a public health service in Melbourne. The question of how governing boards can assess their performance has received increasing attention over the past decade. In particular, the increasing demand for accountability to shareholders and regulators experienced by corporate sector Boards has resulted in greater scrutiny of board performance, with the market and the balance sheet providing some basis for assessment.1-3 Performance evaluation of governing boards in the public sector has been more challenging. Performance evaluation is complex in a sector that is not simply driven by the bottom line, where the stakeholders involve both government and the broader community, and where access to, and the quality and safety of the services provided, are often the major public criteria by which performance may be judged. While some practices from the corporate sector can be applied successfully in the public sector, this is not always the case, and public sector boards such as the Board of Directors of Bayside Health have been developing ways to evaluate and improve their performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Asta Salienė ◽  
Daiva Tamulevičienė ◽  
Lionius Gaižauskas

Performance audit is a type of audit that evaluates and inspects an organizations’ activity based on the so-called 3E approach: economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and plays the most important role in institutions of public sector. During the implementation of the public sector reforms in recent decades, the concept of audit has been changing. Therefore, a need to re-evaluate the current definition of the audit and supplement it arose. It is also important to review the functions attributed to performance audit in order to define its ever-changing identity. The aim of the article: to evaluate the concepts of performance audit and the conceptual development of functions from a theoretical point of view. The article presents the analysis of performance audit concepts as well as a performance audit definition. The functions of performance audit have been distinguished, grouped, and evaluated based on how often they are mentioned in the literature. Two problems that make the implementation of the functions more challenging have been distinguished: contradictions among functions arise due to a diverse range of functions; due to versatility of the activity, the functions are difficult to evaluate, and measure and evaluation criteria are hard to establish.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 24-35
Author(s):  
Saefudin A Safi'i

The downfall of the New Order Regime in 1998 brought about significant change to Indonesia’s public sector.  Law number 22 of 1999, further refined by Law 32 of 2004, provide legal bases for district governments to administer the public sector. The central government also introduces the notion of good governance through the promulgation of various regulations. For Madrasah however, decentralization policy failed to provide clear legal bases as to how it relates to district government. Law 32 of 2004 verse 10 article 3 retains the centralized management by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. This however does not exclude Madrasah from public demand of implementing the principle of good governance. This study analyses the dynamics of principal-ship both in the Sekolah and the Madrasah in the era of decentralization. By comparing two research sites, this study sought to create better understanding about the context by which the organization climate of two different schools are shaped, and how principals and teachers perceives the notion of school leadership in the light of most recent policy development. To do this, interviews were undertaken and questionnaire-based data collection was also conducted. The study found that in the ground level implementation of decentralization policy, Sekolah developed more rigorous leadership compared to that in the Madrasah. This research recommends the adoption of stronger regulation regarding principal-ship of Madrasahs in order to create an environment that is more in tune with the spirit of public service reforms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
EMIL MARKVART ◽  
◽  
DMITRY V. MASLOV ◽  
TATYANA B. LAVROVA ◽  
◽  
...  

The existing approaches to quality assessment, based on ranking and rating, perform a control function but do not give government bodies at various levels, local governments, and public sector organizations the necessary tools to improve their performance. The article is devoted to one of the modern models of quality management in the field of public administration – the European model for improving the activities of public sector organizations through the self-assessment – the Common Assessment Framework (CAF model) and the possibilities of its implementation in Russia.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson

Purpose – This study aims to examine the structure, attributes, and performance of boards of directors of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) within the broader context of public sector governance. This is informed by the less attention given to the concept among public sector organizations despite efforts to make state enterprises more effective and efficient, especially in developing and middle income countries. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected through questionnaires self-administered in 2010 to all 25 SOEs in Accra, Ghana, out of the 29 nationwide. Some key officials were interviewed and documentary evidence analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results. Findings – Results show that state-owned enterprises have boards and comply with the minimal governance issues outlined the legal frameworks establishing them. However, they exhibit significant weaknesses in the areas of board performance evaluation, criteria for board appointment, the balance of executive directors and non-executive directors, and other board characteristics, indicating a departure from general practices. Practical implications – Findings suggest the need for a tailored corporate governance framework or code for state-owned enterprises in developing countries. Originality/value – Compared to the literature, this study provides insight on boards from the perspective of state enterprises in ensuring good corporate governance, particularly in the context of a middle income country (Ghana).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Haliah ◽  
SE Nirwana ◽  
Fasti Herianty Akhzan

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