New development: Whither the strategic direction of public audit in an era of the ‘new normal’?

IMPACT

Given ongoing questions about the role and performance of auditing, the challenges faced by public sector auditors are how to not only maintain the confidence of governments/parliaments and the general public but also to show the usefulness and relevance of audit processes, findings and recommendations in an environment that is significantly adjusting and evolving to a ‘new normal’. This article is a timely examination of public audit strategies from national audit offices, assessing whether they are likely to deliver the objectives of the new normal, for example with the increased focus on digital transformation, work methods, communication and collaboration. It also contributes to the now long-standing practice of shared learning by public audit offices around the world. The article includes national audit offices’ reactions to the changes needed post Covid-19.

ABSTRACT

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a marked, and continuing, impact on most countries and virtually all sectors of their economies—not least on government and its various institutions. There is international recognition that the ‘new normal’ will require more than some transitional adjustments within and across the various sectors, not least the public sector, but also requires research and analysis by the academic community (Ansell et al., 2021). This article’s main focus is on the published strategic intentions for future audits by a selection of national audit offices that have provided the most detail of such intentions. A number of other national audit, or similar, offices/courts was also reviewed to ascertain any marked differences of intentions because of the different impacts of the pandemic and government actions taken. It is not only an examination of those intentions but also of the allied question as to whether/how audit offices have, or are acquiring, the necessary systems and expertise for their effective implementation. Both academics and practitioners will need to address short and longer term frameworks and processes to make a successful transition to the ‘new normal’. Hopefully, there will be the leadership across sectors to make it happen.

Keywords:

• Audit approaches
• methods and practices
• Covid-19 impacts
• data and systems development
• performance assessment
• rethinking national audit bodies’ strategic intentions
• shared learning
• co-operation and co-ordination

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).