NCJ Number
64577
Date Published
1976
Length
180 pages
Annotation
THE EXPERIENCE AND PERCEPTIONS OF AUDITORS REGARDING PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS WERE STUDIED TO REVEAL A CONSENSUS ON THE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA USEFUL IN CONTROLLING OPERATIONS OF GOVERNMENT AUDIT ORGANIZATIONS.
Abstract
OF GOVERNENT AUDITORS WITH CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIP IN THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNAL AUDITORS, 355 WERE SELECTED TO RATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ITEMS ON A LIST OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE AUDITOR PERFORMANCE CRITERIA. PARAMETRIC AND NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL METHODS WERE USED FOR QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES AND INTERPRETATION OF THE COLLECTED DATA. MOST AUDITORS AGREED THAT GOVERNMENT AUDIT OPERATIONS AND PERFORMANCE SHOULD BE EVALUATED FOR EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY THROUGH THE USE OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE MEASURES. FOUR CATEGORIES OF IMPORTANT QUANTITATIVE CRITERIA EMERGED: (1) CONTROL OF TOTAL DIRECT AUDIT TIME, REQUIRING SCHEDULES OF MANHOURS; (2) CONTROL OF AUDIT OPERATIONS THROUGH EXTERNAL CRITERA, SUCH AS COST ESTIMATES AND OPERATING MANAGEMENT RESPONSES; (3) CONTROL OF AUDIT TIME SPENT ON AN AUDITABLE ENTITY; AND (4) CONTROL OF MANAGEMENT ADVISORY SERVICES. QUALITATIVE CRITERIA WERE RANKED IN 12 CATEGORIES, WITH SUPERVISION OF AUDIT WORK RATED FIRST, FOLLOWED BY AUDITOR EVALUATION, AUDIT REPORTING, INDEPENDENCE, AUDIT SCOPE, INSPECTION AND CONTROL OF DECENTRALIZED OPERATIONS, MANAGEMENT ADVISORY SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AUDIT FREQUENCY, FOLLOWUP ON FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, INFORMATION SYSTEM, AND RELATIONS WITH OUTSIDE PERSONS AND AGENCIES. AN EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT CONTROL FRAMEWORK IS ESSENTIAL TO ASSURE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES OF A GOVERNMENT AUDIT ORGANIZATION. A LITERATURE EVALUATION, STATISTICAL TABLES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)