This overview gives a summary of the research started 15 years ago in relation to the developments within the audit and governance environment. The developments focus on their impact on public sector audit activity and how these developments have been embedded in higher education (HE) programmes. The research and subsequent outputs have contributed to the introduction of innovative teaching methods that reflect contemporary developments in the audit profession. In introducing these developments the teaching approach for audit orientated modules has moved away from a didactic approach to experiential learning approach. This submission includes material from eight refereed published journal articles, one refereed paper presented at a conference and a chapter from a textbook. In addition, other journal publications and conference papers, which were presented at both national and international conferences, are mentioned as contributions to knowledge. At the time of submission of this work, one paper was under review for publication. While related areas of research were ongoing in respect of audit training within the profession and audit committees within Housing Associations. The period of research activity spans the years 1995 – to 2011. These outputs cover three key areas in terms of contribution to learning. The first area looks at the design and development of a case study as a teaching medium focusing on experiential (hands on) learning as the basis for a module on computer auditing. This was based on research into the practical audit approaches within the public sector. The public sector was the focus of the initial research as it had a requirement for the presence of an internal audit function. This focus on the public sector focus continued into subsequent research. The application of audit techniques to provide a better appreciation of auditing was introduced into module development as a consequence of the research findings. This specifically applied information technology (IT) as a tool for audit which was embedded in a case study, and more recently for forensic accounting purposes. The use of MS Office Excel as a teaching medium was used initially to replicate audit software packages and referred to as ‘Excel as an audit tool’. This was later replaced by commercial audit software using datasets. The second theme considers the impact of policies by government relating to aspects of accountability, value for money and performance measurement, again with an emphasis on the public sector audit function in verifying data used as indicators. The third area examines the working relationship between internal audit and the audit committee, with a focus on the influence of corporate governance codes on internal control requirements and risk management. All three areas identify the changing face of audit as a consequence of external pressures such as IT developments, accountability requirements, pressures on limited resources and government codes of best practice recommendations and guidelines. The integration of these developments in to HE focused initially on undergraduate modules within the BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance programme. The developments were later integrated into post graduate modules as well as acting as an information conduit for local government in Wales. The link between all three themes is that of the changes facing the audit profession and how these have been incorporated into the teaching of audit at HE level. These changes reflect the audit role in terms of the adoption of a proactive approach to responding, not only to the application of technology, but also to both public and government expectations in terms of indirect and direct requirements. This nexus between the themes is further enhanced by the use of audited information conveyed electronically for the purpose of performance verification of targets and the relationship between the efficient use of resources and good governance approaches. The recognition of the research output in the early stages was reinforced in 1998 by the award of Research Fellow from Grant Thornton and involvement with the Welsh Chief Auditors Group (WCAG) which resulted in the research focusing on Welsh local government. Further research has incorporated forensic auditing techniques and the internal audit function in the corporate arena. These were further utilised within the innovative and ground breaking development of the BA (Hons) Forensic Accounting programme. While the corporate governance work has taken the international route of comparing corporate governance codes of best practice and formed an important element within the post graduate programmes of MSc Accounting, MSc Forensic Accounting and MSc Management and Development of International Financial Systems. Funded consultancy work has produced professional body reports on the training of professional auditors in contrast to the academic development of teaching material with journal papers contributing to the knowledge of both the HE community and practitioners. Finally the research and development of lecture material has been utilised for a joint publication of a textbook on auditing entitled Auditing Fundamentals (Davies & Aston 2010). This document discusses the three themes by critiquing how the changing face of auditing influences the design and delivery of auditing modules within accounting programmes, in the context of higher education. The collection and analysis of data, and especially practitioner views, form part of the background to the research method adopted. The output and findings provide the basis of the contribution to knowledge which informs HE practice and the profession. The research output has contributed to enhancing both undergraduate and post graduate teaching material as well as reports to parties outside the higher education environment. The contribution to knowledge has been threefold, where the HE environment of undergraduate and postgraduate students have been exposed to current developments in auditing, along with an opportunity to learn via experiential learning techniques. Members of the profession have been enlightened on the issues affecting their working practices via conferences and training seminars. Finally management have capitalised on the research output and utilised this to make informed decisions. Further research opportunities have arisen as a direct result of research undertaken whilst other opportunities for disseminating knowledge and information have occurred via representations on various bodies and working parties including media interviews.

Thesis (MPA. (Public Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 requires the Legislature in Local, Provincial and National Governments to hold the Executive accountable and continue to do oversight on the work of government. The Legislature in executing its work, sometimes make use of the Auditor General’s reports, Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) reports and all other reports submitted by constitutional institutions, the Executive and other agents of the State. The study investigates whether the Legislature understands its mandate as legislated and whether the legislation is efficient and effective in ensuring accountability and conducting oversight of the work of the Executive. The research methodology used in this study is the qualitative approach. The respondents were clear that the Legislature understand its business as legislated, and further that there is a challenge at implementation of these important functions of the Legislature. There is varying implementation due to resources, capacity constraints and lack of commitment. The study recommends that the training of Members of the Legislature and staff, allocation of adequate resources and proper planning. The commitment of the Members of the Executive to the process and implementation of consequence management for poor performance and key interventions to ensure efficient and effective oversight of public finances in the province

Este estudo apresenta uma avaliação da atuação do controle externo exercido pelos Tribunais de Contas na aplicação de royalties e participação especial do petróleo nos municípios brasileiros, compensações financeiras devidas pela exploração de reservas de petróleo no território brasileiro e transferidas pela União. Ao associar os conceitos de federalismo fiscal, incrementalismo, teoria das externalidades, transparência, accountability, rendas do petróleo e o sistema de orçamento público, sob a ótica da relação entre planejamento e controle, buscou estabelecer as bases teóricas para as análises realizadas, que objetivaram mapear as políticas públicas eventualmente financiadas com esses recursos, levantar aspectos da governança pública relacionados à aplicação desses recursos, identificar os instrumentos de controle externo utilizados e analisar os pareceres prévios do controle externo sobre as contas anuais dos municípios beneficiários. Nesse sentido, a partir de pesquisa aplicada, os dados coletados foram submetidos a tratamento quantitativo, fase denominada de 1º estágio, relacionados à estimativa de receitas, transferências intergovernamentais e o custeio de despesas correntes, em particular, de despesas com pessoal e encargos, disponibilizados pelos municípios beneficiários aos tribunais de contas estaduais, conforme determinação da Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal. Como resultados, foram identificados a baixa qualidade das estimativas de receitas, a representativa evolução da participação das rendas do petróleo na receita total realizada e no custeio de despesas de pessoal e encargos nos orçamentos anuais. No 2º estágio da pesquisa, de abordagem qualitativa, via análise de conteúdo dos pareceres prévios emitidos pelo controle externo sobre as contas anuais dos municípios beneficiários, em confronto com os resultados obtidos no 1º estágio da pesquisa, foi realizada avaliação da atuação do controle externo, sob aspectos relacionados à conformidade legal, à observância de aspectos relacionados à transparência e accountability e à oportunidade de aperfeiçoamento da administração pública. Como resultado da avaliação, identificou-se que a utilização de rendas do petróleo no custeio de despesas de pessoal e encargos tem o aval do Tribunal de Contas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, que essas rendas não estão associadas formalmente à execução de qualquer política pública específica, que não há avaliação do controle externo quanto às estimativas e destinação dessas receitas, que não há fundamentação teórica que suporte às análises dos pareceres prévios emitidos e que não há a emissão de recomendações de aprimoramento ou criação de legislação municipal que regulamente a aplicação e a destinação desses compensações financeiras, diante da omissão da legislação federal que as instituiu. / This study presents an evaluation of the external control exercised by the Courts of Auditors in the application of royalties and special oil participation in Brazilian municipalities, financial compensation due for the exploitation of oil reserves in Brazilian territory and transferred by the Union. By associating the concepts of fiscal federalism, incrementalism, externality theory, transparency, accountability, oil revenues, and the public budget system, from the point of view of the relationship between planning and control, sought to establish the theoretical bases for the analyzes carried out, which aimed to map the public policies that have been financed with these resources, to raise aspects of public governance related to the application of these resources, to identify the external control instruments used and to analyze the previous external control opinions on the annual accounts of the beneficiary municipalities. In this sense, based on applied research, quantitative treatment of the collected data has been made, phase denominated 1st stage, related to the estimation of revenues, intergovernmental transfers and the costing of current expenses, in particular, expenses with personnel and charges, made available by the Beneficiary municipalities to the state accounts courts, as determined by the Fiscal Responsibility Law. As a result, the low quality of revenue estimates, the representative evolution of the share of oil revenues in total revenue and the cost of personnel expenses and charges in annual budgets were identified. In the 2nd stage of the research, characterized by a qualitative approach, through content analysis of previous opinions issued by the external control over the annual accounts of the beneficiary municipalities, in comparison with the results obtained in the first stage of the research, an evaluation of the performance of the external control was performed, regarding aspects related to legal compliance, compliance with aspects related to transparency and accountability, and the opportunity to improve public administration. As a result of the evaluation, it was identified that the use of oil revenues in the costing of personnel expenses and charges is endorsed by the Court of Auditors of the State of Rio de Janeiro, that these revenues are not formally associated with the execution of any public policy, that there is no evaluation of external control as to the estimates and allocation of these revenues, that there is no theoretical basis that supports the analysis of the prior opinions issued and that there is no issuance of recommendations for improvement or creation of municipal legislation that regulates the application and allocation of these financial compensation, due to the omission of the federal legislation that instituted them.

An audit of financial statements relies heavily on authentic records to yield informed audit opinions. Without proper records of transactions, the objective of auditing financial statements becomes difficult. In the digital environment, determining the authenticity of digital documents for purposes of auditing is even more problematic because of a lack of criteria used by auditors for the declaration of such authenticity. This study sought to develop a framework for the authentication of records in a government accounting system in Botswana with a view to supporting the audit process in the public sector. This qualitative study framed within the interpretivism epistemological research paradigm, used archival diplomatics as a theoretical lens. Data were collected through system analysis, analysis of documents such as legislation, as well as interviews with auditors, ICT professionals and records management practitioners purposively selected from the Botswana National Archives and Records Services, Office of the Auditor General, Department of Information Technology, Accountant-General’s Department, Department of Internal Audit and Department of Corporate Services of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. The study established that the legislative framework for managing digital records does exist in Botswana. A lack of skills by records management professionals and auditors to authenticate digital records was also noted. The absence of some criteria to authenticate digital records means that auditors use their own discretion with regard to their authenticity. In addition, as a business system, the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS) does produce and store digital records, but their authenticity and availability over time are not guaranteed. This weakness can be addressed by integrating GABS with an Enterprise Content Management (ECM). Currently, records authenticity in GABS is ensured through reliance on social and technical indicators (information technology and system application controls). The study suggests a framework for the authentication of digital accounting records in a government accounting system with the hope that its implementation would support the audit process. It is concluded that because of the failure to establish guidelines and checklists for auditors to authenticate digital records, there will be continued reliance on information technology and system application controls. Therefore, it is recommended that the Auditor General should develop a checklist for authentication. A further study of the integration of Government Accounting and Budgeting System with an Enterprise Content Management to properly manage digital records produced and stored in the system is recommended. / Information Science / D. Phil. (Information Science)