O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a adoção de uma política de divulgação usada pela entidade fiscalizadora brasileira, o Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), para divulgação de seus indicadores de desempenho. Essa análise é principalmente influenciada pela análise comparativa de Barzelay (1997) e de Pollitt e Summa (1997). As organizações públicas são requeridas a utilizar a avaliação de desempenho orientada a resultados em substituição à orientada a recursos que elas estavam utilizando. Os stakeholders do TCU (agências auditadas, Congresso Nacional, e a comunidade) esperam um amplo nível prestação de contas (accountability) sobre o valor que ele cria. A maneira com que o TCU apresenta seu desempenho parece seguir uma tendência internacional, mas a adoção de indicadores orientados a resultados não tem alcançado o nível internacional (pelo menos o nível alcançado pelo norte-americano Government Audit Office e o britânico National Audit Office). Para realizar o objetivo da pesquisa, uma análise de conteúdo foi conduzida sobre os relatórios de gestão do TCU relacionados ao período de 1993 a 2009, pesquisando por características dos indicadores utilizados divulgados como sendo usados. Os principais resultados mostram que: (i) o significado dos indicadores não está claro; (ii) os indicadores não são utilizados de uma forma estável (exceto nos últimos anos 2006 a 2009); (iii) o TCU prefere apresentar indicadores de output enquanto a tendência internacional é mostrar métricas orientadas a resultado e (iv) estes padrões permanecem os mesmos para os indicadores utilizados explicitamente como meta. / The objective of this paper is to analyze the adoption of and the reporting policy used by the Brazilian Supreme Audit Institution (hereafter called tribunal de Contas da União or TCU) to disclose its performance indicators. This analysis is mainly influenced by Barzelay (1997) and Pollitt and Summa (1997) comparative analysis. Public organizations following the New Public Management movement are adhering to the same practices used by private organizations. All public organizations are required to use a result-oriented performance evaluation in replace of the widespread resource-oriented they were used to. The TCU\'s stakeholders (e.g., audited agencies, the National Congress, and the community) expect a wider accountability level about the value it creates. Although the way the TCU disclose its performance seems to follow an international trend, the adoption of result-oriented indicators has not reached the international level (at least the level reached by the North-American Government Audit Office and the British National Audit Office). In order to achieve the research objective, a content analysis was conducted on TCU\'s management reports related to the period 1993-2009, searching for the features of the indicators set disclosed as \"being used\". Main results show that: (i) the meaning of the indicators is not clear; (ii) indicators are not used in a stable basis (apart from the latter years, i.e. 2006-2009); (iii) the TCU prefers to disclose output indicators while the international trend is the disclosure of result-oriented metrics and (iv) these patterns remain the same even for the indicators used as an explicit target.

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a adoção de uma política de divulgação usada pela entidade fiscalizadora brasileira, o Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), para divulgação de seus indicadores de desempenho. Essa análise é principalmente influenciada pela análise comparativa de Barzelay (1997) e de Pollitt e Summa (1997). As organizações públicas são requeridas a utilizar a avaliação de desempenho orientada a resultados em substituição à orientada a recursos que elas estavam utilizando. Os stakeholders do TCU (agências auditadas, Congresso Nacional, e a comunidade) esperam um amplo nível prestação de contas (accountability) sobre o valor que ele cria. A maneira com que o TCU apresenta seu desempenho parece seguir uma tendência internacional, mas a adoção de indicadores orientados a resultados não tem alcançado o nível internacional (pelo menos o nível alcançado pelo norte-americano Government Audit Office e o britânico National Audit Office). Para realizar o objetivo da pesquisa, uma análise de conteúdo foi conduzida sobre os relatórios de gestão do TCU relacionados ao período de 1993 a 2009, pesquisando por características dos indicadores utilizados divulgados como sendo usados. Os principais resultados mostram que: (i) o significado dos indicadores não está claro; (ii) os indicadores não são utilizados de uma forma estável (exceto nos últimos anos 2006 a 2009); (iii) o TCU prefere apresentar indicadores de output enquanto a tendência internacional é mostrar métricas orientadas a resultado e (iv) estes padrões permanecem os mesmos para os indicadores utilizados explicitamente como meta. / The objective of this paper is to analyze the adoption of and the reporting policy used by the Brazilian Supreme Audit Institution (hereafter called tribunal de Contas da União or TCU) to disclose its performance indicators. This analysis is mainly influenced by Barzelay (1997) and Pollitt and Summa (1997) comparative analysis. Public organizations following the New Public Management movement are adhering to the same practices used by private organizations. All public organizations are required to use a result-oriented performance evaluation in replace of the widespread resource-oriented they were used to. The TCU\'s stakeholders (e.g., audited agencies, the National Congress, and the community) expect a wider accountability level about the value it creates. Although the way the TCU disclose its performance seems to follow an international trend, the adoption of result-oriented indicators has not reached the international level (at least the level reached by the North-American Government Audit Office and the British National Audit Office). In order to achieve the research objective, a content analysis was conducted on TCU\'s management reports related to the period 1993-2009, searching for the features of the indicators set disclosed as \"being used\". Main results show that: (i) the meaning of the indicators is not clear; (ii) indicators are not used in a stable basis (apart from the latter years, i.e. 2006-2009); (iii) the TCU prefers to disclose output indicators while the international trend is the disclosure of result-oriented metrics and (iv) these patterns remain the same even for the indicators used as an explicit target.

Esta pesquisa analisa um conjunto de 76 decisões proferidas pelo Tribunal de Contas da União Brasileiro, relativas às irregularidades de sobrepreço em contratos de obras publicas federais licitadas e executadas, com o objetivo de identificar estratégias de captura de renda e as respostas da Corte de contas. Estas decisões são denominadas de acórdãos e foram selecionadas pelo próprio Tribunal para servirem de paradigma para futuras decisões. A pesquisa identificou 4 diferentes estratégias de captura de renda envolvendo manipulação de índices referenciais de preço de itens unitários e verificou que as determinações contidas nos acórdãos analisados limitam-se a corrigir a irregularidade e a penalizar os responsáveis com multas previamente conhecidas. / The study analyzes 76 decisions made by the Brazilian Supreme Audit Court, regarding overpricing irregularities in public bidding contracting for federal construction and execution, in order to identify rent-seeking strategies and Court responses. These decisions are called \"acórdãos\" and they were selected by the Supreme Audit Court to guide future decision making. The study identified 4 different rent-seeking strategies involving the manipulation of price reference indexes for unit items and it also verified that the decisions are limited to correct the irregularity and to penalize the responsible ones with prior known fines.

This thesis is based on cross-sectional data analyses by using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Method in order to determine the main drivers of the environmental performance and specifically the effects of environmental audits conducted by Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) on sustainable development. Two general models are employed throughout the study that have the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) as dependent variable and various sub-models for different income groups are produced to observe the individual and interactive effects of explanatory variables. First model includes 150 countries regressing their EPI scores on income, population, literacy rate and indicators of the strength of institutional structure such as corruption perceptions index or government effectiveness score. Then, second model which comprises 52 countries introduces the number of environmental audit reports as a new explanatory variable. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is also applied to highly correlated variables and the models are reestimated. The results indicate that well functioning environmental management systems and resulting positive effects on the environmental performance can only be attained through strengthened governmental institutions with high transparency and accountability as well as rigid implementation of the related regulations. More specifically, environmental audit reports generated by SAIs are of vital importance for especially improving the environmental management systems of the developing countries.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe išanalizuota valstybinio finansinio audito esmė ir įgyvendinimo metodai, ištirtos valstybinio finansinio audito ataskaitos ir pateikti siūlymai kaip pagerinti finansinio audito efektyvumą. Pirmoje darbo dalyje teoriniu aspektu nagrinėjama valstybinio finansinio audito samprata, tikslai, uždaviniai, teisinis reglamentavimas, atskleidžiama audito reikšmė ir būtinumas, jo įtaka viešųjų finansų valdymui. Antroje dalyje nagrinėjami valstybinio finansinio audito įgyvendinimo metodai, audito subjektai, aiškinamasi audito ataskaitų reikšmė. Trečioje darbo dalyje pateikta atlikto tyrimo metodika, nagrinėjamos valstybinio finansinio audito ataskaitos ir daromos išvados. / Master‘s thesis analyses the essence of state financial audit and implementation methods, explore the state financial audit reports and provides suggestions how to improve the efficienty of the financial audit. The first part of the thesis analyses the theoretical aspects of public financial audit concept, objectives, targets and legal regulation. The audit disclose the significance and necessity of its impact on public finance management. The second part explains the state financial audit methods of explementation, audit entities, value of audit reports. The third part describes the methodology of the research, analyses the state financial audit reports and conclusions are drawn.

Esta pesquisa analisa um conjunto de 76 decisões proferidas pelo Tribunal de Contas da União Brasileiro, relativas às irregularidades de sobrepreço em contratos de obras publicas federais licitadas e executadas, com o objetivo de identificar estratégias de captura de renda e as respostas da Corte de contas. Estas decisões são denominadas de acórdãos e foram selecionadas pelo próprio Tribunal para servirem de paradigma para futuras decisões. A pesquisa identificou 4 diferentes estratégias de captura de renda envolvendo manipulação de índices referenciais de preço de itens unitários e verificou que as determinações contidas nos acórdãos analisados limitam-se a corrigir a irregularidade e a penalizar os responsáveis com multas previamente conhecidas. / The study analyzes 76 decisions made by the Brazilian Supreme Audit Court, regarding overpricing irregularities in public bidding contracting for federal construction and execution, in order to identify rent-seeking strategies and Court responses. These decisions are called \"acórdãos\" and they were selected by the Supreme Audit Court to guide future decision making. The study identified 4 different rent-seeking strategies involving the manipulation of price reference indexes for unit items and it also verified that the decisions are limited to correct the irregularity and to penalize the responsible ones with prior known fines.

Background and Problem: The audit expectation gap is an interesting phenomenon whereseveral academics and researchers have studied this subject in the audit environment. However,in relation to the research conducted on the audit expectation gap in the private sector, a lack ofresearch exists on the audit expectation gap in the public sector. The importance ofunderstanding and realising the audit expectation gap in the public sector relies on the threatthe gap has on the legitimacy and trust of the national audit offices and public auditors. Purpose: This research study aims to explore the audit expectation gap in the public sector.The study seeks to investigate what manifests the audit expectation gap between the SwedishNational Audit Office and the society of Sweden. In addition, the study aims to moreoverunderstand the reasons for making the audit expectation gap emerge. Method: The study includes two different research methods aimed to explore the differentperceptions of the public auditors and the society concerning the roles and responsibilities ofpublic state auditors. Semi-structured interviews with auditors from the Swedish National AuditOffice were conducted to comprehend their perception of public auditors. In comparison,content analysis on a published news article of the Swedish National Audit Office was observedto comprehend the Swedish society’s perceptions of public auditors. The two research methodswere then analysed and compared to explore if an audit expectation gap exists between thedifferent perceptions. Findings: The findings provide an understanding of different contributors causing an auditexpectation gap to emerge between the Swedish National Audit Office and Swedish society.The findings suggest that the audit expectation gap can be a consequence of the public lack ofknowledge in the office, poor performance or failure to adhere to core ethical principles byeither the individual auditor or office or the efficiency of the standard and its sufficiency toprovide with high-quality auditing. When such situations or circumstances emerge, the findingsindicate that an audit expectation gap is manifested between the Swedish National Audit Officeand the Swedish society.

In 2016, the three Auditors General of the Swedish National Audit Office asked to be relieved of their positions after a period of intense criticism in the media. Swedish journalists had revealed that they all three had acted in ways that were not compatible with the office, and even in some cases against anti-corruption rules. However, it was also revealed that the staff resistance to the organisational change brought about by the three auditors had also contributed to the ongoing conflict within the agency. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of the situation within the agency and of how the change management methods used caused a conflict between the staff and the organisational leadership. I look into how the organisational transformation was accomplished and what the consequences were for performance auditors as a profession. The material consists primarily of interviews with employees of the performance audit department of the Swedish National Audit Office, and has been supplemented with independent audits of the organisational change within the agency and with media coverage. The material is analysed from the perspective of theories of change management as well as professionalism and new managerialism. The analysis of the gathered materials demonstrates that the change management and the resulting new working situation for the performance auditors was brought about through a leadership that ran roughshod over the professional needs and complaints of the performance auditors. It is highly likely that this is the critical reason for the crisis that occurred within the institution and later led to the resignation of the Auditors General. It seems, in fact, that the employees of the agency turned to media with compromising information because they wished to remove the leadership for other reasons. The outside pressure and lack of support from within the organisation made it then impossible for the auditors to continue in their positions.

The aim of the following thesis reflects current trends in public sector accounting and subsequent audit of public sector entities's financial statements. The main principles of accounting are desribed in order to determine how the financial statements are used during controls and audits. In this context the Supreme Audit Institution is introduced as an independant institution practicing external audit in public sector. For this purpose the SAI's control reports reflected the financial audit of the selected public sector entities will be analyzed.