Performance-Based Auditing
What will you learn
The course will provide a detailed overview of the framework for performance auditing as this allows public sector auditors to provide assurance that the audited organizations are accomplishing their proclaimed objectives and following the value-for-money principles in service delivery. After the initial review of the concepts and steps in a standard performance audit process, the participants will work on group assignments related to the practical application of the risk and control matrix using the value-for-money approach. This will entail learning and applying different performance audit tools and exploring audit strategies to examine whether the organization’s objectives are successful in mitigating the risks to the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of operations. Supported by experienced faculty, participants will also explore the relationship between performance and financial/regularity/system-based auditing and how to leverage respective approaches in terms of their purpose, focus, audit criteria, applied methodology, as well as reporting requirements.
How will you benefit
The course will combine introductory presentations with group discussions and case study work, guiding participants through the performance audit process and challenging them to consider audit alternatives, make critical decisions, and examine the outcomes of their audit decisions. Sufficient time is integrated for question and answer sessions so participants can benefit from practical examples and peer-to-peer professional experience sharing.
By the end of the course, participants will have:
- Reviewed the concepts and tools used in performance audit and how they differ from audit of regularity, audit of financial statements, and system-based audit
- Learned about how to identify performance issues, prioritize and select the most relevant performance auditing topics
- Examined how to define the scope and design of a performance audit
- Learned how to develop a question and evidence matrix and select appropriate audit methodologies
- Applied performance auditing techniques in group settings
- Learned about embedding quality assurance and quality control aspects in performance auditing
- Learned about using analytical tools for forming findings, conclusions, and recommendations as part of the audit report
Who should attend
This practical hands-on course has been primarily designed for audit professionals (e.g. internal and external auditors, staff charged with audit methodologies and quality assurance in the audit process, performance analysts, quality managers) from Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI), ministries of finance, line ministries and other public institutions charged with service delivery from SEE countries.
As the course is designed to combine multiple dimensions of learning (experiential, reflective, theoretical, and practical), participants should have a good command of English to be able to fully engage in course activities.
FACULTY
- Jussi Bright, MBA, MSc, Principal Auditor, European Court of Auditors, Luxembourg
Mr. Bright is currently the principal auditor in the quality control directorate (DQC) at the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Besides normal quality control functions, DQC is responsible for drafting and updating audit manuals and methodological guidance generally with the aim of improving ECA performance audits. He has more than 20 years of auditing experience in the Court. During this period he has been involved for nine years in auditing pre-accession funds of the European Commission. He has been involved in numerous performance audits in ECA and was the Head of Task of a 1½ year development capacity projects involving six state audit institutions of western Balkans. He has a Master of Economics degree (University of Turku, Finland), an MBA (Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium), and a Master of Management of Public Organisations (Université de Lorraine, France).
- Nihad Nakaš
Mr. Nakaš has extensive international experience in the provision of technical assistance and advice on public financial management to governments in Southeastern Europe and the Caucasus. In the past, he supported the introduction of performance auditing through the development of methodologies, delivery of in-class training, and leading/contributing to on-the-job training and pilot audits. Recently, he has contributed to CEF's accounting and auditing thematic areas, providing research and advice on capacity development of public sector accountants, internal and external auditors in the CEF constituency. He has a Master of Business Administration degree (University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Griffith College Dublin, Ireland).
Partners
This learning initiative was supported by:
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