Performance or Compliance?
Performance Audit and Public Management in Five Countries
Published on 30. September 1999
Book
Hardback
260 pages
978-0-19-829600-3 (ISBN)
Description
Performance audit, as practised by national audit offices, is a relatively recent and rapidly developing set of activities. Auditors claim to have moved beyond issues of compliance and regularity and to be able directly to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of public programmes, projects, and institutions.
These are developments with considerable implications for both democratic accountablility and managerial efficiency. Until now they have received little independent scrutiny, but in this book an international team of researchers analyses the growth of performance audit in five countries: France, Finland, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. It is argued that audit offices face a series of strategic choices, and that in different countries they have thus far chosen somewhat different trajectories.
These are developments with considerable implications for both democratic accountablility and managerial efficiency. Until now they have received little independent scrutiny, but in this book an international team of researchers analyses the growth of performance audit in five countries: France, Finland, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. It is argued that audit offices face a series of strategic choices, and that in different countries they have thus far chosen somewhat different trajectories.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
4 figures, 18 tables
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
584 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-829600-3 (9780198296003)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Christopher Pollitt is currently Professor of Public Management at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. He has worked as an Assistant Principal and Principal in the UK civil service and as an academic and consultant. He was Professor of Government at Brunel University from 1990-98, President of the European Evaluation Society from 1995-97 and an advisor to the European Commission from 1996.
Xavier Girre is Manager (conseiller) at the Cours des Comptes in Paris. He has been involved in audits of major public firms, diplomatic services, and various bodies in the defence sector. He has previously been an Assistant Professor in Economy at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris.
Jeremy Lonsdale is Audit manager at the National Audit Office, London, working on value for money studies. He is a qualified accountant and formerly worked in the Corporate Policy Unit.
Robert Mul is currently director of an audit unit in Rotterdam. He was formerly the head of the Algem
Xavier Girre is Manager (conseiller) at the Cours des Comptes in Paris. He has been involved in audits of major public firms, diplomatic services, and various bodies in the defence sector. He has previously been an Assistant Professor in Economy at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris.
Jeremy Lonsdale is Audit manager at the National Audit Office, London, working on value for money studies. He is a qualified accountant and formerly worked in the Corporate Policy Unit.
Robert Mul is currently director of an audit unit in Rotterdam. He was formerly the head of the Algem
Author
Professor of Public ManagementProfessor of Public Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam
Manager at the Cours des Comptes in Paris, Assistant Professor in EconomyManager at the Cours des Comptes in Paris, Assistant Professor in Economy, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
Audit manager at the National Audit Office, LondonAudit manager at the National Audit Office, London
formerly Head of the Algemene Rekenkamer's section on justiceformerly Head of the Algemene Rekenkamer's section on justice
Head of Evaluation SectorHead of Evaluation Sector, Directorate General for Budgets, European Commission
, Swedish National Agency for Higher Education
Content
Performance Audit and Public Management Reform ; Performance Audit: Definitions and Frameworks ; The Changing Context ; The Management/Audit Interface ; Performance Audit: The Object of Study ; Criteria ; The Auditor's Craft ; Methods ; Products ; Impacts ; Overview ; Appendix One: Research Methods ; Appendix Two: Supreme Audit Institutions: The Basics ; Appendix Three: The Development of Performance Audit ; References