These highlight the essential role that public audit plays in maintaining confidence in the effective stewardship of public funds and those to whom this responsibility is entrusted. The Forum recognise that public auditors are accountable for their performance and duty bound to undertake their work in a professional, objective and cost-effective manner and with due regard to the needs of the auditee. The Forum therefore intend to produce a further paper which sets out the service which auditees can expect from the public auditor. The public expect that those responsible for handling public money are held fully accountable for the use of that money. The prime responsibility for ensuring that public money is handled with absolute integrity and spent wisely, rests with Ministers, elected members, governing bodies, managers and officials.
Public audit is an important link in that chain of accountability.
It strengthens accountability, both upwards to the elected or appointed members who provide resources, and outwards to the consumers and beneficiaries, taxpayers and the wider community at large. Public audit adds value not merely by analysing and reporting what has happened after the event but also by being forward looking, by identifying lessons to be learnt and by disseminating good practice. External public auditors thereby have a direct and positive influence on the way organisations and people in the public service discharge their responsibilities. With internal auditors working within public bodies they help to promote better management and decision-taking, and thus a more effective use of taxpayers resources, and play an important role in the corporate governance arrangements of public bodies. Independence Public audit must be independent of the organisations being audited so that the auditors cannot be improperly influenced by those whose work they audit and so that they can carry out their role freely.