Financial audit adherence of Superior Audit Institutions: A comparative study of methodologies between Brazil, United States, United Kingdom and Australia

Abstract

The external control is an essential tool to ensure efficient and transparent functioning in
public administration around the world. Lima (2011) states that the merit of external control
is because it is performed independently by another power, different from that responsible
for carrying out the administrative activities susceptible to control. The present study aims to
verify the financial audits performed by the TCU to international standards and requirements.
Being the construction of knowledge focused on achieving the goal made in the following
stages: a general presentation of the characteristics of the members of Intosai; a comparison
between the financial audit of the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), General Accounting
Office (GAO), National Audit (NAO) and Australian National Audit Office (ANAO); and an
assessment as to the adherence of the TCU’s financial audits conducted in accordance with
its own strengthening strategy established in Judgment 3.608/2014 to international standards.
The method used was the bibliographic and documentary research of an exploratory nature,
through research carried out mainly in scientific papers and in the ISC electronic portals from
2015 to 2020. The results show that Intosai members mostly do not do the three main audits
set out in international standards. In comparison with the other supreme audit institutions
(SAI), the TCU still lags the expected financial audits. In addition, the financial audits
conducted by TCU are not yet fully compliant with international standards, despite efforts with
the strengthening strategy since 2014.