NZ Auditor General’s Report on Public Sector Readiness…

Each year, the NZ Office of the Auditor General audits

every one of New Zealand’s 4000 or so public entities.

This report summarises what the 2012/2013 audit work

says about the year’s strategic theme: Our future needs –

is the public sector ready?

JUNE 2014

The AG expects NZ will have to plan for more shocks

like Christchurch, an ageing population, pressure on

natural resources and increasing inequality.

Public sector management is good but has to step up

another gear.

The report uses a simple maturity model to identify lots

of areas for improvement. I have only chosen a few to

highlight.

WHAT DOES IT SAY.

JUNE 2014

‘Plans are worth doing only if they are useful and

used’. The AG found that more than half of public

assets were not being managed in keeping with a plan.

The AG calls for simpler reporting and integrated

information. ‘True accountability requires

transparency about financial and operational

performance, and an appropriate relationship between

the two.’

WHAT ELSE DOES IT SAY.

JUNE 2014

The AG calls for public scrutiny to be welcomed

by the public sector, supporting the value of

provided by her audits.

The AG highlights the need to be prepared to

experiment with social media, supporting the

value of in5slides too.

WHAT ELSE DOES IT SAY.

JUNE 2014

• NZ is well-positioned to meet the future needs, but there are a few areas for public sector managers to focus on.

• Financial management and integrated reporting skill-gaps should mean more work for public sector accountants.

• Watch NZ for some interesting innovation in public sector management and engagement.

The comments on these slides are the views of Tim Kirby, Sydney.

You should always read the report itself before putting your reputation or any money on the line.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN.

Tim Kirby, Sydney CA, CIA, LA-EMS

au.linkedin.com/in/timkirbysydney

JUNE 2014