Government Auditing Standards
The Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards, commonly referred to as the "Yellow Book", are produced in the United States by the Government Accountability Office.
The standards apply to both financial and performance audits of government agencies. Five general standards are included:
- Independence
- Due care
- Continuing professional education 80 hours every 2 years, 24 hours directly related to government auditing
- Supervision
- Quality control
In addition to financial audits, the Yellow Book standards cover Performance Audits, which evaluate the performance of a program or project against defined objectives, such as objectives for efficiency and effectiveness.
The Yellow Book standards provide auditors with a framework for behaving ethically. It outlines five key principles:
- The public interest
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Proper use of government information, resources, and positions
- Professional behavior