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