Identification of Problems and Benefits of Internal Audit Implementation in Local Government Entities. Research Results

Abstract

Internal audit in Poland is an institution recognized by both the law and the Polish public finance and finance law doctrine, and it has been functioning for over fifteen years. However, both its practice and its legal environment is a source of numerous problems experienced by both entities subject to internal auditing and by auditors themselves. The aim of the article is to identify activities, problems and benefits of implementing auditing in local government entities, to identify the types of risk and to create a ranking of activities influencing the increasing of the quality of public services. So that the indicated objective could be achieved, in 2016 a survey which was the continuation of the pilot study started in 2015 was conducted. The survey covered other local government entities in 14 voivodeships. The results provided a broader view of the institution of audit and its role in the self-government sector. The study contributed to identifying the risks and activities facilitating the improvement of a given entity’s functioning and increasing the quality of services delivered by public entities.