ABSTRACT
This book brings together works by authors specialising in various aspects of the public sector. With so many changes happening with aspects of public sector accounting and governance, this seems an ideal time to reflect upon what is transpiring globally as well as locally in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). It integrates experiences of Australia and NZ in such a way as to conceptualise topics relevant to the western world. This book will consider not only what is happening in both these countries but will use their experiences to illuminate the global issues of public sector accounting, accountability and governance.
In the United Kingdom (UK), the Good Governance Standard for Public Services (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) & The Office of Public Management (OPM) 2004) has accountability as a paramount cornerstone of its policy. In the United States (US), disasters like Enron meant that accountability, audit and governance became essential—initially in the private sector, followed closely by the public sector (Pilcher 2014). In Australia, governance is a combination of accountability, transparency, stewardship, integrity, efficiency and leadership (Australian Public Sector Commission (APSC) 2007). There it has been the audit office driving governance, however, Treasuries, finance departments, legislative bodies and professional groups (such as CPA Australia) have also lobbied for an improvement in governance reporting. Unfortunately, unlike in the private sector, there are multiple nuances impacting the adoption of governance policies by the public sector—political aspects, in particular, add a whole new level of complexity (Pilcher 2014).
As you can see, these issues are of great importance to countries throughout the world. This book considers all sections of government with emphasis on current issues impacting on the public sector. It is aimed at researchers who are more interested in a holistic look at the public sector and the following chapters can form the background for any future research. It does not provide basic concepts but rather application of these concepts in real life situations—in both Australia and NZ with applications throughout other Anglophone countries.
