Chapter 11 – Auditing of Government and Not-for-Profit Organizations
11–13
Ch. 11, Solutions, Case 11–16, a. (Cont’d)
e. Undue influence threat – the threat that external influences or
pressures will impact an auditor or audit organization’s ability to
make independent and objective judgments.
f. Management participation threat – the threat that results from an
auditor’s taking on the role of management or otherwise
performing management functions on behalf of the entity
undergoing an audit or attestation engagement.
Three of the seven threats could apply to this situation. Since the accounting firm put
the accounting system in place, the auditor could be in a position of reviewing or
evaluating his/her own work or set of controls (self-review threat). If the new auditor
is familiar enough with the accounting system to have the ability to override controls,
management participation threat could be a problem. Finally, if the personnel that
implemented the accounting system change spent a great deal of time in the city
offices, familiarity threat could also prove to be an issue.
b. A request for proposals for government audit services should describe accounting-
related characteristics of the government entity and detail the scope of audit services
being requested, as well as the specific qualifications desired of audit firms
responding to the RFP. An RFP should be widely dispersed to qualified audit firms
and advertised in local business and professional periodicals.
The government seeking an audit should also be described in the RFP. Summary
financial data (e.g., total revenues, number of funds, component units) and accounting
function staff characteristics should be disclosed. Prospective auditors will also be
interested in the availability of prior financial reports and records, including journal
entries, as well as management letters issued and pension plan information.
Engagement specifics, such as the timing of the audit, work schedules, estimated
hours, prior year audit fees, and due date are also important.