Our recent work
Concerns were raised in the media and our Office about how the Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme was managed. Because of these concerns, and the amount of public money involved, we carried out an inquiry into the eligibility criteria for funding and the process for assessing funding applications.
We reviewed the Treasury's He Tirohanga Mokopuna 2021 to look at how well it had identified long-term insights about challenges and opportunities and integrated them into a view of the Government’s long-term financial position.
This report contains our observations on the tertiary education sector in 2021. It focuses on two key areas – the ongoing vocational education reform programme and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tertiary education sector.
Ever wondered what the Auditor-General does? (Here's the video transcript.)
What does an auditor do?
An auditor checks that information organisations report annually is reliable, and lets us know if it isn’t. (Here’s the video transcript.)
What is the Controller function?
The Controller checks that money is spent lawfully, and can "turn off the money tap" if it isn't. (Here's the video transcript.)
What we're working on
Education audits are now under way and due to be completed during the next two to three months. This includes about 2400 school audits and the audits of universities, polytechnics, and wānanga.
We're drafting resources to help set up or improve how integrity is supported in public organisations. It's important work.
Read about our priorities
Improving outcomes
In the next three years we’ll focus on how well the public sector is improving the lives of New Zealanders, in housing, health, education, outcomes for Māori, and reducing family violence.
Public accountability
An effective accountability system is critical to New Zealanders’ trust and confidence in the public sector and in government.
Keeping New Zealanders informed
We’re keen to see improvements in how well public organisations inform communities about matters of importance.
Sharing what "good" looks like
We’re in a unique position to identify and share examples of good practice.
Response to Covid-19
Responding to Covid-19 has led to once-in-a-generation spending, which New Zealanders will be paying off for generations to come.
Our blog posts
Our staff are regularly blogging about the interesting and thought-provoking aspects of their work...
Data (including fraud notifications and school audit results)
We're working to make some of our data available online. We welcome your feedback.
Resources for students and teachers
We've turned some of our reports into teaching resources, mainly for social studies. Check them out!
