Part 1: Introduction

Our purpose is improving trust, promoting value in the public sector. Everything we do is focused on how well public organisations perform, account for their performance, and deliver value for money.

This annual plan is a key accountability document for our Office. It describes the work we consider will help us to achieve our ultimate outcome – that Parliament and the public can have trust and confidence in New Zealand's public sector.

This annual plan outlines our discretionary programme of work for 2021/22 – performance audits, special studies, regular reports and updates, and good practice guidance. It does not cover in depth our mandatory audits of nearly 3400 audits of public organisations and their subsidiaries,¹ nor the inquiries that we will carry out. In contrast to our planned work, our inquiries work responds to matters of current concern and is largely unpredictable.

By 30 June each year, we are required to present our annual plan to the Speaker of the House of Representatives (see section 36 of the Public Audit Act 2001). The annual plan provides Parliament, the public, and the public sector the opportunity to understand our Office's priorities for the year.

1: Appendix 2 provides a summary of the public organisations that we audit (as at June 2021).