Strategic Audit as an Integral Part of External State (Municipal) Financial Monitoring in the Modern Context

Abstract

Purpose: the article justifies the necessity and expediency of introducing a strategic audit into the activities of the control and accounting bodies as one of the directions to improve the system of external state (municipal) financial monitoring. Methodology: research methods include structural and statistical analysis, synthesis, and economic forecasting. Findings: The article explores the changes that have occurred in recent years in approaches to the management of economic relations at government and municipal level in Russia. The Development Strategy for the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation until 2024 has been discussed and priority areas of development have been revealed. One of them is the development of a methodology and the further implementation of strategic audit tools. The article also deals with theoretical approaches to defining “strategy”, “strategic audit” and presents the practical experience using strategic audit elements. It has been found out that strategic audit is a new area of financial monitoring with its distinctive features. The history of a strategic audit in public administration is closely connected to strategic planning. The strategic audit is aimed at control (monitoring) of activities related to the accomplishment of national and industry-specific goals of the socio-economic development of territories specified in strategic planning documents. Rationale: The content and methodology of strategic audit both at the federal, regional and municipal level are emerging now. In the framework of this article, the authors investigate some areas that haven’t been studied before and predict further development of strategic audit tools.