INTERNAL AUDITORS ROLE IN STRENGTHENING REGIONAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: A LITERATURE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31000/competitive.v9i2.15372Keywords:
internal auditor, regional financial accountability, government internal oversight apparatus (GIOA), systematic literature review, public sector governanceAbstract
The accountability of regional financial management is a crucial determinant of good governance and public trust, yet a significant gap persists between formal audit certifications and substantive financial integrity at the local level. This study aims to synthesize how the role of Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus (GISA), or internal auditors, contributes to strengthening this accountability. Employing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 37 empirical studies published between 2020 and 2024, this research analyzes the collective influence of four key factors: auditor competence, independence, management support, and the auditor's evolving strategic role. The findings reveal that auditor competence and professionalism is the most cited enabling factor (89.2% of studies), followed by independence and objectivity (75.7%), and management support (67.6%). Despite its recognized importance, the effectiveness of internal audit is hampered by significant challenges, most notably inconsistencies in audit standards (64.9% of studies) and bureaucratic resistance (51.4%). The analysis concludes that strengthening regional financial accountability requires a holistic, systems-based approach. This approach must simultaneously enhance professional competency, safeguard auditor independence, secure committed management support, and strategically integrate digital tools to bridge the persistent gap between procedural compliance and genuine, substantive accountability in local governance.
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