Audit Wales launches ambitious new strategy
This new five year strategy comes at a critical time for public services
Audit Wales has today launched its bold new strategy as it sets out its five year vision to drive improvement and support Welsh public services as they adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a changing world.
The strategy is focused on the vital role that public sector audit has in supporting organisations to deliver for the communities of Wales, through its vision to:
- Assure people of Wales that public money is being well managed.
- Explain how public money is being spent to meet people’s needs.
- Inspire and empower the Welsh public sector to improve.
Over the next five years there will be a focus on emerging trends that have emerged through Audit Wales work, including:
- The response to the pandemic – including the direct and legacy costs and the ongoing economic impact on public finances.
- A changing world – the challenges of climate change, creating a fairer, more equal society and constitutional changes and new relationships.
- Transforming services – new approaches to service delivery, long term planning and prevention and use of data and technology.
The strategy also identifies three areas of focus where Audit Wales will prioritise action, alongside its statutory responsibilities. They are:
- A strategic, dynamic and high-quality audit programme.
- A targeted and impactful approach to communications and influencing.
- A culture and operating model that enables us to thrive both now and in the future.
Our new strategy comes at a critical time for public services in Wales. The years ahead will provide little respite for already stretched public finances at a time when demand for these services is increasing. Public service audit has a central role to play in ensuring that taxpayers’ money is making a real difference and having the right impact for the people of Wales.
There has never been a more important time for public audit in Wales than now. The challenges facing our communities in Wales are complex, interconnected and longstanding. Our new strategy sets out how Audit Wales will respond to these challenges – by evolving our audit focus, being responsive to emerging issues, making greater use of our financial insights and maintaining a relentless focus on improving the quality and impact of our work.
