Providing Unbiased Professionalism

In order to maintain and broaden public confidence, auditors need to perform all professional responsibilities with the highest degree of integrity, professionalism, and objectivity when dealing with audited entities and users of the auditors' reports. Additionally, auditors should be honest and candid with the audited entity and users of the auditors' work in the conduct of their work, within the constraints of the audited entity's confidentiality laws, rules, or policies.

Regulations

Service and the public trust should not be subordinated to personal gain and advantage. Auditors should be objective and free of conflicts of interest in discharging their professional responsibilities. Auditors are also responsible for being independent in fact and appearance when providing audit and attestation services. Independence precludes relationships that may in fact or appearance impair auditors' objectivity in performing the audit or attestation engagement. The maintenance of objectivity and independence requires continuing assessment of relationships with the audited entities in the context of the auditors' responsibility to the public.

In applying generally accepted government auditing standards, auditors are responsible for using professional judgment when establishing scope and methodologies for their work, determining the tests and procedures to be performed, conducting the work, and reporting the results. Auditors need to maintain integrity and objectivity when doing their work to make decisions that are consistent with the broader public interest in the program or activity under review.

When reporting on the results of their work, auditors are responsible for disclosing all material or significant facts known to them which, if not disclosed, could mislead knowledgeable users, misrepresent the results, or conceal improper or unlawful practices.