Improving the Credibility of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Disclosures. There is increasing demand for disclosures about greenhouse gas emissions around the world, and a desire to improve their credibility. This study will provide insights into the types of reporting and assurance that can be provided. In addition, it will examine the extent to which users are influenced by the greenhouse gas disclosures and assurance provided. As such, this research will provide an important knowledge base in determ ....Improving the Credibility of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Disclosures. There is increasing demand for disclosures about greenhouse gas emissions around the world, and a desire to improve their credibility. This study will provide insights into the types of reporting and assurance that can be provided. In addition, it will examine the extent to which users are influenced by the greenhouse gas disclosures and assurance provided. As such, this research will provide an important knowledge base in determining the appropriate focus of future reporting and assurance in this area. It is expected that this research will inform the development of an international and Australian assurance standard on greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Developing a Model for the Evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships. The primary aim of this research project is to improve the long-term evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Growing commitments by governments to the use of PPPs to deliver infrastructure-based services have created an urgent need for the development of evaluation systems to ensure that PPPs deliver efficiency and effectiveness for taxpayers as claimed. Further there is a need to ensure that th ....Developing a Model for the Evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships. The primary aim of this research project is to improve the long-term evaluation of Australian Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Growing commitments by governments to the use of PPPs to deliver infrastructure-based services have created an urgent need for the development of evaluation systems to ensure that PPPs deliver efficiency and effectiveness for taxpayers as claimed. Further there is a need to ensure that the quality of welfare-based services is not diminished through the use of PPPs.
A key outcome of this research is the development of a theoretically and empirically based post project evaluation model, developed with full support from key stakeholders, including Auditors-General and Public Accounts Committees.Read moreRead less
Improving the 21st century audit. Financial reports are a key part of an efficient capital market and a central role of auditing is to add creditability to the financial reports. The corporate failures in the recent years have shaken investor confidence. The regulators and the auditing profession have an important role to play in bringing back that trust. The auditing profession needs to continue to evolve to deliver at the high standards expected of them especially in regard to auditors' abilit ....Improving the 21st century audit. Financial reports are a key part of an efficient capital market and a central role of auditing is to add creditability to the financial reports. The corporate failures in the recent years have shaken investor confidence. The regulators and the auditing profession have an important role to play in bringing back that trust. The auditing profession needs to continue to evolve to deliver at the high standards expected of them especially in regard to auditors' ability to uncover material fraud at a reasonable cost. This research will study techniques that will help auditors in meeting the challenges faced by them in detecting fraudulent financial statements and thus improve the audit quality.Read moreRead less
Integrated Financial Fraud Detection in Enterprise Applications. Fraud costs the Australian economy at least $3 billion per year. The incidence of fraud within the Australian economy is increasing. Australian entities are ill-prepared to detect and prevent fraud against their businesses with very few developing or implementing any form of fraud control strategy (AS 8001-2003). The growing use of the Internet by organisations for electronic commerce increases their exposure to fraudulent activiti ....Integrated Financial Fraud Detection in Enterprise Applications. Fraud costs the Australian economy at least $3 billion per year. The incidence of fraud within the Australian economy is increasing. Australian entities are ill-prepared to detect and prevent fraud against their businesses with very few developing or implementing any form of fraud control strategy (AS 8001-2003). The growing use of the Internet by organisations for electronic commerce increases their exposure to fraudulent activities. Inevitably much of the cost of fraud is passed on to the customers and the community at large. By providing large organisations with an approach to assist in detecting fraudulent behaviour in accounting systems, it is envisaged that this research will assist in reducing the impact of fraud on society.Read moreRead less
The Management of Corporate Earnings and Audit Committee Effectiveness. The ?management? of corporate earnings as an issue of social and economic importance has been given substantial prominence recently (e.g. Enron, HIH). Mandated audit committees (AC) for large companies has been proposed by Federal Government initiated inquiries (Ramsay 2001, JCPAA 2002) and is a key part to the Government's response to those inquiries (CLERP 9). ACs are not without critics (eg Wolnizer 1995). This study ex ....The Management of Corporate Earnings and Audit Committee Effectiveness. The ?management? of corporate earnings as an issue of social and economic importance has been given substantial prominence recently (e.g. Enron, HIH). Mandated audit committees (AC) for large companies has been proposed by Federal Government initiated inquiries (Ramsay 2001, JCPAA 2002) and is a key part to the Government's response to those inquiries (CLERP 9). ACs are not without critics (eg Wolnizer 1995). This study examines longitudinally the effectiveness of ACs in influencing corporate earnings management behaviour. This study will aid the Federal Government sponsored Financial Reporting Council in its task of monitoring the effectiveness post-CLERP 9 implementation. Read moreRead less
InformationTechnology (IT) Audit Methodologies in the Australian Public Sector: Addressing Mandatory Requirements of International Standards. The primary benefit occurs in relation to National Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, notably Priority Goal 'Smart Information Use', as it will enable more sophisticated and accurate assessments of current IT audit methodologies. In turn, these improvements will enable more effective IT audits by ....InformationTechnology (IT) Audit Methodologies in the Australian Public Sector: Addressing Mandatory Requirements of International Standards. The primary benefit occurs in relation to National Research Priority 3: Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, notably Priority Goal 'Smart Information Use', as it will enable more sophisticated and accurate assessments of current IT audit methodologies. In turn, these improvements will enable more effective IT audits by government audit offices in Australia, bringing reduced risk and increased efficiency to organisations subject to audit, as well as increasing conformance with the new accounting and auditing standards. Furthermore, all Australian citizens, (the indirect clients of public sector audit services), will benefit from well-managed program-delivery systems.Read moreRead less
Keeping Capital Markets Efficient: A National Strategy on the Future of Auditing. The lack of confidence in the reliability of financial statement information is costly to the Australian capital market. The auditing profession is also struggling to attract and retain skilled professionals, which can erode audit quality. Using a rigorous research design to understand business community expectations and concerns, this project will provide a national forum that informs and directs responsible natio ....Keeping Capital Markets Efficient: A National Strategy on the Future of Auditing. The lack of confidence in the reliability of financial statement information is costly to the Australian capital market. The auditing profession is also struggling to attract and retain skilled professionals, which can erode audit quality. Using a rigorous research design to understand business community expectations and concerns, this project will provide a national forum that informs and directs responsible national strategy to ensure that high quality audit services are procured by corporate Australia. Improved audit quality will have the effect of improving the efficiency and attractiveness of the Australian capital market and address the skill shortage in auditing. Read moreRead less
Corporate Governance and the Market for Audit Services. Corporate governance is essential for the development of efficient and transparent capital markets, which in turn are critical to economic growth and development. The alleged role of auditors in recent corporate collapses brings into focus the question of how auditing contributes to effective corporate governance. More broadly, the way in which the market for audit services functions is critical, especially given the increasingly concentrat ....Corporate Governance and the Market for Audit Services. Corporate governance is essential for the development of efficient and transparent capital markets, which in turn are critical to economic growth and development. The alleged role of auditors in recent corporate collapses brings into focus the question of how auditing contributes to effective corporate governance. More broadly, the way in which the market for audit services functions is critical, especially given the increasingly concentrated nature of this market. This project will provide evidence on whether auditors have a broader contribution than merely 'checking' the financial statements, as well as the extent to which the market for audit services may have become less competitive as the number of large audit firms has declined.Read moreRead less
The Changing Roles and Responsibilities of Company Boards and Directors. This research project will examine the changing roles and responsibilities of company boards and directors, in the wake of CLERP 9, the new ASX corporate governance principles, and other recent best-practice guidelines in Australia. These guidelines themselves stemmed from widespread government, investor and public concerns regarding standards of accountability, disclosure and performance. There will be three levels of anal ....The Changing Roles and Responsibilities of Company Boards and Directors. This research project will examine the changing roles and responsibilities of company boards and directors, in the wake of CLERP 9, the new ASX corporate governance principles, and other recent best-practice guidelines in Australia. These guidelines themselves stemmed from widespread government, investor and public concerns regarding standards of accountability, disclosure and performance. There will be three levels of analysis firstly changes in values and beliefs among company boards and directors regarding corporate governance; secondly changes in structures and procedures; and finally changes in practices and behaviour. This will enable comparison with the adoption of corporate governance reforms internationally.Read moreRead less
Managing the world's most precious resource: The role of water accounting. This project contributes to the National Research Priorities goal to develop sustainable ways of improving water productivity, using less water in agriculture and other industries, and providing increased protection of rivers and groundwater. Robust and rigorous water accounting and assurance will allow water managers to identify and address system water losses, and will underpin increased market and investment confiden ....Managing the world's most precious resource: The role of water accounting. This project contributes to the National Research Priorities goal to develop sustainable ways of improving water productivity, using less water in agriculture and other industries, and providing increased protection of rivers and groundwater. Robust and rigorous water accounting and assurance will allow water managers to identify and address system water losses, and will underpin increased market and investment confidence in water information among water users. The collaborations between industry, academia, government and the accounting and water management professions will provide and demonstrate high profile, significant and timely international thought leadership in the emerging discipline of water accounting standards. Read moreRead less