The majority of audits and attestation engagements performed by the State Auditor and Inspector are conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). These standards, established by the Comptroller General of the United States, require that audit organizations performing audits and attestation engagements in accordance with GAGAS must have an external peer review performed by independent reviewers at least once every 3 years. The external peer review provides a reasonable basis for determining whether, for the period under review, the audit organization’s system of quality control was suitably designed and whether the audit organization is complying with its quality control system in order to provide the audit organization with reasonable assurance of conforming with applicable professional standards.
The State Auditor and Inspector’s Office complies with this requirement by participating in the National State Auditor’s Association (NSAA) External Peer Review Program which is administered by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT). An external peer review is an important element in performing quality audits. External peer reviews provide an opportunity for maintaining and improving the quality of audit work performed.
An external peer review also provides the general public confidence in the audits performed by the State Auditor and Inspector.
The State Auditor and Inspector’s Office’s most recent peer review was conducted in July 2023 and covered audit reports issued from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 and the 2021 State Of Oklahoma ACFR audit released January 26, 2022. The review team included certified public accountants from the state auditor’s office’s of six other states. The review team gave a rating of pass in its report, which is the highest level of assurance that an external peer review team can give. The next peer review is scheduled for 2026.