This Study focuses on governance arrangements in the public sector; specifically on the responsibilities of a governing body of a public sector controlled entity. The IPSASB (formerly the Public Sector Committee) believes that the publication of this Study will contribute to good governance and accountability in the public sector throughout the world.

This new study assists government financial aid officers and other government accountants in their efforts to develop and implement cost accounting.

The Study aims to assist governments at all levels in the identification of issues associated with financial reporting. Although some parts of the Study may relate to national governments only, other parts are applicable to all levels of government.

This Study examines the concepts, principles and issues related to the treatment of expenses/expenditures in general purpose financial statements of governments and other non-business public sector entities.

Governments are under growing pressures not only to manage their funds effectively, but also to show their management has been effective. To achieve this, governments need complete information about their expenses/expenditures in order to assess their revenue requirements, the sustainability of their programs and their flexibility.

This Study examines concepts, principles and issues related to the definitions and recognition of revenues in the general purpose financial statements of national governments and other non-business public sector entities. Specifically, this Study identifies and discusses the definition and classification of revenues, issues with certain types of revenue and the effect of different bases of accounting on the definition and recognition of revenues.

This Study identifies principal users of performance information, considers the needs of those users, and outlines forms of reporting that could be available to meet those needs. The Study is thereby concerned primarily with the provision of information about an enterprise's performance (covering both financial and non-financial aspects of performance) supplementary to the information provided in financial statements, in the context of general purpose financial statements.

This Study provides a public sector perspective on the definition and recognition of liabilities. It identifies, considers and explores views held on:

This Study identifies and describes the variety of views which exist about whether, when and how specific assets should be measured and reported in the public sector. It considers and explores:

This Study addresses using the work of other auditors, including both other external and internal auditors, in financial attest and compliance audits. It considers the matters an auditor has to take into consideration when using the work of another auditor and provides a public sector perspective to International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 600 "Using the Work of Another Auditor" and ISA 610 "Considering the Work of Internal Auditing."

This Study addresses aspects of the audit for compliance in the public sector which, in many countries, is subject to very different mandates and objectives than in the private sector. In a democratic system of government, accountability to the public and particularly, to its designated representatives, is an overriding aspect of the management of a public sector entity.