APPLICATION OF CONTINUOUS AUDITING IN STATE AUDIT ACTIVITIES IN VIETNAM

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution and the explosion of Big Data are fundamentally transforming all areas of society, including government auditing and oversight activities. Traditional audit approaches, which rely on sampling, are increasingly revealing their limitations in providing timely and comprehensive assurance in the digital environment. Continuous Auditing has emerged as an inevitable audit model that leverages technology to automate the collection and analysis of audit evidence in real time or near real time, enabling auditors to examine entire datasets rather than samples.

This study focuses on clarifying the objective necessity of applying Continuous Auditing in the operations of the State Audit of Vietnam, based on a comprehensive review of literature and the experiences of Supreme Audit Institutions worldwide. The research findings reaffirm the crucial role of Continuous Auditing and draw significant lessons for the State Audit of Vietnam in developing its implementation roadmap. These include: improving the legal framework for data access and standardization; establishing a structured implementation plan; enhancing human resource quality and transforming the audit culture; and redefining the role of auditing in the new digital era.