AASHTO Journal - AASHTO Issues Accounting & Audit Guide Update

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently updated its eight-year-old “Uniform Audit and Accounting Guide for Audits of Architectural and Engineering Consulting Firms.”

[Above image by AASHTO]

The 2024 edition of this guide is designed as a tool for state department of transportation auditors, architectural/engineering or A/E firms, and public accounting companies that perform audits and attestations of A/E firms.

The techniques presented in the updated guide focus on auditing and reporting procedures to be applied to costs that are incurred by A/E firms for engineering and design-related services performed on various federal, state, and local transportation projects.

AASHTO stressed that this guide provides general guidance only and is not meant to supersede Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), or any related laws or regulations.

Because GAGAS and FAR cost principles change frequently, users should reference the applicable FAR version in conjunction with the use of this guide, AASHTO said.

This 2024 edition, which supersedes the 2016 edition, incorporates several updates, refinements, and clarifications necessary to better align the contents with GAGAS and with current auditing standards.

AASHTO noted that those revisions focus on assessing risk; linking assessed risks to specific responses/audit procedures; audit sampling; and assessing the results of audit procedures.

To order a copy of the revised accounting and auditing guide, visit the online AASHTO Store and search by item code UAAG-5.