Who can audit a public contract?
UF, the world of public contracts ... What a eggplant! Here the audit is like that friend metiche that everything wants to review, but in this case, it is for a good reason: make sure that no one cheats and that the rules are fulfilled. Who can audit? It depends on the contract, the laws, and, well, who wants to get into the mess.
Let's start with the basics: within the public body that signs the contract, there is usually a kind of “internal police” - the famous internal audit. These types are dedicated to reviewing how contracts are being handled. They go, dig roles, ask uncomfortable questions, and in general they try to find if everything goes as it should. They do it during the award and do not cut a hair when checking until the last document.
Now, if the thing becomes more serious, the Comptroller's Office enters or a similar state agency. These are already major words. They have the power to review everything from above, see if the laws have been followed, and if they catch something strange, they can even investigate fraud. Come on, when they arrive, it is better to have everything in order.
But wait, because there are also private audits. Yes, sometimes the public entity hires an external company to make an independent review. These firms are often quite detailed, almost obsessive, and since they have nothing personal at stake, they can provide a more objective vision (or at least they say).
And be careful, not everything remains in the hands of experts: citizens can also participate. It is called social audit, and it is basically when common people and NGOs get to monitor how the contract is carried out. If you see something that smells bad, you can raise your voice and denounce it. It's like putting an extra eye to the matter, just in case.
In summary, here audits to the pointedman: those inside, those out, those of the government, and even the people of the street. Everyone contributes their own so that the contracts are not a strainer. Transparency and accountability, at least in theory ... because you know how this is: trust, but review.