What is a primary benefit of conducting a performance audit?

Conducting a performance audit primarily focuses on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization's operations. The core objective is to evaluate whether resources are being utilized optimally to achieve intended results. By identifying inefficiencies and areas for improvement, a performance audit helps organizations to streamline processes, reduce waste, and enhance overall productivity. This leads to better allocation of resources and ultimately supports the achievement of organizational goals more effectively.

While the other options address important aspects of auditing, they are not the primary focus of performance audits. Improved financial reporting accuracy tends to be more relevant to financial audits, compliance with regulatory frameworks is typically associated with compliance audits, and enhancement of stakeholder trust can result from various types of audits but is not specific to performance auditing. Thus, the emphasis on resource utilization and efficiency clearly positions it as the standout benefit of a performance audit.