NAOL Implements Creative Approach to Traditional SIGNALS Conference

Uncertain times require creative thinking and great flexibility, both of which helped facilitate a successful SIGNALS 2020 conference—an annual event hosted by the National Audit Office of Lithuania (NAOL)—as the global accountability community continues to adapt to the new normal. Motivated NAOL staff, coupled with supportive national and international partners, led to a virtual event that reached historic levels of participation.

Driven by global realities and NAOL priority areas, the event’s agenda also reflected the Sustainable Development Goals, a focus of all SIGNALS conferences since its inception. SIGNALS 2020 highlighted the importance of data in making national decisions; role of education in closing the achievement gap and reducing the digital divide; and global and national efforts to reduce climate change.

The plenary session, which emphasized data relevance to public administration, included Lithuanian and international speakers on understanding, interpreting and basing decisions on objective, accurate data. Speakers at the parallel session devoted to education discussed approaches to address the most pressing national education system issues—particularly those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic—and what can be done to ensure a quality (digital) education for every child. The second parallel session focused on climate change and included dialogue on methods to slow global warming and its societal and economic impacts. The closing session summarized key challenges and tasks identified during the conference.

Broadcast online, SIGNALS 2020 reached more than 1,100 attendees worldwide, including representatives from the World Bank, Institute for Government, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science.

All SIGNALS 2020 sessions, presentations and discussions are available here.

SIGNALS 2020 IN NUMBERS

• 7 hours of non-stop streaming
• >1,100 conference attendees from several INTOSAI regions
• 10 national and international speakers
• 28 participants in discussions, connecting & closing sessions