OLACEFS Capacity Building Committee Launches the 2022-2024 OLACEFS Training Plan

Author: TCU/ OLACEFS CCC Team

The Capacity Building Committee (CCC) of the Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) launched the 2022-2024 OLACEFS Training Plan, which contemplates the offer of capacity building initiatives for the three-year period.

In 2021, the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU-Brazil), as chair of the CCC, carried out the Third Capacity Needs Assessment to serve as supporting information to develop the OLACEFS Capacity Building Plan.  For 2022-2024, the proposed diagnosis model is similar to the one adopted in 2016, but it now encompasses questionnaires adapted to three target groups: employees, SAI’s top management (institutional level), and cooperative organizations.

SAIs members of the OLACEFS have different profiles and responsibilities—nonetheless, all of them oversee governmental issues of great diversity, many of which are of high complexity. Developing a capacity assessment within this scenario was not a simple task. Therefore, a high granularity was applied so the three target groups could assess the competencies. During the priority stage, 38 out of the 116 most relevant competencies to the three groups were selected (68% of the assessed competencies were considered a non-priority). During the second priority stage, these competencies were reorganized in three thematic groups: (1) external control processes; (2) technology and innovation, and; (3) control areas.

There are some actions addressed in the planning that are a complement to the diagnosis, such as: document elaboration; time optimization; emotional intelligence in the control environment; knowledge management; conflict negotiation and management; integrity and ethical dilemmas; effective time management, among others.

The 2022-2024 OLACEFS Training Plan involves capacity initiatives based on the needs identified in the diagnosis process.  In addition, the experience acquired in the previous three-year period (2019-2021) regarding the offering of courses and their satisfaction surveys was also considered, with particular attention to courses addressing the development of priority competencies or specific needs of SAIs.  This early information survey helps identify priorities and the proper distribution of resources.

Online courses continue to be the main platform to offer capacity-building initiatives. From 2016 to 2021, the CCC engaged with more than 6,000 employees, mostly through virtual courses. This investment in online education, as well as in other technology tools that support CCC’s management, was essential to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The 2022-2024 Plan also includes in-person events, such as workshops and seminars regarding new themes. In addition to stimulating debate, the events help explore SAI applicability in different external control contexts and, therefore, help identify specific needs required for a continuous development in this area.

It is important to note that the activities proposed in this plan depend on the support of SAIs members of the CCC, the availability of OLACEFS resources, and the technical and financial support of partner organizations.  The plan should be regarded as a proposition, and the Committee’s Presidency may only guarantee the implementation of specific programs and initiatives if the required conditions for resource availability and active participation are met.

This 2022-2024 Training Plan consolidates activities that involved the participation of, and/or support of the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) and the Inter-American Development Bank (BID). The GIZ, as provided by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), has cooperated with OLACEFS for almost a decade to promote technical exchanges and good practices, institutional strengthening, and capacity development of SAIs.  The GIZ has also been active in promoting and supporting the introduction of innovative approaches and methodologies of external government audit to improve transparency, rendering of accounts and governance within regional countries.   The IDI, in turn, is a traditional OLACEFS partner and will continue promoting joint actions with the region for the 2022-2024 period. For this term, IDI’s work agenda will follow the diagnosis from the Global SAI Stocktaking Report 2020 launched in September 2021, in addition to the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan. Finally, the BID has worked with OLACEFS in the past few years in several initiatives and has provided support on many occasions.  A better comprehension of the challenges involving knowledge management will lead to better results for OLACEFS. In this context, the Capacity Building Committee (CCC) is the platform to promote the needed exchange to improve SAIs’ work and boost innovation. Thus, as new opportunities are open and the support of different tools, the current capacity plan can contribute to the development of knowledge and capacities for SAIs in OLACEFS.   For more information on the Training Plan please click on the following links: English and Spanish versions.

To access the 2022-2024 Training Plan, click here to download or scan the QR code above.

_{Source: CCC OLACEFS}