Anticipating that technology would transform the way governments conduct their business, the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has aggressively promoted “e-government”—the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to more effectively and efficiently deliver government services—for the past 20 years. This steadfast commitment to leveraging technology to improve governance has resulted in the transition from a paper-based to a digitally powered government. To stay relevant in the context of e-government, and to use technological advancements to improve the efficiency of its work, the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of the UAE...
data analytics
GAO Holds International Webinar on Auditing for Fraud
With governments around the world spending massive sums to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) have a key role to play in detecting and preventing fraud. To share knowledge and best practices, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) held an international webinar on September 15, 2021, on “Auditing for Fraud: Experiences, Tools and Techniques, and Looking Ahead.” The virtual event, which attracted approximately 260 attendees, was...
IT-based Audits: A Powerful Tool in a Changing Audit Environment
To better serve the needs of citizens and enhance services, many countries have introduced innovative e-government systems using information technology (IT). According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ (UN DESA) E-Government Survey 2020...
Promising Technologies for Future-proofing Public Sector Audit Work
Technological advances have impacted the work of most SAIs, and emerging technologies have the potential to further shape the ways in which SAIs contribute to good governance. SAIs are at different stages in their technological journeys, and their use of technology may be affected by...
NAO Finland Uses Data Analytics to Reform Financial Audits
The National Audit Office (NAO) of Finland conducts financial, compliance performance, and fiscal policy audits. Prompted by data analytics opportunities, centralized implementation quality and efficiencies as well as a goal to provide better service to a wider variety of customers, NAO Finland...
Improve Budget Analysis With Machine Learning, Data Analytics
Regional audit sections of Italy’s Corte dei conti, the nation’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), carry out various tasks, including analyzing local authority accounts to verify data accuracy and accounting system sustainability. The Apulia Region...
Supreme Audit Institutions Hack EUROSAI in Prague
At the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) of the Czech Republic in Prague, 68 programmers, data analysts and auditors from 21 countries gathered for the historic March 2020 International Hackathon of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs)—an event promoting international SAI cooperation, which is a priority for...
The Future of Public Sector Auditing: Living in Times of Change
Technology is driving change in society, and different professions are rediscovering roles and aligning themselves with the technological direction of the future. The auditing profession cannot be immune to these effects...
Conducting Remote Audits Using Integrated Information Analysis Systems
The Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation (Accounts Chamber), Russia's Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), recently began using an Information Analysis System (IAS) integrated with government entity databases to conduct remote audits. The SAI's experience underscores benefits to using such an approach and identifies...
SAI Roles in Achieving National Global Priorities and Goals
In keeping with the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) mission to continuously improve government auditing and Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) capacity development, Theme II of the XXIII INTOSAI Congress (INCOSAI),"The Role of SAIs in Achieving National Priorities and Goals," expanded upon previous INCOSAI discussions on...