Confronted with a movement protesting the gas tax increase, the French government took action by launching a National Grand Débat to promote direct exchange with citizens. This national consultation was designed to shed light on citizen concerns within four main themes—ecological transition, taxation, public services and democracy. The consultation was divided into two phases...
enhancing stakeholder communication
IRCP Provides Forum to Discuss Regional, Global Community Synergies
The three-day INTOSAI-Regions Coordination Platform (IRCP) united global bodies and regions to explore synergies, address the INTOSAI value chain and crosscutting priorities, and foster an integrative approach in developing solutions and aligning efforts. The meeting kicked off with a new approach...
Turning a Bad News Headline Into a Good News Story
It was the type of newspaper coverage most Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) would dread. “Unaudited Accounts Cause Issues,” declared a September 2018 Cook Island News headline. The article, which went on to detail how the Cook Islands has a backlog of unaudited public accounts...
Cooperative Audits Subcommittee Promotes Virtual Catalog
At the September 2018 International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Governing Board meeting in Moscow, General Secretariats from the INTOSAI regions provided activity updates, and many regions expressed interest in conducting cooperative audits on topics ranging from water protection and waste management to climate change. To better disseminate valuable cooperative audit experiences...
Visual Stories that Transform Audit Speak into Engaging, Understandable Reports
Auditors love words! Having served as an auditor for more than 10 years, it seems that words tend to be a source of comfort and confidence, and we, as auditors, rely on words when attempting to get our message across to readers. At the same time, we realize those reading our reports are probably suffering from...
Performance Audits to Communicate, Incorporate, Better Serve Stakeholders
“You must run to keep in place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.”—Red Queen theory of evolution. Traditionally, audits, based on accounting standards, have focused on financial statement accuracy and regularity. In the area of public audit, the traditional approach also...
Mobilizing Stakeholders to Increase Audit Impact
Public audit aims to enhance good governance by promoting transparency and accountability in governmental financial affairs. Throughout the audit process, identifying any weaknesses and gaps is crucial, particularly pertaining to legal compliance; internal control; revenue assessment and collection; budget, public procurement and project management; and...
Rethinking Dialogue in Times of Enhanced Stakeholder Integration, Modern Technologies
As we approach the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) XXIII Congress (INCOSAI) with quick strides, it gives me great pleasure to seize this opportunity to take stock of the organization’s progress over the last couple of years and look to the road ahead. When I assumed office as INTOSAI's Secretary General in the summer of 2016...
Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, Empower
Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) play a pivotal role in holding governments accountable for the use of public funds. At the forefront of good governance, SAIs can significantly add value and benefits to the lives of citizens. This article explores SAI stakeholder engagement and presents findings from an international survey...
OLACEFS’ CTIC Introduces New Technology Enhancing Event Efficiency, Functionality
The OLACEFS CTIC, chaired by Dr. Francisco Javier Fernández, Auditor General of Argentina’s Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), developed a mobile application (app) and web portal that were successfully implemented during the OLACEFS General Assembly...