In-country, in kind, in collaboration -
continuously enhancing support for SAIs
INTOSAI-Donor Cooperation Newsletter | Dec 2022
Dear SAIs, donors, stakeholders, partners and colleagues,
We approach the end of yet another year of global crisis and upheaval which has forced us all to look at our priorities and our ways of doing things. From dramatic climate shifts to wars affecting lives in any number of ways, this has once again been a year in which Supreme Audit Institutions have been called upon to contribute to public accountability and to positive impact in the lives of citizens. At the same time, with challenges including funding gaps, threats to their independence, and ever-mounting calls on their stretched resources, these crises have also directly affected the SAIs themselves.
The INTOSAI-Donor Cooperation has continued to support the SAI community extensively during 2022, and if there is a theme for this year's activities, it is expansion in innovative ways. For instance, a second wave of FISP funding from the General Court of Audit of Saudi Arabia is providing practical assistance in ICT and technology needs to more than 40 SAIs around the world, while on a similar theme a working group led by SAI Brazil has convened to investigate ways to bolster SAI support in digitilisation.
Meanwhile some of IDC's core activities have been revitalised and launched with a view to improving uptake and SAI impact. The former Global Calls for Proposals have embarked on a new journey with the BUSS initiative, which has already begun positively in the CREFIAF region. The Global SAI Accountability Initiative - or 'GSAI ' - has also been launched, with eight new countries looking to receive long-term capacity building support.
Throughout the year, IDC has contributed to conversations and initiatives of global significance, including discussions in the working group for Climate Change. We have also enjoyed the opportunity to share our platform with Right Hon. Helen Clark, IDC Goodwill Ambassador for SAI Independence, as she spoke on our behalf at a number of key events around the world.
In all these activities, GFU and IDI have valued and benefited greatly from our partnership with all of our donors and stakeholders. We hope you enjoy this update, and look forward to more expansion, innovation and collaboration in our activities into next year.
With all best wishes for 2023, from IDI's Global Foundations Unit (GFU)
The BUSS - Brokering Upscaled SAI Support
In 2022, IDC's former GCP 1 initiative took on a new identity as a vehicle for bringing SAIs together with donors, funding bodies and other partners. Establishing a clear route for conversations and applications, the BUSS launched in September 2022 and was followed up by a pilot workshop in CREFIAF region in October. This BUSS workshop has already brought about positive results, and we're excited to travel onward into the OLACEFs region next.
Digitilisation, databases and technology
In 2022, IDC appointed Laurent Soublin to a new role created to manage various aspects of the Cooperation's digital platforms, particularly the SAI Capacity Development Database, and how to capture, update and utilise SAI information most effectively.
While a request for final updates of 2022 projects has recently gone out to partners, there is still time to add updates in this round. Laurent is available to help if support is required - email laurent.soublin@idi.no
Laurent is also part of the new IDC Working Group on Technology led by SAI Brazil, which intends to support SAIs in targeted ways to promote further digitalisation.
Partners and donors interested in joining the working group along with early attendees, GIZ, can also contact Laurent for further information.
Climate Change Working Group
IDC's Working Group on Climate Change was established to put focus on SAIs´ abilities to meet the ongoing and emerging needs to address climate change. With global and national commitments to mitigate and adapt to climate change, SAIs can provide Government, Parliaments and citizens with reliable and objective information about spending on climate initiatives, implementation of climate policies and achievement of climate change objectives.
To be able to do this, many SAIs need to strengthen their capacities in auditing an area which can be both complex and technical. The IDC Working Group on Climate Change has raised the issue with INTOSAI WGEA, confirming through talks during the WGEA Assembly that this is an area where there is a lot of need for support for SAIs. The working group's proposed plan is to facilitate peer-to-peer support to enable more SAIs to carry out audits on national climate policy. Furthermore, it plans to train SAIs in developing concept notes to help them attract donors that can provide technical and financial support to help SAIs raise their game on climate change.
If you are a donor or a regional organisation, and already have climate change as a focus area under governance or PFM, then please join us in the working group. You can contact camilla.fredriksen@idi.no to express your interest.
Global SAI Accountability Initiative Launches
The previous GCP Tier 2 initiative has been re-invigorated as GSAI, the Global SAI Accountability Initiative. Eight SAIs from different INTOSAI regions - Belize, Benin, Dominica, Haiti, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Tajikistan - have been selected to receive and lead sustainable capacity building support. This is tailored to their specific needs and considers the challenging contexts in which they operate.
Support will be geared around the whole strategic management cycle and adheres to the principles of the IDC MoU. The Global SAI Accountability Initiative focuses strongly on delivering support through long-term partnerships between the targeted SAI, the donor(s), and providers of support from the INTOSAI community, utilising these different resources in the best possible way to increase the likelihood of success in their efforts to strengthen the capacity of these most challenged SAIs. Individual project groups will be established to develop and implement sound capacity development projects for targeted SAIs. These will consist of the SAI itself and interested providers of support (e.g. donor organisations, INTOSAI regions and other INTOSAI bodies, peer SAIs).
GSAI includes consultation with interested partners for the different countries on their role in the programme and country projects, helping to establish donor funding, and leading the planning and coordination of the capacity development approaches and implementation strategies during the initial phase. With many benefits, positive synergies and greater impact demonstrated in the previous GCP T2 round through the PAP APP peer-to-peer support programme, the IDC leadership is also strongly encouraging the INTOSAI community to support SAIs within the GSAI group.
If you are interested in providing support within the GSAI programme please contact the GSAI team on gsai@idi.no
IDC Goodwill Ambassador for SAI Independence
The Right Hon. Helen Clark has almost completed her first year as IDC Goodwill Ambassador for SAI Independence. During the year she has spoken on global platforms including the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, the EITI-IDI in-person conference in Oslo, at regional events such as PASAI's discussion with the OAG NZ on SAI Independence, and in support of inititiatives like the Transparency International-IDI Recource Kit for CSOs.
Throughout, her messaging has remained consistently clear on the need for SAIs to have credibility in the overall integrity circle which includes legal institutions, CSOs and the media, and that this requires them to be independent of the executives they audit.
Watch Helen Clark's interview with SECO's Natalie Berscht for a detailed insight into the narrative the Goodwill Ambassador is amplifying on behalf of SAIs.
15th INTOSAI-Donor Steering Committee Meeting
The 15th INTOSAI-Donor Steering Committee Meeting, held virtually in September 2022, consisted of two topical open sessions as well as the closed IDC Steering Committee (IDSC) meeting. The IDSC meeting itself was also conducted virtually, with two sessions to facilitate participants from all time zones.
The open sessions, on the theme of collaborating for enhanced SAI support, featured a number of highly-regarded speakers and some energetic debate. Click the button to find all the Steering Committee papers and recordings of the first open session.
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