Dear donors, stakeholders, partners and colleagues,
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the past twelve months have been an extraordinary time for the world, and especially for the SAIs striving to provide effective oversight in the most challenging of circumstances.
The IDC supported the SAI community extensively during this period, with practical SAI-level measures like emergency funding through the PFAC grant, through to broader initiatives such as workshops on concept note development and the dissemination of the Global SAI Stocktaking Report. IDC Steering Committee discussions took place through a series of interactive webinars in a vibrant virtual event. As the year turned to 2022, IDC marked another long-awaited achievement - the appointment of the Right Hon. Helen Clark to the newly-created role of IDC Goodwill Ambassador for SAI Independence.
This period also heralded a time of change within GFU. Jill has joined as Communications Manager, Matthew stepped into the role of Website Manager, Katie is upscaling our graphic design, Caterina became Coordinator and Marcela has taken over from a departing Kerry to lead our brokerage activities, with Camilla continuing to focus on strategic partnerships and analyses of the GSR.
I hope you enjoy this new-look update on our many activities. Throughout every one of them, we have valued and benefited greatly from our partnership with all of our donors and stakeholders. We offer thanks for your support from GFU, from SAIs and - as we hope to hear more in the coming months and years - the citizens whose wellbeing is supported by SAIs.
Brynjar Wiersholm
IDI Deputy Director General
IDC VIDEO
A new video, created in partnership with GAO and IDI's communication team, describes the work of IDC in clear, concise terms to enhance impact.
The video is part of an ongoing refresh of the IDC portal and website, which includes a new homepage and structure to highlight success stories, results and next steps for SAI support from IDC.
Watch the Video HERE.
14th INTOSAI-Donor Steering Committee Meeting
The 14th INTOSAI-Donor Steering Committee Meeting, held virtually in September and October 2021, consisted of five 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 five open sessions were well attended and covered a variety of relevant topics for SAIs and donor partners. Follow the links below to see recordings of each session:
- Session 1 – GCP Tier 2 – Successes and Challenges
- Session 2 – Leave no SAI behind
- Session 3 – “How can we improve support to SAIs based on findings from the 2020 Global SAI Stocktaking Report?”
- Session 4 – Improving coordination
- Session 5 – Responsive SAIs
PFAC
In a major show of support, INTOSAI provided funding to Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) to help with continuity of operations during the pandemic. Under the leadership of Dr. Hussam Alangari, Auditor General of Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, the “SAI Continuity during COVID-19” grant funded the purchase of information and communications technologies (ICT), such as laptops and internet connectivity, as well as personal protective equipment, to respond to needs caused by the pandemic.
In this unique effort, INTOSAI made a total of €700,000 available, starting in October 2020 and ending in November 2021. Each selected SAI was eligible to receive a maximum of €20,000. Over the course of the program, INTOSAI awarded 52 SAIs, or more than one-quarter of INTOSAI membership, a total of about €600,000. These SAIs represented all seven INTOSAI regions.
Global SAI Stocktaking Report 2020
The Global SAI Stocktaking Report 2020 was launched in September. This is the fourth triannual exercise that analyses data from an INTOSAI Global Survey, to give a snapshot of SAI performance and capacities. The report marks the 10 years anniversary for the Global Stocktake which has been an important source to inform INTOSAI and donors about where the need of SAIs lie. 178 SAIs responded to the Global SAI Survey.
This year’s report shows how SAIs operate in increasingly difficult environments, characterised by democratic backsliding and elevated levels of corruption. A main message of the report is that SAI Independence remains at risk and will continue to do so in the existing political environment. In low-income countries, SAIs are more likely to have an inadequate legal framework that may compromise their financial and administrative autonomy even further.
Read Camilla Fredriksen's full article on the IDC website.
IDC Goodwill Ambassador
With increasing evidence in the Global SAI Stocktaking Report that Supreme Audit Institutions’ autonomy is falling away, the IDC was delighted to appoint the Right Hon. Helen Clark to the role of IDC Goodwill Ambassador for SAI Independence. The newly created role will increase awareness amongst governments and other stakeholders of the critical need to maintain SAIs’ independence in every country.
Through IDI's GFU and SAI Independence teams, Helen Clark will advocate for the independence of SAIs on a variety of global, regional and country-level platforms during her three year engagement, as explained in her recent interview with IDC's own Natalie Bertsch (SECO).
She will also be kept informed of pertinent cases and background information in conversations with IDI and IDC members, and will amplify these important messages through her own social media channels. As a first example, Helen Clark will speak at the launch of the IBP's Open Budget Survey in May, to be followed by further advocacy in this and other global events with our partners.
GSAI
The INTOSAI Donor Steering Committee at its 2020 meeting agreed to initiate a new round of Global Call for Proposals (GCP)-Tier 2, redesignated as Global SAI Accountability Initiative (GSAI). One of the key aspirations of the IDC has been to scale up needs-based support to SAIs based on SAI strategic plans.
In 2021, a committee has worked to prepare the GSAI initiative for launching in Q2 2022. This involves identifying relevant SAIs and interested technical and financial partners. A GSAI committee comprised of donors (EC, USAID, NORAD, World Bank), and INTOSAI Bodies and Regions (IDI, CBC, CAROSAI, CREFIAF, AFROSAI-E, OLACEFS, ARABOSAI, SAI USA, SAI India), where the regional bodies are observers, has worked with IDI to prepare the new round.
The roadmap for the current round of GSAI includes four phases:
1. Pre-launch phase – (ongoing) which culminates in a decision on whether to launch the new round of GSAI.
2. Planning and coordination phase - where the SAI, donor and provider in each country jointly establish an understanding of the process and establish the appropriate coordination mechanisms.
3. Initial support (phase 1), delivered in two components: one, strengthening SAI strategic management as a basis for developing project proposals, and two, support provided to the project developed in the planning phase.
4. Long-term support (phase 2) is then initiated when projects are ready and funded. The elements of phase 1 and 2 may be initiated concurrently if certain conditions are in place such as a quality strategic plan and sufficient absorption capacity of the SAI.
Based on the interest of the short-listed SAIs, analysis undertaken by the GSAI committee and interest expressed by donors and technical partners, four to six SAIs are expected to be part of GSAI planned for launch in the first half of 2022.
INTOSAI-Donor Cooperation
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