Accelarated Peer-support Partnership programme (PAP-APP) Phase 1

The INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), AFROSAI-E and CREFIAF provide intensive support to a small group of highly challenged Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). This shall enable the SAIs to operate more strategically and have effective long-term capacity development programmes. The programme is called the Accelerated Peer-Support Partnership or Partenariat d’Appui Accéléré par des Pairs in French (PAP-APP). The name highlights the peer-support and partnership emphases of the programme. See main webpage here: Accelerated Peer-support Partnership (PAP-APP) (idi.no)
The Programme is organized in 2 phases:
• A Phase 1 2018-2021 to assist the SAIs to clarify strategic priorities and operational plans, and establish long-term project proposals.
• A Phase 2 2021- with support to implementation of project proposals developed in Phase 1.
NB: This description is for phase 1. The various country projects and overall phase 2 programme are registered as separate projects in the database.
Nine SAIs in Africa were partners of the programme in phase 1. These are the SAIs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Madagascar, Guinea, Togo and Niger (French speaking, CREFIAF members), and Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and Gambia (English speaking, AFROSAI-E members). These nine SAIs were  selected by the INTOSAI-Donor Steering Committee to be a part of the Global Call for Proposals Tier 2. The Global Call for Proposals (GCP) is a mechanism seeking to match SAI capacity development proposals with donor or INTOSAI funding. It aims to empower SAIs in developing countries to drive forward their capacity and performance by ensuring proposals for capacity development are SAI-led and aligned with the SAI’s strategic plans. The 2nd tier of the Global Call for Proposal is a call for more effective action by the INTOSAI and Donor community to address particular needs of challenged SAIs. Against this backdrop and given the respective and complementary roles of AFROSAI-E, CREFIAF and IDI, the three organisations established the PAP-APP programme in early 2018.
For 2018-2021 the programme was supported financially by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iceland and the IDI basket funds. In-kind contribution was also provided by AFROSAI-E and CREFIAF, as well as the SAIs of Gabon, Ghana, Namibia, Norway, Senegal and Sweden.
Programme objective
The programme’s overall objective is to empower Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in politically unstable and challenging environments to enhance their capacity and to improve their performance, to be able to make a difference to the lives of the citizens in their countries in line with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions number 12:
• Strengthening the accountability, transparency and integrity of government and public sector entities
• Demonstrating ongoing relevance to citizens, Parliament and other stakeholders
• Being a model organisation through leading by example
The support provided to the targeted SAIs is expected to address all main challenges of the SAI. There shall be a high focus on delivery of support through long term partnerships between the targeted SAI, donors and providers of support from the community of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). Worldwide experiences of SAI capacity development show that peer-to-peer cooperation can both ensure highly qualified and relevant advices, as well as ensure a trustful and sustainable relationship between SAI employees and advisors.
Results
The expected results for Phase 1 in 2018-21 were as follows:
1. Strengthened SAIs strategic management
a. By end of 2019 5 SAIs have strategic plans developed based on needs assessments and containing core elements for effective performance of the SAI.
b. By end of 2019 7 SAIs have new or updated operational plans developed with a clear performance and results orientation, especially an indication of the number of audits to be carried out.
2. SAIs have sufficient, effective and coordinated external support
a. 7 SAIs have comprehensive plans for external financial and technical support to strategic plan implementation developed. The plans show priority projects and contain specific project proposals.
b. SAIs have dedicated staff and responsibility for coordination of external support
c. 5 SAIs have established funding and cooperation agreements starting in 2020 to meet the needs of the Strategic plan implementation document.
3. SAIs lead by example in the areas of gender, inclusion and diversity
a. 7 SAIs have considered gender, inclusion and diversity in their strategic and operational plans.
The programme is expected to involve a large part of SAI staff in the activities to ensure commitment to change and strategic priorities. More than 1,000 SAI staff may directly benefit from the programme.
Actual results can be seen in the 2021 programme report: https://www.idi.no/elibrary/bilateral-programmes/1482-pap-app-programme-report-2021/file