IDI/AFROSAI-E Programme on Quality Assurance 2011-2012

The AFROSAI-E and the IDI cooperated in 2007 to develop a Quality Assurance (QA) Handbook for the SAIs of the region. The Handbook was first updated in 2009.  The QA Handbook needed to be revised further to incorporate the full set of INTOSAI standards which was adopted in Johannesburg in November 2010. In addition, there was a need to expand the pool of trained regional quality assurance reviewers to meet requirements of the QA reviews being conducted by the regional secretariat.
A one year cooperation programme was therefore agreed between the AFROSAI-E and the IDI to enable the region to revise the Handbook and provide training to the regional quality assurance reviewers.
The objective of QA programme is to support the SAIs in reaching Level 3 of the AFROSAI-E Institutional Capacity Building Framework (ICBF) by improving the quality assurance technical and institutional capacities of SAIs both at the regional and SAI level.
At the end of 2012, the agreed outputs of the programme have been achieved in terms of revision of the Handbook and expanding the pools of regional quality assurance reviewers.  The AFROSAI-E secretariat will carry forward the QA roll out at SAI level in 2013.

 
Expected outcomes:
1. Number of SAIs that have established robust Quality Control management Systems.
2. Number of SAIs that have reached level 3 of the AFROSAI-E Capability Model.
3. Number of SAIs that are conducting internal Quality Assurance Reviews(QAR) on a regular basis using the Reviewed QA handbook.
 
Lessons learnt:
Observations and evaluation findings on what works well and what doesn’t work well, at the overall programme level
• Between June and November 2012 the trained QA champions participated in the AFROSAI-E QA review support visits. Taking participants and coaching them in the field ensures greater transfer of knowledge and skills.
• Participating SAIs are required to customise the QA handbook at the SAIs by 2014 and AFROSAI-E will follow up to ensure that SAIs meet their commitments. This approach ensure that SAIs select their best officers to participate in the programme
• In this programme participants wrote pre and post workshop tests and those who were among the best in terms of passing the tests were asked to lead teams during QA support visits. This strategy ensures that participants work hard as well as boost their confidence in mastering the key concepts of quality control in a SAI.