IDI/SAIs engaging with stakeholders programme 2015-2020

Democratic governance gives SAIs a critical role in holding governments to account and enabling legislative oversight. SAIs are a critical part of the national accountability architecture. Given their mandates to “watch” over government accounts, operations and performance, they should be natural partners of citizens in exercising public scrutiny. The scope of SAI’s work is to increase transparency for the benefit of citizens through external auditing. Effectiveness of SAIs’ operations can be ensured only through sustained interaction with the various stakeholders which include the executive, legislature, media, civil society organizations and the citizens to name a few. During XX INCOSAI in Johannesburg, South Africa in November 2010, the INTOSAI members recognized that, “The effectiveness with which SAIs fulfill their role of holding government to account for the use of public money not only depends on the quality of their work, but also on how effectively they are working in partnership with the accountability functions of the legislature as well as the executive arm of government in making use of audit findings and enacting change.” Besides external stakeholders, the communication and engagement of internal stakeholders within the SAI significantly impacts the quality of SAI work and results. Funding: IDI Basket funds, USAID, DFAT canada