ADOPTing a regional development programme right at the BUSS’ stop in OLACEFS
When IDI’s BUSS initiative was rolled-out in OLACEFS during 2023, including its workshop which took place in Panama city in August, it provided a key opportunity for this INTOSAI region to advance a proposal for a programme building ICT skills for its members, later on called ADOPT IT (or ADOPTE, in Spanish), as well as enabling further OLACEFS’ involvement in the UNDP Digitalization Program.
In its role as INTOSAI Chair, SAI Brazil found that BUSS – the Brokering Upscaled SAI Support initiative that brings SAIs, donors and partners together – proved extremely useful in better understanding the digitalisation needs and interests for SAIs in Latin and Central America, and highlighting these needs to potential partners.
In the Lima 2023 Declaration, approved at the XXXII General Assembly of OLACEFS, OLACEFS established its commitment to “promoting regional cooperation for the exchange of good practices and technological tools for inspection and control government, through the establishment of a Digital Transformation Program for OLACEFS, aimed at strengthening and facilitating Digital Governance and the use of ICT in audits.”
Brazil’s Auditor General and Chair of INTOSAI, Bruno Dantas, welcomes the BUSS.
“The region’s SAIs need and want to improve their IT capabilities. The BUSS Initiative helped us to better understand this need and to combine efforts in designing a digitalisation programme for OLACEFS. Hopefully the increased dialogue with gather donors and partners will result in effective support to the designed initiatives.”
The BUSS not only strengthened communication with familiar donors like IADB and the World Bank, but also brought OLACEFS closer to donors with whom the relationship was less strong, like USAID and The Global Fund.
From discussions that began during the BUSS workshop and presentations during the OLACEFS Assembly in November 2023, a formal draft concept note for the ADOPT IT Program was developed. Inputs from partners are being considered, including IDI, GIZ, IADB and other partners. Without further ado the first phase of the implementation of the ADOPTE Program has kicked off to a head start in 2024, under the general supervision of the OLACEFS Innovation and Development Center and chaired by the OLACEFS Presidency. The ADOPT programme will be delivered in two phases, first to undertake assessments and identify the needs at the regional and country level; and second to support SAIs in developing their ICT strategies and support proposals to further advance on their tailored needs.
Says Luciano dos Santos Danni from SAI Brazil’s international relations team
“BUSS helped us make this programme a reality. Building on this success, we expect to keep on mobilizing SAIs and partners with new opportunities that the BUSS initiative might envisage in the near future.”
For more information about the ADOPT programme, please contact dicor@tcu.gov.br
For more information about the BUSS initiative see here:
https://intosaidonor.org/buss-brokering-upscaled-sai-support/