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INTOSAI Strategic Plan : 2004-2009

The INTOSAI Strategic Planning Task Force, headed by SAI-USA, proposed a strategic plan for INTOSAI for the years 2004-2009 in terms of the mandate given to it by the 17th INCOSAI in Korea.

The plan was discussed at the 51st Governing Board meeting of INTOSAI held in Budapest during 13-14 October 2003. A working group on the Task Force then met in London in November, while the full Task Force met in December in Washington, to address and incorporate the comments received from INTOSAI members on the Strategic Plan. The revised plan proposes 4 strategic goals for the period 2004-09 and several new initiatives to realize these goals. The plan also proposes changes in the governance of INTOSAI for this purpose.

Strategic Goals & Strategies

The 4 goals and the strategies under each are summarized below:

  1. Promoting accountability and professional standards through development of codes of transparency, review and restructuring of the current committee arrangements and developing partnerships with other international standard setters.

  2. Building the capabilities and professional capacities of SAIs through voluntary peer reviews, increased capacity building activities, creation of a data base of professional experts, encouraging joint auditing programmes and internship visit programmes and collaboration with the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI).

  3. Encouraging SAI cooperation, collaboration and continuous improvement through knowledge sharing, including benchmarking, best practice studies and research on issues of mutual interest and concern. The strategies proposed under this are developing a global communication policy and strategy, facilitating best practice studies, establishing and maintaining communities ofpractice and promoting partnerships with academic/ research institutions.

  4. Organizing and governing INTOSAI in ways which promote economical, efficient and effective working practices, timely decision making and effective governance practices.

Goal (iv) has been added in the revised plan.

Governance changes

The revised plan proposes the following governance changes:

  1. Improving organizational focus on INTOSAI’s Strategic Goals: changes proposed include redefining the nomenclature and status of the committees, working groups and task forces, their relationship with the Governing Board and the reorganization of Committees and Working groups to meet the aims of the strategic plan. Under this, a number of the current committees and working groups would be renamed as ‘communities of practice’.
  2. Strengthening INTOSAI’s internal capacity to address the strategic issues identified in the plan: these changes would be enhanced by receiving INTOSAI’s financial condition and reviewing the INTOSAI Budget, enhancing the capacity of the Secretariat by means such as staff secondments from member SAIs and creation of a new post of INTOSAI Director General
  3. Membership issues: Changes proposed here include creation of two categories of membership ‘Members’ and ‘Associates Members’ and declaration of a "home" regional working group by SAIs for INTOSAI-level issues.

Current status

The plan was circulated by ASOSAI Secretariat during the 9th ASOSAI Assembly held at Manila in October 2003. A round table discussion on the plan was also held on 24th October 2003. It was decided that all ASOSAI members could communicate their views on this matter directly to the Chairman of the INTOSAI Strategic Task Force, under intimation to the ASOSAI Secretariat. A summary of the comments received from SAIs on these recommendations was prepared by the ASOSAI Secretariat and circulated to all ASOSAI members for information. An extraordinary meeting of the INTOSAI Governing Board, mainly to discuss the goals and governance issues in the plan, is due to be held in Vienna in June 2004. The Plan is expected to come up for discussion and approval at the Budapest INCOSAI in October 2004.

51st INTOSAI Governing Board Meeting

Traditionally, In the year preceding the upcoming INTOSAI Congress, the Governing Board convenes in the host country of the next Congress. The XVIII Congress is scheduled in Budapest from Oct. 10-16, 2004. As such, the 51st Governing Board Meeting of INTOSAI was held in Budapest, Hungary from Oct. 13-16, 2003. The members of the Governing Board also had the privilege of attending the 50th Anniversary of the first INTOSAI Congress held in November 1953 in Havana, Cuba.

Discussions on the agenda items were held on October 13 and 14. From the ASOSAI region, the SAIs of Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia and India attended the meeting. SAI-Korea, as the Chairman of the INTOSAI Governing Board and SAI-Saudi Arabia, as the second Vice Chairman, presented their respective reports before the Board. SAI-India in its capacity as the Chairman of the INTOSAI Standing Committee on IT Audit, presented a report on the activities of the committee.

A number of important issues were discussed at this meeting, including the reports of the INTOSAI Strategic Planning Task Force and the Task Force on International Money Laundering. Work done by various other committees and working groups was also discussed. Secretary-General, INTOSAI, presented a report on the 2002 financial statements, financial and budgeting matters and membership in INTOSAI.

October 15, 2004 marked the 50th Anniversary of INTOSAI. The proceedings started with the Opening of the Jubilee Celebration at Hotel Intercontinental, followed by lunch and sight seeing at Budapest, culminating at Parliament with a group Photo.

XVIII INTOSAI Congress

The 18th INTOSAI Congress will be held between October 10-16, 2004 in Budapest, Hungary. Two themes have been decided for the Congress Agenda:

Theme I: The possibilities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation among Supreme Audit Institutions.

Theme II: Coordination of audit efforts between national, regional, local and self-governing bodies.

SAI-UK is Chairman for the first theme with SAI-Bhutan as the Vice-Chairman. The moderators include the SAIs of Austria and Mexico, while the SAIs of South Africa and Czech Republic will be the rapporteurs. SAI-Canada is chairing the second theme, while the Vice-Chairman is SAI-Tunisia. The moderators are SAI-Switzerland and Fiji, while the SAIs of Peru and New Zealand will serve as rapporteurs.