Sharing experiences, results and perspectives on citizen participation and civil society engagement
by Nelson Shack Yalta, Comptroller General of the Republic of Peru and Chair of the Task Force on Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement
As the XXI century moves forward, the importance of the participation of citizens and civil society in the work of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) has become ever clearer and more relevant, to the SAIs themselves, as well as to myriad stakeholders, all of whom can see the potential for generating positive externalities and potentially improving the use of public resources, and helping to demonstrate their ongoing relevance to citizens, parliaments, and other stakeholders, in line with INTOSAI-P 12 The Value and Benefits of Supreme Auditions– making a difference to the lives of citizens.
It was the recognition of this importance that led to the creation of the Task Force on Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement (TFCP) under the Capacity Building Committee (CBC), during the XXIV INCOSAI in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the Office of the Comptroller of the Republic of Peru as its Chair, and which currently has 57 SAIs and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) as members.
Among the work contemplated in its three-year work plan, the Task Force includes the organization of a variety of face-to-face capacity building events on citizen participation and/or civil society engagement. To this end, in its capacity as Chair of the Task Force, the SAI of Peru organized the first of these meetings, called 1st Meeting of the INTOSAI Task Force: “Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement with SAIs”, which was held from on 13-15 March, 2024, in the city of Lima, Peru, in a hybrid format, with both face-to-face delegates representing 30 SAIs and hundreds of virtual participants following the meeting activities remotely over the three days of the event. The meeting also included the participation of representatives of the IDI and the World Bank, and SAIs from all 5 continents and 7 Regional Organizations.
During the meeting the participating SAIs from across the world, as well as representatives from the INTOSAI CBC, IDI and the World Bank, shared their experiences on ways in which with citizens and civil society can engage with SAIs, as well as their perspectives on the benefits, challenges, and outlook for the future on this topic. This meeting allowed the participants to take in a wide variety of experiences, as the speakers in the various panels represented most of the INTOSAI’s regional organizations and all three types of SAI, which demonstrated the applicability of citizen participation and civil society engagement across the stages of the government audit cycle, and under very different operating contexts, mandates, and legal frameworks.
During the meeting the CBC Chair highlighted the important role that INTOSAI has played and will continue to play regarding in Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement with SAIs, reiterating the CBC’s commitment to the Task Force’s journey of strengthening mutually beneficial relationships between SAIs and the citizens in order to increase the impact of government audit.
During the event, the Task Force also shared the work it has undertaken, which included the development of an Information Gathering Form that was used to conduct a survey that was answered by 47 SAIs, who represented over 24% of the SAIs of INTOSAI. This information was processed and systematized and the results were shared during the meeting during an ad hoc panel. Other work of the TFCP that was highlighted included the development of the “Guide to Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement in the Work of SAIs”, whose first draft was presented during the meeting, and the coordination with SAIs outside the Task Force and other important stakeholders.
Among these stakeholders, it was highlighted that the TFCP will be cooperating closely with the World Bank in order to strengthen and accelerate the implementation of the Task Force’s upcoming activities, such as the improvement and approval activities of the “Guide to Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement in the Work of SAIs”, the development of materials for a massive open online course on citizen participation and civil society engagement in the work of SAIs, and the organization or various capacity development events around the world.
This important meeting concluded with the signing of the “Declaration on CP & CSE in the Work of SAIs 2024″ by most of the participating delegations, which is an important milestone for INTOSAI, as it will seek to promote citizen participation and civil society engagement both within INTOSAI, its working bodies and regional organizations; collaborative initiatives between SAIs for the sharing of experiences and good practices in the implementation of successful programs and methodologies; the development of strategic partnerships between SAIs and civil society organizations in various mutually beneficial areas; and raise awareness among the INTOSAI community, governments and stakeholders about the benefits of social audits.
In conclusion, we can affirm that this First Meeting of the Task Force on Citizen Participation and Civil Society Engagement was a success thanks to the active and outstanding participation of the speakers and participating delegations, representing SAIs and stakeholders from all over the world, and we look forward to the next opportunity to gather together to share knowledge and experiences on this topic, to further develop our mutual capacities on this arena.
You may access all the materials of the meeting, including the Keynote Conferences, Presentations, the signed Declaration, and Photo Gallery, through the following QR codes and links: at the bottom of the document found here First meeting of the TFCP.