By Mrs Lara Taylor-Pearce, Auditor General, Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL)
In Sierra Leone, 80 % of the population are non-literate. How then to make sure the audit findings are shared and understood among the population? On an annual basis, after the publication of the AG’s report, we at SAI Sierra Leone engage in radio discussions as well as town hall meetings with the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). During these meetings, highlights of the report are explained and NSAs encouraged to use their various interest groups to disseminate the AG’s report to the public for easy consumption.
Another action taken to get the audit findings understood by the 80% non-literate population, have been our graphically summarized versions of the AG’s report. We design and post these on the SAI’s website. This is a joint intervention with the European Union. One of the NSAs has also secured funding to print copies of this report making it readily available to key stakeholders and media houses.
Because of these collaborations and other interventions, the SAI has become a household name and the AG’s report has become a primary focus when Politicians go on the campaign trail. This makes sure the audit findings are known among a larger part of the population and made relevant to citizens.