Subcommittee on Peer Reviews

About the Subcommittee
- To assess and document existing peer review arrangements in the INTOSAI community.
- To foster an environment where such voluntary reviews are seen as beneficial to both the SAI undertaking the review and the SAI choosing to undergo it and establish global and regional mechanisms for initiating peer reviews.
- To update the CBC guidelines on peer reviews and the developed checklist on the basis of the experience of SAIs and provide further good practices on how to undertake voluntary peer reviews.
- To disseminate the results of peer reviews, as appropriate and as agreed to by participating SAIs.
The Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic (SAO SR) is the Sub-Committee Chair since November 2012. It predecessor was SAI of Germany chairing Sub-Committee in 2005 – 2012. SAI of Germany, as the Sub-Committee Chair, achieved to present the first INTOSAI guidance on peer reviews at the XX INCOSAI in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010.
The role and importance of the peer review as one of the foremost capacity building tools was underlined in the first INTOSAI Strategic plan 2010 – 2016 and that position is maintained in INTOSAI Strategic plan 2017 – 2022 in its Crosscutting Priority 1. – Advocating for and supporting the independence of SAIs that states: “INTOSAI also will continue to encourage SAIs to undergo periodic peer reviews that provide vital external validations of an SAI’s quality assurance processes.” The importance of the peer review for the INTOSAI community is also underlined in the Goal 2 and Goal 3 activities within the Strategic plan 2017 – 2022.
One of the Sub-Committee goals – to revise the ISSAI 5600 Peer review Guide and its Annex and present them before the INTOSAI community – was fulfilled at the XXII INCOSAI in Abu Dhabi when the ISSAI 5600 was adopted by the XXII INTOSAI Congress.
Ongoing
PEER REVIEW ON-LINE SEMINAR IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021.
The CBC Subcommittee on Peer Reviews invited all interested colleagues and parties in a survey conducted in February 2021 to an on-line seminar Getting ready for a peer review. The seminar plans to offer various themes related to practical aspects of conducting peer review in a distance format including a panel and round table discussion with a host of interesting contributions by varied personalities.
PEER REVIEW CONFERENCE IN BRATISLAVA, 20-22 JUNE 2018.
The CBC Subcommittee on Peer Reviews invited all interested colleagues and parties to a conference Motivating and equipping SAIs to carry out peer reviews, that took place in Bratislava, Slovakia. The conference offered three themes, two panel- and one round-table discussions with a host of interesting contributions by varied personalities:
- Theme I – SAIs leading by example through carrying out peer reviews
- Theme II – Peer review tools to improve the SAIs performance
- Theme III – Good practices in a peer review
Please find the conference agenda here: Agenda Peer Review Conference 2018. The conference was organised with support of the Capacity Building Committee and its proceedings were translated into and from English, French and Spanish.
In 2017, the Subcommittee and its Chair supported and performed a review of the Global peer review on independence project conducted by INTOSAI General Secretariat. SAO SR along the SAI of Norway and INTOSAI General Secretariat (INTOSAI GS) signed a trilateral MoU in 2016 to perform in 2017 an assessment of the Global peer review on independence conducted by the SAI of Austria, INTOSAI GS and other auditors from 7 relevant participating INTOSAI regions in 2016.
Documents - Progress reports
Anual meeting dashboard reports
Peer reviews – dashboard report 2020
Peer reviews – dashboard report 2019
Peer reviews – dashboard report 2018
Peer reviews – dashboard report 2017
INTOSAI Pronouncement GUID 1900
GUID-1900-Peer-Review-Guidelines
Line 1
The Sub-Committee assesses and documents existing peer review arrangements and disseminate peer review results within the INTOSAI community
The peer review documentation administered by Sub-Committee Chair comprises of papers on peer reviews (Memoranda of Understanding, final reports, executive summaries, etc.; for all documentation available, see the CBC website and Document Library). Such documentation can serve as a pool for drawing on best practice case studies also included in GUID 1900 Peer review guidelines. The documents are published on the Capacity Building Committee website after permission of the involved SAIs.
To manage and develop the documents, Sub-Committee carries out regular global email survey in a form of a questionnaire addressed to all INTOSAI. Using the questionnaire, Subcommittee also collects information on individual peer review projects, e.g. regarding focus, timeframe, number of staff involved, working days, key recommendations and changes based on these recommendations.
Surveys general conclusions:
The survey participants take a peer review as an opportunity to:
- confirm good work done by the reviewed SAI;
- uncover gaps in the reviewed SAI activities;
- source and get ideas for continuous improvement in the given SAI audit activities and help to build the SAIs as modern institutions;
- benefit participants in form of information, knowledge and experience exchange.
Line 2
Foster an environment where voluntary peer reviews are seen as beneficial
In order to promote voluntary peer reviews and general knowledge about them among the INTOSAI community and wider public, several initiatives are conducted by the Subcommittee:
- publishing articles in the INTOSAI Journal of Government Auditing, EUROSAI web page and other electronic media;
- giving presentations and report on peer review topics at varied fora organised by individual INTOSAI regional working groups and other national and international entities.
In 2017 and the years to follow [in the line of the INTOSAI Strategic plan 2017 – 2022, Strategic objectives for Goal 2 (Capacity Development) and Goal 3 (Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Services) and Crosscutting priority 3 (Ensuring effective development and coordination among standards-setting, capacity development, and knowledge sharing to support SAIs and improve their performance and effectiveness)] the Subcommittee conducts a global survey among INTOSAI members.
Line 3
Update the peer review guidelines and provide best practice examples
The original Peer Review Guide with Checklist adopted as ISSAI 5600 in 2010 was translated into all INTOSAI official languages and some other working versions also were made (in Bengali, Hungarian, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Slovak).
ISSAI 5600 underwent complete reconstruction since 2010. The ISSAI 5600 along other INTOSAI standards underwent a makeover and was renamed as GUID 1900 Peer review guidelines.
In the period 2017 – 2022, the Subcommittee will continue to develop and update the existing peer review documentation through global peer review surveys.
Members
-
- Austria
- Bangladesh (Vice Chair)
- Croatia
- Estonia
- European Court of Auditors
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Kuwait
- Morocco
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Slovak Republic (Chair)
- Sweden
- Turkey
- USA
Minutes and presentations of Subcommittee Meetings
Contact information
Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic (Najvyšší kontrolný úrad Slovenskej republiky)
Priemyselná 2
824 73 Bratislava 26
Slovak Republic
T: +421 (2) 50 11 49 11
Internet: www.sao.gov.sk
E-mail: info@nku.gov.sk
Karol Mitrík
Chair of the Subcommittee and President of the Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic T: +421 2 50 11 44 02
F: +421 2 55 42 30 05
E-mail: predseda@nku.gov.sk
E-mail: karol.mitrik@nku.gov.sk
Subcommittee issues team – Igor Ciho International Relations Division Director
T: +421 2 50 11 45 12
E-mail: info@nku.gov.sk
E-mail: igor.ciho@nku.gov.sk
Imrich Gál International Relations Division Head Counsel
T: +421 2 50 11 45 14
E-mail: imrich.gal@nku.gov.sk
News

Check it out: IDI SAI Independence resource kit for in-country donor staff
In 2020, the IDI developed the SAI Independence resource kit for in-country donor staff (online version – PDF version) to provide them with a quick reference guide that will help better understand the challenges SAIs face in obtaining and safeguarding independence,...

The Virtual Catalogue of cooperative audits: The road so far and the future ahead
"Since its creation the Subcommittee on Cooperative Audits, chaired by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Peru, and composed of the SAIs of China, Fiji, Iran, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines and Slovenia; has sought to bring to the...

Lessons harvesting: Learning from P2P engagements
A discussion paper for a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework The publication from the EIP (Effective Institutions Platform) shared below, highlights seven key attributes of good practice approaches in peer-to-peer (P2P) learning, with a view to explore how...

First ACCC webinar of the year: IPSAS – Implications for SAIs
28 January 2021 - 2 o'clock pm UK time Many countries are adopting the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). This can often create challenges and opportunities for SAIs. To lead our discussion on this theme, Khalid Hamid, International Director,...

Season’s Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year!!
The CBC leadership and secretariat wish you all a peaceful holiday season and look forward to an inspiring new year full of capacity development engagements!

PASAI blog: Digital Literacy – Relevance to auditors and SAIs
Supreme Audit Institutions are operating in an increasingly digital environment. COVID-19 has sped up the adoption of digital technologies by several years and it is expected that these changes are here to stay. Keeping up-to-date with the digital transformation of...

Covid-19 pandemic: what is the role of supreme audit institutions?
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the contraction of global economies and the paralysis of most public and private sectors, except for several vital activities such as health, security, and defense. Governments face the difficult task of maintaining citizens’ health...

Officially launched: The 2020 Global Survey for SAIs
Please find below the 2020 Global Survey for SAIs launched by the IDI Global Foundations Unit/INTOSAI Global Survey Committee. The survey was launched in English, French, Spanish and Arabic and you will find all versions available below. The deadline for responding to...
Homage to Kimi Makwetu, CBC Chair 2013-2020
"The INTOSAI community right now suffers from a void that will be hard to fill. Kimi Makwetu, Auditor General of South Africa and CBC Chair, a great personality and leader - has left us. Further; a husband, father, colleague, and friend. Many fine components in one...

Sudden passing of CBC Chair, South African Auditor General Kimi Makwetu
The passing of the engaged leader of the INTOSAI Capacity Building Committee since 2013, Kimi Makwetu, leaves his organization, the INTOSAI community and the CBC secretariat in shock. He shall be sorely missed. Our thoughts go to Kimi's family at this difficult time...