Events

 

MID-TERM REVIEW OF THE NAO STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN (SDP 2020 – 2024)

The National Audit Office (NAO) organized a five-day mid-term review workshop of its Strategic Development Plan (SDP 2020 – 2024) held at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Cape Point, Bakau from the 3^rd -10^th of August 2022.

The workshop was attended by Twenty-eight (28) staff (15 male and 13 female) from the different units of the NAO and three (3) peers namely (Nils Vogesgen, Abigail Marshall Bailey, and Dana Wilkins) from NAO’s strategic development partners INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) and SAI UK.

The purpose of the mid-term review was to update the Indicators, Outcomes, and Outputs of the NAO’s SDP 2020-2024 to drive priority setting, resource allocation, capability requirements, and budgeting activities as well as assess the level of implementation in general in terms of progress and challenges.

The progress of the SDP (2020-2024) was reviewed against the initial indicators.  One of the main highlights in terms of progress made is on Greater public awareness of NAO’S role and products which has recorded significant progress on number of media publications referencing to NAO’s work from 2020 – 2021.

The review also included review of the outcomes and outputs against prevailing circumstances (internally and externally) to ascertain if any amendments were needed in realizing them. The review was done through group exercises including proposed indicators to use in gathering needed information for each outcome/output.

 

Participants noted the importance to maintaining and updating an internal monitoring system for better data management, subsequently, participants designed a new monitoring tracker for the SDP which will help in better data gathering, review and reporting on a regular basis by the assigned individuals.

During the workshop participants also went through different behavioral change approach on ways to change behavior of stakeholders in addressing two key problems being faced by NAO:

• Late response of auditees resulting to late completion of audits; and
• Lack of and late discussion of the audit reports by National Assembly leading to ineffective audit impact.

A set of activities were identified for implementation in the remaining years of the SDP  2022, 2023 and 2024 as well as other emerging opportunities to be considered for the subsequent SDP.

The workshop ended on Wednesday 10^th August 2022 with the DAG1 giving the closing remarks. He highlighted the importance of the SDP; that it is the road map and statement of approach and direction for the organization.  He thanked IDI, SAI UK, and all NAO staff that made the workshop successful with their ideas and contributions during the discussions and group exercises.

The amended SDP 2020-2024, highlighting the outcomes, outputs, capacities and set of indicators for the outcomes and outputs, will be shared before end of August 2022.