INTOSAI Development Initiative

Supporting effective, accountable and inclusive Supreme Audit Institutions

2019 Winner of SAI Young Leaders Award

2019 Winner of SAI Young Leaders Award

Leadership is a key driver of change and strong and effective Supreme Audit Organisations across the world. The INTOSAI Development Initiative has realised during its work of supporting SAIs that strong leadership is also key for the success of its engagement. Leadership is indeed an issue cutting across all of IDI’s workstreams and initiatives. In light of this, IDI saw a need to develop and support young leaders that would be important for the future and success of each SAI.

IDI launched the SAI Young leadership programme in 2017. 91 SAIs were invited to participate. In the end, 25 applicants were selected out of which 20 young leaders completed the programme in 2018. Over a period of 12 months, these young leaders have been exposed to a comprehensive learning process which enabled them to discover themselves, discover their SAIs and its environment, learn how to develop their people and add value to their SAIs. A number of SAIs from the INTOSAI community contributed valuably to the development of these young leaders. They met INTOSAI leaders and visited SAIs like US GAO and international institutions like the United Nations and the World Bank. Each young leader developed and implemented a change strategy, as a positive contribution to the development of their SAI. We are impressed to see how each participant in the programme blossomed both as individuals and as future SAI leaders. We are also delighted to see the positive impact that their change strategies created in most SAIs.

Both SAI young leaders themselves and SAIs valued the first round of the IDI SAI Young Leadership (SYL) programme. Currently, IDI is implementing a second round of SYL to which all SAIs were invited and trying to implement the lessons learnt from the first round.

SAI Young Leaders Award;
The 20 SYLs who completed the programme were invited to apply for the SYL Award. In order to apply they had to prepare a letter of application, a piece of reflective writing on the change strategy that they had implemented and personal skills they had gained and provide a recommendation from their Head of SAI. There were 9 applications for the award. The IDI invited a panel of judges Ms Pamela Monroe ( AG SAI Jamaica and IDI Board member), Mr James-Christian Blockwood (Managing Director Strategic Planning and External Liaison U.S. Government Accountability Office) and Mr Einar Gørrissen (Director General IDI) to judge the award.

The applicants for the award made a presentation and answered questions from the panel. The judges evaluated applications using the following criteria: impact, innovation, quality, inclusiveness and personal effectiveness. The award was made to Fallon Stephany Arias Calero for her SAI Change Strategy ‘Innovative approach in comprehensive audit services to increase public value (design thinking)’. Through implementing this change strategy she developed design thinking methodology for SAI Costa Rica. She also trained a design thinking team and facilitated use of design thinking approach in audit.
 
SYL Programme – Fallon Stephany Arias Calero

The SYL programme was an incredibly challenging and transforming process. It gave me the opportunity, tools and guidance to grow as a leader, as a professional and as a person.  The transformation was based on the process of self-discovery and the identification of my strengths, leadership style, motivation and also the specific abilities that I still need to built or keep growing to strengthen the my leadership skills.

Taking part in the programme also gave me the opportunity to know and experience the different perspectives and realities on which the other SAIs work and develop their competencies. Thanks to the participative environment on which the programme was executed, I discovered and explored the knowledge, experience, trends, good practices and overall landscape of the SAIs from my region (OLACEFS) but other regions as well. I believe that one of the most enriching experiences of the programme was the possibility for all the SAI Young Leaders to shared their knowledge, struggles and information with the guidance of IDI facilitators, the other SAI leaders and our coaches. It taught me the value and importance of building networks and working together.

The other big lesson learnt of the programme was to understand the leader's responsibility to impulse and impact the life of others, helping them on their own process of discovery and growth. Today I feel exited and proud to recognize my capacity to empower others and be a positive influence in their lives.

The SYL Programme was indeed, in my case, a process of profound transformation and awareness on which I received the impulse to take next step on my career. Now I get the chance to create value for my country through my new leadership role in my SAI from where I'll keep and will continue my journey of self-discovery and recognition as a leader. 

Fallon along with Carla Ribeiro da Motta from SAI Brazil will present a webinar on design thinking in the audit process as apart of the Green Hat Innovation Exchange series later this year.

Read more about SAI Young Leaders pdf here. (91 KB)