What happens when Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) come together to reimagine accountability? Stronger institutions, greater transparency, and better outcomes for citizens.

This week, key accountability actors from across Asia convened for the ASOSAI Regional Workshop on Enhancing SAI-CSO Engagement, co-hosted by the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), ASOSAI Secretariat, the Commission on Audit (SAI Philippines), the INTOSAI Capacity Building Committee Task Force on Citizen Participation, and the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The event focused on bridging gaps, fostering collaboration, and equipping SAIs and CSOs with tools to enhance public financial management and governance.

Why This Workshop Matters

SAIs play a critical role in ensuring public funds are used effectively, while CSOs amplify transparency efforts and hold governments accountable. When these two forces collaborate, the result is stronger oversight, better service delivery, and more trust in institutions. However, despite its importance, engagement between SAIs and CSOs remains inconsistent across many countries. This workshop aimed to break down barriers, explore best practices, and develop actionable roadmaps for meaningful collaboration.

Key Takeaways 

• Understanding the Context is Key

Effective partnerships require a deep understanding of the national landscape. Participants mapped key players and discussed how to tailor engagement strategies to their specific country contexts.

• Collaboration Mechanisms Drive Change

SAIs and CSOs have different strengths, but by working together, they can enhance public financial management and governance. Discussions highlighted successful engagement models and how to adapt them across diverse country settings.

• Technology is a Game-Changer

From open data initiatives to digital tools, technology is reshaping accountability. Participants explored how tech-driven approaches can increase citizen participation and improve transparency.

• CSOs as Advocates for SAI Independence

An independent SAI is a more effective SAI. CSOs can play a vital role in safeguarding SAI independence by advocating for stronger legal frameworks and amplifying challenges SAIs face.

From Dialogue to Action: What’s Next?

The momentum built at the ASOSAI Regional Workshop won’t stop here. Through these working sessions, participants have now co-developed action plans and a regional rollout strategy through 2026, ensuring continued engagement beyond the event. The insights, strategies, and commitments made will fuel ongoing collaboration, influence national accountability agendas and could contribute to stronger, more transparent institutions across Asia.

We extend our gratitude to all our partners, speakers and participants for making this event a success. Stay tuned for updates on how these discussions translate into action!

Investigative journalism plays a crucial role in holding public institutions accountable. To support this vital oversight work, the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) and the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Zambia hosted an Investigative Journalism Workshop from February 4-6, 2025, in Lusaka. Part of the CADRE Project, the workshop aimed to equip journalists with the skills to analyse audit reports, uncover critical financial management issues, and translate complex findings into compelling stories that drive action.

A Collaboration for Transparency and Accountability

The CADRE Project, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is jointly implemented by IDI and Transparency International (TI), with OAG Zambia and TI-Zambia leading efforts at the country level. The project fosters collaboration between Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to enhance transparency, accountability, and SAI independence.

This three-day workshop brought together 17 media houses from across Zambia, focusing on investigative techniques that help translate complex audit findings into compelling stories that inform the public and drive action.

Setting the Stage for Investigative Impact

The event was officially opened by Zambia’s Auditor General, Dr. Ron Mwambwa, and Transparency International Zambia’s Executive Director, Mr. Maurice Nyambe. Dr. Mwambwa underscored the importance of media collaboration with the OAG, emphasizing that investigative journalism can transform audit findings into meaningful action by exposing inefficiencies and misconduct in public finance management. He also stressed the need for responsible and factual reporting.

Mr. Nyambe echoed these sentiments, highlighting the media’s role as a key player in the fight against corruption. He called for stronger partnerships between journalists, CSOs, and audit institutions to ensure public funds are used transparently and effectively.

Speaking at the opening, IDI reinforced the workshop’s objective: empowering journalists with the knowledge and tools to interpret financial oversight data and produce impactful investigative reports that promote good governance.

Sharpening Investigative Skills for Public Accountability

Investigative journalism plays a crucial role in holding public institutions accountable. To support this vital work, the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) and the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Zambia hosted an Investigative Journalism Workshop from February 4-6, 2025, in Lusaka. Held under the CADRE Project, the workshop equipped journalists with the skills to analyse audit reports, uncover financial mismanagement, and transform findings into compelling stories that drive action.

Led by investigative journalism expert Mr. Joseph Mwenda of News Diggers, along with facilitators from OAG Zambia, TI-Zambia, and BBC Media Action, the sessions provided in-depth training on key topics:

• Public Financial Management (PFM) & the Role of SAIs – Understanding financial oversight and its impact on governance.
• Investigative Journalism Techniques – Ethics, accuracy, and fact-checking in reporting.
• Audit Report Analysis – Identifying key findings from the OAG’s 2023 Report and developing impactful stories based on financial oversight data.

Turning Insights into Action

By the end of the workshop, participants developed key action points to implement before the next session in March 2025, including publishing investigative stories based on findings from the OAG 2023 Report and conducting in-depth investigations into critical issues highlighted in audit reports.

The second phase of the workshop, taking place next month, will continue to build on these efforts, further refining investigative techniques and strengthening collaboration between journalists, CSOs, and SAIs.

This workshop reaffirmed the vital role of investigative journalism in ensuring that audit findings lead to real governance improvements. Through the CADRE Project, IDI, OAG Zambia, and their partners remain committed to supporting journalists and accountability actors in the mission to promote transparency and impactful storytelling.

 Stay tuned for updates from the March 2025 follow-up workshop!

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda is the first global plan to address social challenges through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IDI is pleased to invite SAIs to join the IT Strategy Development Programme under the pICTure initiative. 

The Global Summit on SAI Audits Contributing to Digitalisation and Sustainability, held on November 18-19, 2024, in Tbilisi, Georgia, marked a significant milestone in the collective efforts of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) worldwide towards current and emerging trends about sustainability and digitalisation. 

The joint IPU-IDI workshop on Public Engagement marked a historic first-time occasion for CAROSAI engagement with regional members of Parliaments.

SAI Leadership and Parliamentarians come together for Sustainable Performance Audit Practices at the High-Level Dialogue on SAI-Parliament Cooperation, Manila, Philippines on 2–3 December 2024.

The 2nd LEGSAI Initiative Meeting of Experts, hosted by SAI Poland (NIK) and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), in Warsaw, Poland from 26–29 November 2024, brought together global experts to advance this critical agenda.

This month, stakeholders from civil society and integrity institutions have been making significant strides in promoting good governance and accountability in Malawi.

IDI’s Board approved the Operational Plan and Budget for 2025 in its meeting on 27 November 2024.

Join us at the upcoming webinars “Auditing SDG implementation – Introducing frameworks to audit Policy Coherence and Leave No One Behind.” 

Join us at the upcoming SAI Innovation Marketplace Webinar, “How AI Will Transform SAI Audit Practices" on 26 November 2024.