Thursday 21st March – A team of delegates from the Office of the Auditor General of Somalia (OAGS) led by His Excellency, the Auditor General, Ahmed Isse Gutale, and representatives from the Swedish National Audit Office (SNAO) met in Nairobi, Kenya for a 3-day workshop held from Tuesday, March 19th to Thursday, March 21st, 2024. This workshop aimed to pinpoint areas of collaboration for a potential bilateral agreement between the OAGS and the SNAO to bolster the OAGS’s newly established Performance Audit function.
The workshop also benefited from the participation of representatives from the World Bank, who currently provide support to the OAGS in the area of Performance Audit through the provision of a Long-Term Technical Advisor.
The program included presentations from both SAIs (Supreme Audit Institutions) on their histories, current capabilities, and future plans. Special emphasis was placed on examining the OAGS’s current Performance Audit framework, with focused discussions aimed at pinpointing intervention areas where the Swedish Audit Office could offer assistance.
The OAGS is currently conducting two pilot performance audits that began in 2023 and are expected to conclude in 2024. These audits focus on World Bank-funded projects, namely the Somalia Crisis Recovery project (SCRP) and the Water for Agro-Pastoral Productivity and Resilience (Biyoole) project.
A key takeaway from the workshop was the importance of establishing a long-term partnership to ensure the sustainability of performance auditing efforts in Somalia. The SNAO brings valuable experience from similar Performance Audit capacity-building initiatives in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.
To gain further practical insights, representatives from both SAIs participated in a study tour hosted by the Offices of the Auditor General of Kenya (OAGK). The Kenyan delegation was led by CPA Isaac Ng’ang’a, Deputy Auditor General of Corporate Services at OAG Kenya and included members of the Performance Audit Directorate at the OAG-K who gave an insightful presentation detailing their functions and contributions.
The workshop culminated in an in-depth exploration of potential areas of cooperation, laying the groundwork for a formal bilateral agreement.
The Auditor General of Somalia expressed his excitement about a possible partnership with SNAO, an institution renowned for its expertise in Performance Auditing. He voiced his confidence that their contributions will play a crucial role in enhancing SAI Somalia’s Performance Audit capacity.
