SAI PMF paves the way for a stronger SAI in Kiribati

By Kiribati’s Auditor-General, Eriati Tauma Manaima

The SAI-PMF Assessment

Over two weeks in late August and earlu September 2019, the Kiribati Audit Office had the pleasure of hosting the PASAI Supreme Audit Institution Performance Measurement Framework (SAI PMF) assessment  team, comprising of team leader Ms Sinaroseta Palamo-Iosefo from PASAI’s Secretariat, Ms Elsie Willy and Ms Elsie Daniel both Audit Managers from the SAI-Vanuatu, and Mr Samuela Tupou an Audit Manager from SAI-Fiji.

What does the SAI-PMF mean for the Kiribati Audit Office?

The timing of this assessment could not have been better!

This SAI-PMF assessment is very important to SAI Kiribati. Not only is this the first ever comprehensive assessment for SAI-Kiribati, but as the new head of the Kiribati Audit Office, it will provide me with a much-needed stock-take and baseline as we go forward. It’s important for me to know where we stand in terms of the institution’s strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, and threats.

In addition to this, SAI-Kiribati is now in the final year of her four year (2016-2019) strategic plan, so having the SAI-PMF assessment in the midst of reviewing our 2016-2019 strategic plan and preparing our next (2020-2023) strategic plan is brilliant. Among other things, what we will learn from this assessment will help inform SAI-Kiribati on what/which key strategic goals or areas to focus on the next four years as we continue building and strengthening our office.   

Another reason that this assessment is very important to SAI Kiribati is that when we request development assistance from our stakeholders, especially the Government and our development partners, the findings of the SAI-PMF assessment will provide evidence to support and make the case for our request for those needed assistances.    

What does the SAI-PMF mean for the Government of Kiribati and her people?

 Strengthening SAI Kiribati aligns well the Government of Kiribati’s vision, in particular the Pillar 4: Governance of the Kiribati Vision 20 (KV20) which advocates for the creation of a corruption-free public service through strengthening of institutions, like the SAI-Kiribati, within the public and private sector that foster good governance practices.

A strong and effective SAI-Kiribati plays an important role in the Government’s combat against corruption and its negative impact on the economy and the people of Kiribati. In this context, the SAI-PMF plays an essential role in building and strengthening the Kiribati Audit Office and - more importantly - the audit impact it will bring to the lives of the people of Kiribati.

How was the SAI PMF process for Kiribati?

 The whole SAI PMF assessment was a fascinating experience. Even though this is our stock-in-trade as auditors, we were all excited to learn about the value of strong interviewing techniques and the importance of finding supporting evidence to back up any comments, whether negative, positive or neutral.

As the SAI PMF assessment tool is a new concept for Kiribati’s Audit Office, the assessors spent time with the SAI’s entire team explaining its format and uses, before getting into the assessment itself. 

So what comes next?

We’re waiting on the edge of our seats for the results! But in the meantime, I have already been able to factor some of the information into our strategic plan, and it has been a privilege to be part of such a comprehensive process. I strongly recommend it for all SAIs!

For more information please contact PASAI’s Communications Advisor on jill.marshall@pasai.org