Inspiring PASAI's future auditors at University of Queensland, by A'eau Agnes Taimane Tuiai-Aruwafu

Inspiring Pasifika’s future talent, by

A’eau Agnes Taimane Tuiai-Aruwafu
PASAI’s Director Technical Support

When I graduated from University of Queensland’s (UQ) St Lucia campus in 1991 at the tender age of 20, I was still trying to get used to the culture and my new environment after migrating to Brisbane from Auckland NZ in 1988. In particular, I was probably the only Pacific Islander attending UQ in 1989 so I always felt isolated. 

But how times have changed. Fast track to 2018, and there is now a well-established South Pacific Islander Association (SPIA) at UQ (which was founded by my niece) with a very powerful mission statement:

“To strengthen the presence of and empower Pacific Islanders on and off-campus at the University of Queensland and to create a network of old, new, existing and potential students in the university of Pacific Islander and non-Pacific Islander background; to recognise and celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific; to be involved in the wider community.”

I was approached to be an industry speaker on 28th September 2018 at the UQ SPIA student summit called INSPIA. A Pasifika take on the word ‘inspire’, the theme of the day was “To inspire is to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.” The aim was for Maori and Pacific Islander High School Students to attend this one day summit held at UQ St Lucia to hear from past and present students including myself, and be part of workshops throughout the day.

Among the speakers were present/past Pasifika graduates of UQ or QUT or Griffith University, who talked about the challenges of university life and shared their recent experiences of the transition from high school to university to the workplace. We heard from a Tongan student currently studying for a Bachelor of Film in the art of cinematography, a Samoan QUT graduate who studied a double degree attaining a Bachelors of Justice and Behavioural Science (Psychology) majoring in Criminology and Policing, a Papua New Guinean who just completed her Masters in Development Practice, (majoring in Community Development), and a Samoan in his final 4th year studying a Bachelor in urban and environmental planning at Griffith University.

Although I have just received my Master’s (International and Community Development), I wasn’t there as a new graduate like these other speakers. With over 18 years of industry experience in Australia for private and public sector organisations and almost 6 years in international development in the Pacific Islands, it was challenging trying to summarise what I do, where I’ve been and how I got there in 10 minutes.Nevertheless, I delivered a presentation including the PASAI journey video, which I hope inspired these upcoming young professionals and potential tertiary students to think about making a difference in the future.

 After further reflection on my past and journey to where I am, I came up with my five key takeaways:

 I was asked a very interesting question by a participant, which I believe reflected a real struggle for many of the young Pacific Island generation of today: “How do you mix the two cultures – our Pacific Island and western culture?’

I’m not sure I answered her question fully, but in the end the answer, for me, lies with our faith in God. It was difficult for the students to fathom this because they are living in a society which is politically correct and sensitive about religious connotations. However, we have to remember where we come from, and many Pacific Islanders are taught from the day they are born about Christianity and God.

As I left the grounds of the Great Court at UQ (iconic infrastructure) with my family, husband and 6 month old twin girls, I reflected on how a couple of decades ago I was single and had no direction or career ambition. Now I’m happily married with two children and passionate about the work I do in the pacific with PASAI.

During my journey I’ve been able to understand and appreciate and be proud of my cultural background and integrate that into my westernised professional life. I have gained the best of both worlds: working in the Australian workforce (both private and public sectors) and remaining committed to my Samoan heritage, family, village and church community.

This unique upbringing has served me well in my profession, and I encourage all Pacific Islanders to embrace your cultures!

I really enjoyed being a part of this Summit because in the end it was just an extension of what I love to do in the Pacific region – to empower, encourage, motivate and capacity build the future auditors of the Pacific region to make a difference in the lives of our Pasifika people.

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A’eau Agnes Taimane Tuiai-Aruwafu is PASAI’s Director Technical Support has over 20 years of industry experience in public sector auditing both in Australian State/Federal Government and internationally within the Pacific Region. Skilled in strategic management, international development, project management, capacity building and public financial management, she continues her passion to make a difference in the Pacific. She recently graduated with a Masters International and Community Development (Deakin) and completed a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Business in Accounting from UQ and QUT respectively. She is a Certified Practising Accounting from CPA Australia and was awarded a Jane M Klausman Woman in Business Award in 2013 from Zonta NZ. She is an active and devoted member of her Samoan community in Brisbane, Australia and her extended family in Samoa/NZ, and in 2016 she was bestowed the honour of the Samoan High Chief Title of A’eau to represent the Falealupo District, Savaii, Samoa.

Peer-to-Peer Cooperation - PASAI shares SAI Palestine's Perspective

By Ms Lana Assi

Head / Public and international Relations Unit, State Audit & Administrative Control Bureau, SAI of Palestine

When I first started my work at the Supreme Audit Institution of Palestine, one challenge was how to start co-operating with international peers so that we could use our shared knowledge and experience to increase our productivity and the quality of our work. Today, the State Audit & Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) is in a good position to start good relations and have successful co-operations with international peers.

After having worked at the SAI of Palestine for ten years, it has become very clear to me that peer-to-peer cooperation is one of the strong pillars on which a SAI can depend. It offers a window to the outside world, a world full of experienced people working according to international standards to enhance integrity and transparency.

Working with colleagues from peer institutions helps to share knowledge, ideas and experience, besides building socially dynamic relations between employees in SAIs. Personally, I have developed my skills in organizing, planning and understanding the mechanisms of how to deal with international peers, how to prioritize the needs of the SAI, and to reflect these priorities in the projects plans. Co-operation with peers has helped me tailor our objectives, to think deeply about:

• what is needed;

• why it is needed; and

• how to reach the goal in a long- or short-term co-operation.

Before starting any SAI peer-to-peer co-operation, it is important to decide internally what your objectives might be, and then try to tailor the co-operation to your needs so as to meet your objectives within an agreed time-frame. A decision of this kind needs a leadership that is quite aware of the dramatic changes that the office may go through; which encourages change; and which supports new procedures internally.

Looking at our experience, the first challenges were found in the language aspects of the co-operation, which required translation of all documents to facilitate the communication between our employees and the international experts. Working at a long distance provided a second challenge, depending on the location of our peers. Time presented a third challenge. To meet these challenges, a person in charge should know how to carefully manage the resources to implement all aspects of the co-operation.  It is important to ensure that the work done by the auditors reflects the goals of the cooperation, also bearing in mind the importance of not overlapping with multiple partners. Sharing activities between all partners is a way of being transparent and cooperative.

What has struck me as surprising throughout our peer-to-peer co-operations, is our ability to cope with changes and overcome challenges to reach better results and have fruitful, tangible outcomes.

I think co-operation with peers is a two-way learning process. It means sharing, discussing, giving feedback, and reflecting ideas. It is an operational experience that we, as internal staff in the SAI, and the external peer, all learn from. Hence, the peer-to-peer co-operation helps us in developing better services for our stakeholders.

Peer-to-peer co-operation has benefitted me via knowledge capture, knowledge management and knowledge sharing. These benefits will stay with me throughout my professional life.

Go to INTOSAI’s peer-to-peer cooperation page for more on this blog at https://www.intosaicbc.org/benefits-of-co-operating-with-peers/  and the consolidated notes from Theme 2 discussions at the CBC meeting in Kuwait: Consolidated notes theme 2.

How many hats can a Secretary-General wear? PASAI's new SG, John Ryan, explains.

Wearing many hats,

by John Ryan, PASAI’s Secretary-General

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangarangatanga maha o te motu, tēnā koutou.

Thank you for the warm welcome you have given me as your Secretary-General. It’s a privilege for me to hold this position – to don this particular hat - and I look forward to serving all the members of PASAI in this role.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get to PASAI’s Congress this year. This was a great disappointment for me but there are times when the many hats we wear include life outside work, and on occasions our family commitments must come first.

In fact, in our work we must remain focused on what we, our families, our friends and communities should reasonably expect, especially in terms of understanding how well the public sector is delivering for us.

I’m rapidly finding that wearing several hats simultaneously is an essential part of what we do. As well as any titles we may hold, we’re both auditors and citizens. We’re outside and inside the systems we work for. We hold institutions to account, and tell them how they can improve. As auditors, we naturally focus on the institutions’ last financial year, but influencing how the public financial management system works is also absolutely critical.

As members of PASAI, we have the unique perspective and independent voice to influence positive changes needed for the public sectors of our countries. We are able to contribute to the effective operation of organisations and to their accountability to our people – today and for the future.

The SAIs of our Pacific nations face relative isolation and constant constraints on our capability and capacity, yet we can always do more. Our countries are made up of many small communities with diverse economic, cultural, social and environmental needs. How well we monitor the organisations that deliver the essential services we rely on has enormous impact on the trust and confidence our people will have in how we are governed.

Given our unique role, we need to be recognised as champions for public sector performance and accountability for the 21st century. We need to keep our organisations relevant, strongly connected and active, and lead with integrity and independence. We have many challenges ahead in re-imagining our public accountability system for the significantly different world that’s emerging.

John Ryan signing Tokelau agreements

Wearing my hat as the Auditor-General of Tokelau (and of Niue), for example, I recently met with Government of Tokelau and key officials. Tokelau’s development strategy sets good governance as its first strategic priority. I was impressed by the commitment of Tokelau’s leaders to take the necessary steps to ensure accountability systems are strengthened as a foundation for future development.

For each of us in all of the corners of the Pacific our challenges present themselves in different ways - but our goals are the same. PASAI has a well-defined and outcomes-focused strategy to assist each of us to reach those goals. I look forward to working closely with you all to deliver on the key focus areas of the PASAI Strategic Plan.

John with Deputy Secretary-General, Sarah Markley, and PASAI Chief Exec, Tiofilusi Tiueti

Launching NZ OAG’s Procurement Programme