After intensive training of Cook Island and NZ OAG staff and a roll-out of early assessments in SAIs in New Zealand and Australia, last week saw a self-assessment of integrity (SAINT) completed at the Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture.

The SAINT assessment was part of the current IntoSAINT/SAINT tool pilot programme being carried out in the PASAI region. It was led by Allen Parker, Cook Islands Director of Audit and Anne McMahon Office Manager at Cook Islands Audit Office and supported by Jonathan Keate and Sarah Markley from SAI of New Zealand.

The Ministry of Agriculture is a critical part of the Cook Islands public sector due to the importance of agricultural activities to this small island nation’s economy, so it was very encouraging to be able to provide useful recommendations to strengthen integrity systems and also to encourage the 11 staff involved in the assessment to be integrity ambassadors within the Ministry and in their interactions with the community.