The two-day meeting – organised at the initiative of NIK and the SAI of Sweden –was devoted to the exchange of experiences in the field of audit quality, effective communication and the use of social media in the work of audit institutions.
The event was opened by NIK President who underlined in his speech that the proposed workshop themes, i.e. quality management, plain language and social media in the work of SAIs have one thing in common: communication. NIK President pointed out that effective communication is one of the pillars of activity of a modern audit organisation: “As a Supreme Audit Institution we need to ensure good communication in two dimensions: internal communication between managers and employees and external one with the Parliament and citizens. The reports we prepare should not only be reliable but also comprehensible and accessible for a broad group of recipients”.
The Head of the Polish SAI Mariusz Haładyj also highlighted the need for keeping balance between the communication simplicity and the high quality of audit reports. Closing his speech, the President expressed his hope that the discussions during the seminar would bring about tangible results and practical recommendations for Supreme Audit Institutions.
The seminar focused on two thematic blocks. The first one dealt with the implementation of the updated ISSAI 140 standard on the quality management system in national audit institutions. The group discussions focused on practical aspects of implementing the new requirements and the role of INTOSAI Development Initiative in this process [IDI – a body of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) supporting development of public audit institutions in developing countries]. The second workshop, led by representatives of the National Audit Office of the United Kingdom, concerned the use of simple language in communication and reporting of audit results. The participants exchanged their experiences and good practices, discussed challenges and ways to enhance comprehensibility and clarity of audit reports for the public.
On the second day of the seminar, its participants took part in a workshop session on the use of social media in the work of audit institutions. This part was moderated by representatives of the Polish and Swedish SAIs. The workshop participants discussed the ways in which SAIs can use social media to communicate audit results, build public trust and strengthen transparency of their actions.
The EUROSAI seminar in Warsaw confirmed the significance of cooperation and dialogue between Supreme Audit Institutions. The participants emphasised unanimously that improving the quality of public audit and streamlining communication with citizens are key to build confidence in audit institutions all over Europe.
