After an analysis of socio-economic situation of the state, audit priorities are established which determine the scope of audits to be conducted by the NIK in the given period. This allows for concentrating on the most important issues related to the state’s functioning. For the years 2009-2011, the following audit priorities have been set: Efficient and Citizen-friendly State, Cost-efficient Governance of Public Assets and Poland in the European Union.
A whirl of formalities
Within the audit priority entitled Efficient and Citizen-friendly State, the NIK has checked how courts deal with matters related to land registering and how the implementation of the New Land Register project is progressing. It has also examined the aid offered to repatriates and how employees of certain top public administration offices investigate citizens’ complaints.
As for the land registering processes, due to an increasing number of incoming applications, registering is frequently delayed which may negatively affect the real estate market. The New Land Register project was aimed at facilitating and speeding up the process of drawing up land register copies. Although the system has proved to be effective and basically fulfils its task, system failures, unfortunately, are not a rarity, as NIK auditors have found out.
NIK audits have also revealed that repatriates receive state aid usually as late as three months after they settle in the country. It is due to the citizenship certification procedure which takes a lot of time and significantly delays the aid-granting process. From the survey carried out by the NIK among repatriates it transpires that many feel disappointed with the situation they meet having returned to their homeland.
Moreover, NIK auditors observe that citizens’ complaints are settled in top public administration bodies after the one-month deadline (every fifth case audited). What is worse, some complaints are investigated by persons directly involved in the cases investigated. NIK auditors have also observed that the system for informing citizens on the reasons for the delays and new deadlines does not work efficiently and needs several improvements.
Be patient if your are a patient
In September 2010, the NIK presented its report on the access to medical services whose findings are far from optimistic. Patients awaiting operations can never be sure whether they will be really admitted to hospital on the date that has been set for them on special lists. Operations are frequently postponed as persons who have not been on the lists are operated out of turn or because hospitals treat those who actually do not need immediate medical services. Delays in operations also stem from equipment failures, the insufficient base of hospitals, the lack of staff and, primarily, the lack of funds.
Read more on the audit of access to medical services
Difficult education
Within the Efficient and Citizen-friendly State audit priority, the NIK also checks the access to and the quality of education, including physical education classes in schools. The audit in this area has revealed that almost 50 percent of Polish schools do not have gyms at all, while 30 percent of existing gyms are too small. NIK auditors find it alarming that 75 percent of schools do not provide appropriate safety conditions during PE classes. Additionally, students find PE classes unattractive and that is why they often skip these classes or simply do not participate in them despite being present at school.
Read more on the audit of physical education in schools
The NIK has also examined the functioning of young offenders institutions. Its audits show that there is no coherent social rehabilitation system and that rehabilitation centres are overcrowded, while their functioning reveals certain irregularities. Almost 60 percent of teenagers residing in young offenders institutions commit offences after they leave these institutions, which means that the rehabilitation system is ineffective and calls for changes.
NIK audits show in which areas the state operates well and which need improvements. Their results are not just lists of irregularities, as each audit report contains recommendations and proposals for possible legal changes that may improve the situation. Additionally, the NIK regularly monitors whether its recommendations are implemented after audits are concluded.
On this website, you can find the results of the most important NIK audits, while the overall summary of the NIK’s activity within the Efficient and Citizen-friendly audit priority will be included in the report on the NIK activity for the year 2010, to be published next year.
