EUROSAI. Magazine N22 - 2016

Magazine No. 22 - 2016 13 European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions INTERVIEW exchange of knowledge and experience that takes place when we meet colleagues from other parts of the world is essential for the development of Rigsrevisionen and we cannot do without it. Our involvement in the years ahead will probably not be as massive as it has been for the past twelve years, but we will be present in forums where we can make a positive contribution and learn from our colleagues. Our membership of FIPP is an excellent example of a forum that we are not planning to leave before our time is up, and Rigsrevisionen will also continue as member of the Performance Audit Subcommittee. We joined this PSC subcommittee in 2008 and we have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the team that developed not only INTOSAI’s first set of performance audit guidelines, but also the revised standard and guidelines that were endorsed at INCOSAI in 2016 in Abu Dhabi. 5. The new EUROSAI Strategic Plan 2017-2023 will be likely approved without a specific strategic goal on Professional Standards, but it will probably include some objectives on voicing EUROSAI’s points of view in this area and liaising with FIPP. How do you see the past and future EUROSAI input to the PSC? Nanna Henning: EUROSAI – and particularly Goal Team 2 – has done a tremendous job to raise awareness of the ISSAIs and facilitate the use of the ISSAIs through the organisation of various training seminars. Goal Team 2 have been relentless in their efforts to encourage the members of EUROSAI to submit their comments to exposure drafts of new or revised ISSAIs and have thereby played an important role in the quality assurance of INTOSAI’s pronouncements. The success of the revision of the ISSAI Framework that is planned to take place over the next three years will very much depend on the members of the working groups and subcommittees, that have developed INTOSAI’s standards and pronouncements, and their willingness to participate in the work. It is a huge task to get the framework sorted and I sincerely hope that the members of EUROSAI – also on this occasion – will be prepared to carry part of the load. Providing feedback to the PSC and FIPP is another opportunity for EUROSAI to exert influence on INTOSAI’s standard setting. The establishment of a feedback loop is an issue that has been discussed for quite some time in connection with the development of INTOSAI’s standards and pronouncements. I am glad to say that the mandate of the current chair of the PSC includes a section on the importance of collecting feedback on the SAIs’ practical experience using the ISSAIs in audits or as a basis for national standards. Having access to this type of information will be essential for the effort made by the PSC, FIPP and the many working groups and subcommittees that are engaged in developing ISSAIs. For more hands-on influence on INTOSAI’s standard setting, I can only encourage EUROSAI, and the other regional organisations, to apply for membership of FIPP. Every year, in October, the three goal chairs will issue a call for nominations to all members of INTOSAI to fill vacancies on the forum. The selection process will be handled by the three goal chairs in conjunction and will, in addition to the focus on professional expertise, take into consideration also the need to ensure a broad composition of the forum in terms of SAI type, gender, audit streams and regional representation.