FAREWELL TO 2005-06 FELLOWS

GRADUATING FELLOWS ARE PARTICULARLY WELL QUALIFIED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BACK HOME

The participants in CCAF’s 2005-2006 International Fellowship Program may have graduated last May, but there remains lots of hard work and challenges to overcome.

After nine months of dedicated classroom work and on-the-job training at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and at the Vérificateur général du Québec (VGQ), the seven individuals representing Benin, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Tanzania and Thailand have returned to their homes and their jobs.  We are pleased to note that three are returning to promotions within their supreme audit institution (SAI).  From their positions in the SAI of their countries, all the graduate Fellows will be hard at work disseminating the knowledge and learnings acquired in Canada as well as implementing a strategy paper – Special Project, they developed while at the respective Canadian legislative audit institution.

The projects are usually designed to advance the practice of comprehensive/value-for-money/performance auditing, and are approved by the SAI of the participants’ home countries.  Mentors and advisors at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada and at the Vérificateur général du Québec guided each Fellow in the development of a strategy paper setting out his or her project.

	BENOÎT AZODJILANDE (BENIN) Before coming to Canada, Benoît was involved in monitoring compliance with financial legislation.  Amongst several tasks, he was also assigned to the local collectivities section responsible for judicial control and management of commune accounts.  In part, due to his participation in the International Fellowship Program, Benoît was recently promoted to the position of Magistrate and Advisor to the Cour Suprême du Bénin.  The objective of his Strategy Paper is to develop an audit evidence collection and management strategy for the Chambre des Comptes based on the practice used at the Vérificateur general du Québec. Special Project: Collecting and Managing Audit Evidence at the Chambre des Comptes du Bénin
	DAVID SOHINTO (BENIN) David is part of a section that audits government’s accounts, with a particular responsibility for monitoring performance in the department of Agriculture and Livestock and rural development projects in Benin.  His goal is to improve performance control procedures and practices within Benin’s Chambre of Accounts of the Supreme Court of Benin.  The purpose of his Strategy Paper is to develop an approach integrating direct reporting in the current attest audit practice with regards to performance reports. Special Project:  Development of Direct Reporting Approach for Performance Audits at the Chambre des Comptes de la coure Suprême
	PAULINE KANE FORTUNE (CAMEROON) Prior to Pauline’s arrival in Canada, she conducted audits in various agencies and companies and examined cases brought before the budget and financial discipline board.  Much to her credit (as women auditors are few in Cameroon), while participating in the International Fellowship Program, Pauline has been appointed to the position of INSPECTEUR D’ÉTAT, CHEF DE BRIGADE N01 DE LA FORMATION.  Her new assignment is to deliver professional development and training.  The knowledge and learnings she gained while in Canada will be extremely beneficial to her new job. Special Project:  Identifying and Evaluating Risks for Audit Purposes
	JOSÉ ALPIZAR FALLAS  (COSTA RICA) José has been involved in complex studies related to finances, operations, and compliance, as well as methodology and research projects.  He has delivered training courses and lectures on internal control, IT audit and management best practices. José will return to the Technical Secretariat and expects to implement training and assist in the ongoing project of improving forensic audit capabilities.   José’s paper proposes a strategic approach for improving the Contraloría’s forensic capability including building capacity and developing auditors’ risk-based capabilities to detect fraud and corrupt practices. Special Project:  Improving the forensic Audit Capability of the Contraloría General de la República de Costa Rica
	GRACE MUGYABUSO (TANZANIA) Grace was an assistant to the Resident Auditor of the Ministry of Home Affairs team, responsible for supervising the audit team, planning audits, writing reports and presenting audit outcomes to the parliamentary committee.  Upon her return home, Grace presented her project to her Deputy Auditor General and has been assigned as a Functional Responsibility Leader for Performance Audit, responsible for coordinating the performance audit planning in regard to her strategy paper.  The objective of Grace’s Special Project is to create a proposal for advanced audit practices and to supplement a cash-and-control focus with modern risk-based approaches for planning and audit practices. Special Project:  Risk Assessment:  A Basis for Risk-Based Audit Practice
	JAMES RYOBA (TANZANIA) James was one of the founders of the VFM department at the National Audit Office of Tanzania. Since his return home he has been assigned to the Tanzania Revenue Authority to work on a Special Investigation Team reporting to Parliament on their national television and radio corporation. James’Special Project identifies a plan of action, describes the impediments and prescribes remedial strategies for implementation of a forensic audit capacity. Special Project: The Importance of Building a Forensic Audit Capacity in National Audit Office – Tanzania
	SIRIN PHANKASEM (THAILAND) Sirin was a senior auditor responsible for financial and compliance auditing of two government agencies, Marine Department and Thai marine Navigation Company Limited.  While participating in the International Fellowship Program, Sirin was promoted to the position of  Head of International Relations, responsible for interaction with other SAI’s, participation in international programs and conducting English test. In recent years, Thailand’s government has taken steps to improve its environmental laws and regulations.  Sirin, while in Canada, has developed a strategy to integrate environmental issues more fully into the audit work of the OAG Thailand with a plan that builds upon the work already done. Special Project:  Moving to Sustainable Development:  Focus on Environmental Auditing

CANADIAN LEADERSHIP IN CAPACITY-BUILDING ABROAD

The International Fellowship Program (IFP), more formally called the International Assistance Program for Improved Governance and Accountability, receives funding from the Government of Canada via the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).  By increasing capacity in the area of performance/value-for-money/comprehensive auditing in the SAIs of participating developing countries, the program supports Canada’s foreign policy by strengthening democratic institutions abroad.   The current 5-year contribution agreement with CIDA is slated to end in June 2007, after the class of 2006-07 will have completed its training in Canada.  With the submission of a new proposal to CIDA, the CCAF and the program’s partners hope the IFP will be renewed for another 5 years. 

In the presence of CIDA’s Executive Vice-President, Mrs. Diane Vincent, senior representatives from CCAF, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, the Vérificateur général du Québec as well as diplomats from the 2005/06 participating countries, she thanked the Fellows for their hard work and their important contributions to the activities of her Office through their participation on audit teams.  Mr. François Boisclair, Director of “Value-for-Money” related services at the VGQ (and director of the IFP program activities within the VGQ), also thanked the 2 fellows from Benin, on behalf of Mr. Renaud Lachance, the Auditor General of Quebec, for their significant contributions to the activities of that organization.  Mr. Boisclair also acknowledged the tremendous benefits the IFP brings to our international partners and their SAIs.  The experience and knowledge gained through the interaction and work within an audit team are extremely valuable in helping these organizations undertake larger and more complex auditing projects and related activities.  This will no doubt make the SAI a more efficient and effective organization in the service of its country’s public sector governance function. 

Both Pauline Kane Fortune and David Sohinto, on behalf of the Fellows and their countries, expressed deep appreciation and thanks to Ms. Sheila Fraser and her team at the OAG-Canada, and to Mr. Renaud Lachance and his team at the VGQ for sharing their knowledge, learnings, expertise and friendship.  They remarked that the IFP offered a rich and fulsome training experience building skills and knowledge beyond performance auditing – noting such areas as communications, leadership, management and course design.   Also communicated was the gratitude of the Fellows’ (and their countries’) towards CIDA for their funding of the IFP and making all of this possible.  They also thanked the home governments for, “having the foresight to have us participate in such a program that strengthens the audit arm of the accountability cycle and the democratic process in our countries”.  Finally, they acknowledged the hard work and efforts of CCAF staff, “our host family”, for ensuring the Fellows get the most out the Program. 

Twenty-five years of success

According to CCAF Executive Director Michael Eastman, “The International Fellowship Program demonstrates how partners working together faithfully over time can produce exceptional results.  CCAF looks forward to at least 25 more years of productive partnership.”

Ron Thompson - Friend of the Fellows

This year’s recipient of the Friends of the Fellows Award is Mr. Ron Thompson, Assistant Auditor General of Canada. The award (a world globe) was presented to him by Mr. José Alpizar Fallas, participant from Costa Rica, on behalf of the 2005-06 class of “Fellows”. The “Fellows” themselves choose the recipient of the award.  As Nick Hare, masters of ceremony for the event eloquently put it, “the current year class of Fellows is presenting this special award to an individual who has demonstrated a strong bond with, a tireless dedication to, and unwavering support for the IFP and its participants over many years through his professional and personal generosity, his hospitality and his genuine pursuit of excellence.”  Genuinely surprised and humbled, Ron Thompson thanked those who have worked with him to make the IFP such a special initiative within the OAG-Canada and also acknowledged the friendships developed over the years with many former “Fellows”.  Sheila Fraser congratulated Ron on this award and noted that he is very deserving.

A program that adjusts to an evolving world

The International Fellowship Program has succeeded over an extended period of time because of its ability to adjust to changing requirements.  Change is once again in the works as the program responds to evolving Government of Canada priorities and the needs of our international partners. 

CCAF intends to continue focussing the Program on those countries that the Government of Canada deems high priority – “development partner countries” – in order to build a critical mass of capacity within these countries’ SAI, to further facilitate change and improvements within those institutions and increasing their pace.  CCAF also continues to implement measures to improve program administration and achieve operational efficiencies.  It also continues to find ways to ensure ongoing support for graduate Fellows to help maintain the momentum achieved while in Canada.

The Program’s success is also leading to opportunities for expansion.  For example, other Canadian legislative audit institutions have expressed interest in hosting Fellows and being partners in the program.  An expansion component will form part of the submission to CIDA noted earlier.

Conclusion

Graduate Fellows, Grace, Pauline, Sirin, Benoît, David, James and José are now back in their home country, having survived an extended time away from loved ones and having endured a Canadian winter.  “While the IFP is modest in size and funding, the impacts are significant when the Fellows return to their home organizations,” Auditor General Sheila Fraser noted at the May 25^th graduation ceremony.  “The implementation of the strategy papers will mean significant improvements in the operations of their Supreme Audit Institutions.  I hope very much to see this program continue for many years to come, because it is making a difference in the international community.”

As we replay the many great moments involving the Class of 2005/06, the CCAF is hard at work preparing for the arrival of the participants of the 2006/07 class of Fellows and we are anticipating another great year. More on this class later this summer.

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