Cooperation in the Pacific Region
The Swedish National Audit Office is working with PASAI to bolster auditing in the Pacific small island countries such as Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Through digital meetings and training programmes, we help to develop knowledge in important human resources issues, which helps the authorities to audit public funds effectively.
Focus areas
We support the island nations identified by the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit institutions (PASAI) as the most in need of development, which are the island nations in the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Our support also includes the staff of the collaborating organisation, through the development of manuals and educational tools. Our main support is in the form of digital meetings and training sessions.
It is a matter of developing knowledge in strategic and operational human resources (HR) issues such as:
- skills development
- training
- recruitment
- organisational development.
Opportunities to provide support in strategic and practical HR are very limited in the region, while these are areas in which we have expertise and can contribute.
Our support is based on three focus areas:
- Training staff to work part-time on personnel issues to achieve well-functioning authorities. These should also serve as support to other supreme audit institutions in the region.
- The development of a handbook on human resources at a practical and strategic level, adapted to the needs of the region.
- Support to the Secretariat staff through networking with other regions.
The long-term objective of our cooperation project is for the region to have improved its capabilities in key personnel areas. This means increasing competence in areas such as recruitment, professional development and training, the relationship between employees and managers and strategic management capabilities. This will improve authorities’ ability to achieve their objectives; conduct professional audits of public funds and inform parliament and citizens of the audit results.
Outcomes
The cooperation between supreme audit institutions in the Pacific region has led to several improvements, including:
- The initiatives taken under the cooperation have improved knowledge, understanding and competence in strategic and practical HR work and reinforced the supreme audit institutions’ work on personnel management.
- One authority in the region has established a special HR function to bolster its competence in this area and several other authorities are about to introduce similar positions.
- An HR handbook for learning and development has been developed together with representatives in the region.
- The HR skills at the Secretariat, which coordinates training, development and policy work, have improved and opportunities to drive development in the region without external support have increased.
Circumstances and challenges
Supreme audit institutions in the Pacific Region face different challenges, such as
- A low level of skills in HR and limited opportunities to finance HR functions and time to work with and develop these issues.
- Most supreme audit institutions in the region have limited independence. For example, organisational and recruitment issues may require the approval of public administration committees.