International Journal of Government Auditing – January 2009
Communication is a very important aspect of our lives, something that we discuss a lot nowadays—so much so, in fact, that it is difficult to imagine living without the constant flow of information being communicated to us in many different ways. Furthermore, being smart and having all the solutions to the everyday problems of life is of no use unless we can communicate our knowledge to those who need it. 
Goal 3 of the INTOSAI Strategic Plan builds on the essential features of openness, sharing, and cooperation that have made INTOSAI a success. One of the strategies under that goal is to develop a global communications policy and strategy. As I promised in the last issue of the Journal, I’d like to talk about communication in this column as the INTOSAI Communications Strategy Task Force—of which I am a member—has already held its initial meeting in November 2008 (see the editorial on p. 1 for additional information on the task force and its meeting).
The Communications Strategy Task Force has proposed an interesting idea—each year an area or theme will be chosen to focus INTOSAI’s communications efforts to the outside world. As described in this issue’s editorial, the task force proposed to the Governing Board that the priority topic for 2009 be the significance of independent government audit in the light of the Lima and Mexico declarations. Throughout the year, INTOSAI members will be discussing this topic, which is of great interest to not only INTOSAI members but also partner institutions and the public in general. I encourage all of you to speak and write about independence this year; perhaps some of you would also like to submit an article to this Journal about the importance of independence to external auditors.
At the task force meeting in November, I briefly presented a draft planning system for communications—a Communications Overview—which I had developed last spring and presented to the INTOSAI Financial and Administration Committee. To ensure effective communication in INTOSAI, we need a structured way to proceed as a recognized voice of the member SAIs. Communication is one of the key elements in making INTOSAI a truly model international organization.
The planning system structures the way knowledge is communicated inside and outside the organization. Individual SAIs can plan to present a document of interest to fellow SAIs, working groups, task forces, or other interested parties within the organization, or they can convey information to the outside world. The system can also be used at regional levels or throughout the organization as a whole. In addition, the system can evaluate how successful the communication of certain messages has been for a given period.
As a step in creating the planning system, I identified responsible communication entities within INTOSAI, communications channels that can be used, and groups outside the organization that are our target audiences.
To give readers an idea of what the communication model is about, I have listed possible channels of communication that have been identified for use inside and outside the organization:
- International Journal of Government Auditing
- Conferences and seminars
- SAI Web sites
- Regional and committees Web sites
- Press conferences and press releases
- General publications
- Articles and columns in professional papers
- Letters and e-mails
The Journal is of course a very important communication channel, not only within the organization but also outside it, as it has broad coverage. But it is also important to be aware of all others available channels, especially when planning a communications effort. Web sites are increasingly important, and conferences and seminars can often be the best way to communicate your message. Letters and e-mails are more appropriate inside the organization, and articles in professional papers are well suited to enlighten auditors and other professionals about our work.
The Communications Overview proposes the following target groups for external communications:
- Parliaments/legislative bodies
- Government
- The media and the public
- Audited entities
- Donor communities
- Associated members
- Partner organizations
- Regional and local audit entities
- Internal audit entities
- Professional associations and private sector auditors
Legislative bodies are naturally the most important target groups outside the organization; however, SAIs should keep other parties in mind when considering which audiences they need to communicate with. For example, audited entities can be very important receivers of information, and donor communities are becoming more and more significant in helping to finance the programs needed to raise the knowledge of all INTOSAI members to a uniform level.
Well planned and structured communications can improve the quality of government auditing on a worldwide scale and help create a common awareness of INTOSAI’s efforts to achieve excellence. Our communications convey the concerns of government audit to decision-makers and opinion leaders, strengthen the standing and reputation of individual SAIs and INTOSAI, and disseminate the benefits of both SAIs and INTOSAI.
In the April issue of the Journal, I will write about progress in developing the new strategic plan for 2011-2016. I anticipate that the first draft of the plan will be sent out for comment shortly afterwards.
Please feel free to contact me at astrup@rechnungshof.gv.at if you would like to comment or give feedback on issues related to the implementation of INTOSAI’s strategic plan.