From March 22 to April 3 this year, experts from the State Audit Office, during their 7th visit to Roseau, Dominica, provided support to colleagues from the Supreme Audit Institution of Dominica (SAI Dominica) and met with other donors in the region.
During the visit, several practical training sessions were conducted and consultations were provided on topics important for a SAI, such as conducting compliance and performance audits (including piloting two audits) in accordance with good practices and International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAI), the use of data analysis methods and controls in audit work, full utilization of MS Excel functionality, development of the institution’s website, planning cooperation with stakeholders (parliament, the public, etc.), human resource management issues, and strategic development. During the visit, in the context of ICT matters, State Audit Office experts also met with representatives of the SAI of Belize, Dominica’s Government ICT Unit, the Computer Center, as well as the management of the World Bank’s Caribbean digitalization project, with the aim of ensuring that the SAI’s skills and capacity in ICT develop in line with the level of digitalization of Dominica’s public administration.
Maylina Jno Ville, Head of the SAI Dominica expresses commitment, on behalf of SAI Dominica, to foster the preconditions for further development of the issues addressed through the training and experience exchange under the GSAI project. Cooperation with SAI Latvia since 2023 has already had a positive impact on several key aspects of the institution’s work, such as the quality of report preparation, automation of data analysis, the effectiveness of conducted audits, and compliance with ISSAI standards. SAI Dominica is also committed to strengthening public trust by improving the accessibility of audit findings and promoting greater transparency and accountability in the use of public resources.
Although a great deal remains to be accomplished this year – such as developing a new Strategic Plan in collaboration with all staff, as well as preparation of audit process descriptions and templates – Mrs. Jno Ville believes that, thanks to the excellent cooperation and mutual commitment, as well as the methodological and financial support of the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), these goals will be successfully achieved.
Silvija Nora Kalniņš, Head of the Strategy and International Cooperation Division at the State Audit Office agrees that the recent news that this will be the final year of project implementation means that the main focus is on ensuring the sustainability of the support provided– namely, enabling SAI Dominica to apply the acquired support in their future work and continued progress. A significant contribution toward achieving this goal will be the high-level event planned for November in Dominica, aimed at engaging stakeholders in the work of the SAI Dominica and improving mutual interaction.
We would like to remind that since July 2023, the State Audit Office has been implementing the INTOSAI IDI Global SAI Accountability Initiative (GSAI) project to support the SAI Dominica. In July 2025, the first phase of the project was completed, and currently its second phase is ongoing, which will conclude by the end of this year. The project is implemented by the State Audit Office in cooperation with INTOSAI IDI and the Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (CAROSAI). The project is funded by the European Union and the Supreme Audit Institution of Saudi Arabia through INTOSAI IDI.
