Relationships with Parliamentary Oversight Committees and other Clients

1
Relationships with Parliamentary Oversight
Committees and other Clients

• Bill Burnett, Technical Cooperation Manager, UK
  National Audit Office, Addis Ababa, May 2003

2
Who are the Clients?

• Parliament
• Auditees Ministries, agencies etc
• Media
• General Public

3
What does Parliament want?

• Topical high profile subjects
• Readable reports that are easy to understand
• Meaty content
• A good summary emphasising highlights
• Clear conclusions and recommendations for action

4
Meeting Parliaments Needs

• Consultation on work programme
• Regular contact on work in progress
• Members to receive drafts in advance
• Briefing for Committee Chairman (including advice
  on key issues to be pursued)
• Briefing for Committee Members and suggested
  questions for witnesses
• Audit team in attendance at Committee session

5
Meeting Parliaments Needs

• Team prepare draft report for the Committee
• based on the evidence session
• focuses on issues of concern to Members
• Team attend when Members consider report
• Report makes detailed recommendations
• Draft Committee press notice

6
What do auditees want?

• Fair and balanced reporting
• Persuasive evidence
• Detail
• Practical cost effective recommendations
• Low profile

7
Meeting the needs of Auditees

• Proper consultation at all stages
• Recognition of the practical constraints under
  which they operate
• Clear link between evidence, findings,
  conclusions and recommendations
• Fairness in reporting praise as well as
  criticism
• Practical advice on implementation of
  recommendations

8
What do the media want?

• Newsworthy, often sensationalism
• Readable and easy to understand
• Soundbites!

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Meeting the Medias needs

• Press Notice
• Overall conclusion (soundbite)
• Key messages (short and to the point)
• Clear unambiguous language
• No jargon
• Access to Audit team
• Press Conference
• Contact point for follow up queries

10
What do the general public want?

• Confidence and Accountability
• Independence
• Accuracy
• Integrity
• Clarity

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Meeting the Publics needs

• Quality reports addressing important issues of
  accountability, performance and delivery of
  public services
• Access to reports
• Transparency

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Key Issues

• Consultation
• Accessibility
• Transparency
• Cooperation
• Fairness
• Integrity
• Constructive

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Questions?