Institutional capacity building with the goal of improving financial sector effectiveness, and enhancing financial governance and integrity in post conflict countries has been The Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute’s core programs component since establishment. It conducted empirical studies that verify the need for ensuring fiscal discipline, bringing resource allocation in line with policy priorities, creating an enabling environment for public financial managers for better public finance management and financial transparency to enhance the post-conflict transitions and adequately resource the public development priorities. Other reports like by the Transparency International also verify that post-conflict countries like South Sudan and Somalia where HESPI is targeting are among the bottom 10 in terms of realizing effective public budget management.
HESPI has been providing technical supports to the various financial integrity institutions like the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Economic development, Public Accounts Committees of the legislatures, Supreme Audit Institutions, Central Banks, and anti-corruption agencies to improve the status quo in the IGAD region with particular focus in Somalia and South Sudan. Its efforts started bearing fruit in these insecure and precarious governance systems that the countries are now starting to develop realistic national annual budget plans, trying to standardize the budget execution processes and putting in place the required legal frameworks and operational procedures; with yet more work remaining to be done.
Hence, this training was conducted as a follow up support to meet the continuous technical support need coming in from the country governments to consolidate and enhance the capacities of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). The training was conducted from 2-8 May 2016, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by HESPI for the senior and middle live Auditors of Somalia and South Sudan. The training need specified three areas of technical support: Financial Audit, Fraud Audit and Internal Control System.