Collaboration for Strengthened Accountability

A high-level delegation from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) visited the Global Health Campus in November 2023 for a set of meetings with the Secretariat, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Gavi. Part of a broader mission to partner with agencies committed to advancing the use of country accountability institutions, known as Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), the meeting built on prior commitments in 2021 with the Global Fund and GAO discussing avenues to promote and advocate for SAI independence and capacity building activities.

Read more on In-Country Assurance with Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). Visit the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) website.

SAIs are public bodies responsible for the audit of each government’s revenue and expenditure. They provide in-country accountability and governance – and, for organizations like the Global Fund who rely on country systems, can play a key role by doing the same with international partners. For this reason, the Global Fund has been working to partner with GAO, umbrella bodies for SAIs, and others also focused on strengthening SAI independence and capacity.

The GAO visit, which included the U.S. Comptroller General, Mr. Gene Dodaro, the Director of International Relations, Mr. Michael Hix, and his assistant, Mr. Mark Keenan, was part of GAO’s role overseeing and reporting to US Congress on international cooperation, and the membership of all bodies in the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions – an NGO (nongovernmental organization) that coordinates donor activities to strengthen local SAIs.

Adda Faye, Chief Financial Officer, said: “The partnership speaks to our shared vision of a world where strong in-country accountability mechanisms are the bedrock of international cooperation initiatives. Having strong, high-capacity, independent SAIs directly enhances public fiscal management and operational effectiveness at the country level, which is essential as we increasingly rely on country systems for optimal health outcomes. This collaboration with GAO creates more opportunities to build on the regional partnerships we have already fostered.”

Tracy Staines, Inspector General, said “SAIs independence is crucial as we work with more country SAIs each year. While the Secretariat funds capacity-building initiatives, the OIG engages in on-the-job capacity building by working with SAIs during country audits. In 2023, at least 30 staff from SAIs in Africa worked with OIG during country audits and the number is expected to increase in 2024.”

The engagement yielded some promising outcomes for future collaboration between the Global Fund and the U.S GAO on capacity building activities, by combining resources, knowledge, insights and networks. The groups also explore opportunities to leverage U.S. GAO's Center for Audit Excellence (CAE) in initiatives aimed at strengthening the SAI capabilities to enhance audit expertise, transparency, and accountability in the global health sector.

Organized jointly by the OIG and F&A Division in collaboration with the African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions for English-speaking countries (AFROSAI-e), the SAI-Donor Fund Audit Conference held in Pretoria, South Africa on 29-30 November was another step in the Global Fund’s journey to strengthen accountability mechanisms.