AMMAN — The Audit Bureau participated last week in a regional conference in Tunis marking the conclusion of the second phase of the Sharaka Programme (2022-2026) and the launch of its third phase (2027-2031).

 

The conference was organised by the Netherlands Court of Audit (NCA), in cooperation with supreme audit institutions from nine Arab countries, according to an Audit Bureau statement.

 

Participants reviewed the key achievements of the programme's second phase, including specialised audit missions across service and economic sectors, developments in performance auditing, institutional capacity building and auditing related to the Sustainable Development Goals. They also assessed challenges facing public financial management.

 

Discussions focused on strengthening the institutional impact of audit work, developing audit methodologies, adopting modern techniques, enhancing data analysis and improving follow-up mechanisms for audit recommendations to boost government performance and the management of public resources.

 

Participants also discussed priorities for the programme's third phase (2027-2031), which aims to deepen professional cooperation, move beyond knowledge exchange towards sustainable audit practices and link outcomes to measurable results. These objectives are in line with the Audit Bureau's priorities of promoting value for money and improving the efficiency of public spending.

 

The bureau's participation reflects its strategic commitment to strengthening international cooperation in auditing and safeguarding public funds, in line with its 2024-2027 strategic plan, the Economic Modernisation Vision and the Public Sector Modernisation Roadmap.

 

On the sidelines of the conference, Audit Bureau President Radhi Al Hamadeen and Netherlands Court of Audit Vice President Ewout Irrgang signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on institutional cooperation under the third phase of the Sharaka Programme (2027-2031).

 

Al Hamadeen said the partnership would support the expansion of performance auditing, shifting the focus from procedural compliance towards assessing spending efficiency and the achievement of intended results.

 

Irrgang described the cooperation as a model of sustainable partnership based on mutual trust and knowledge transfer.

 

The MoU covers seven strategic areas: enhancing the impact of performance audits, building data analysis capacity, digitalising audit processes, improving stakeholder communication, strengthening quality management, exchanging expertise and providing training, and developing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

 

The Sharaka Programme is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the NCA to support governance and public financial management across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Syria and Yemen will join Jordan and Libya in the programme's third phase.