National Audit Office Strategy: 2019 – 2023 Improving Governance and Performance across the Public Sector

PRESS RELEASE BY THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE

Launching of the National Audit Office Strategy 2019-2023—Improving Governance and
Performance across the Public Service
The National Audit Office has launched its strategy for the coming five years entitled ‘Improving
Governance and Performance across the Public Service’. This new strategy document was presented
by Auditor General Charles Deguara to Speaker Anġlu Farrugia during an official visit to the office
in the presence of Deputy Auditor General Noel Camilleri and all NAO staff.
In his address, Mr Deguara made reference to the six strategic goals of the NAO Strategy 2019-2023,
namely:
a) To contribute towards ensuring accountability in the use of public resources;
b) To encourage and facilitate improvements in the quality of governance by advocating
transparency in decision-making, contributing well-informed reports to parliamentary and
public debate, disseminating good practice, promoting value for money and catalysing
changes to administrative practice and procedure;
c) To become a leader in selected fields of public sector audit and to be acknowledged as a centre
of excellence and expertise within Maltese public administration;
d) To cultivate mutually beneficial working relationships with auditees, scrutineers and peers,
within the constraints set by ethical standards requiring the professional independence of
external state auditors;
e) To increase the value for money yielded by state audit; and
f) To formulate audit plans on established criteria, with particular focus on materiality and risk.
He emphasised that this important document, which will provide strategic direction to the office for
the coming five years, was ultimately the result of an extensive consultation process both within the
office, essentially involving all NAO employees, as well as with other external stakeholders including
permanent secretaries across the public sector. Mr Deguara thanked Professor Edward Warrington
who guided the extensive and often complex process leading to the formulation of the strategy. From
his end, Anġlu Farrugia conveyed his heartfelt appreciation for the sterling work being undertaken
by the NAO. He pledged to continue following the excellent reports produced by this office’s staff
and encouraged management and all employees to continue carrying out their duties without fear or
favour, thus safeguarding the office’s autonomy. He praised the office for this strategic plan which
should ultimately ensure that the NAO is in the best possible position to carry out its Constitutional
mandate in the coming years.

To view the full document click the following link