To increase transparency and accountability, the Government of Tunisia is seeking to ensure that citizens and businesses have a simpler, quicker and more cost-effective access to public services via the Internet. The result of this modernization is a move from a paper-based system to a paperless system, which will alter the way public auditors can assess the validity and reliability of data.
To assist public auditors in this transition, the Tunisian Association of Public Auditors (ATCP), FSVC’s implementing partner in Tunisia, organized a workshop in December 2016 with local public auditors, to strengthen their capacity to monitor and audit an e-Government system. At the beginning of the workshop, ATCP experts introduced the international principles and applications of e- Government in public services, such as procurement, taxation, justice and
housing.
ATCP then discussed the latest developments in e-Administration in Tunisia, and presented various methods, tools and approaches used internationally to audit electronic administrations and public services, such as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT) and Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs). The ATCP experts utilized practical exercises to demonstrate key concepts learned, and then reviewed and discussed them in-depth with participants.
As a result of this workshop, Tunisian public auditors improved their understanding of e-Government concepts and acquired key tools to perform an e-Government audit effectively. Once the Government of Tunisia fully transitions to an online system, public auditors in Tunisia will be ready to ensure transparency and accountability.
FSVC’s program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), and aims to increase the effectiveness and accountability of the Government of Tunisia in implementing open government policies and strengthen the capacity of CSOs to advocate effectively for open government policies.