Samoa's senior auditors are set to undergo training conducted by their best peers in the region as part of two short online sessions hosted by the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions.

The training will specifically focus on tools to help senior auditors coach and support junior team members. 

The training will cover how to best deal with conflict within a team, good active-listening techniques, how to give constructive feedback and how to have difficult conversations with staff members, a statement from P.A.S.A.I. said. 

Training material includes examples, best practice guidance and the opportunity to share experiences with other participants from other top Pacific audit bodies. 

The training will be facilitated by Sarah Markley (the Deputy Secretary-General of  P.A.S.A.I.) and Nicole Ayo von Thun (the advisor International Engagement, from the New Zealand Office of the Auditor-General).

“The audit team supervisor is pivotal to the audit process. Successful supervisors foster a positive work environment, value their team members’ skills, handle conflict professionally and allocate work effectively,” said Ms Markley. 

“This training will support participants to improve their work in this vital role. It will assist supervisors to enhance their leadership skills and particularly to tailor those skills to an audit team context. 

“It includes the supervisor’s role in planning an audit, allocating and monitoring audit work, how to budget and understanding the audit completion timeline.”

The training runs from 29 to 30 April.

Seventy-six participants (42 female, 34 male) from supreme audit institutions in the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia,, the Northern Mariana Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu and Yap State will participate in the online training, divided across online sessions.

P.A.S.A.I. developed the training in recognition of the important role played by audit team supervisors in facilitating the production of high-quality audits and expects participants to better understand how to support their teams from start to finish during the auditing process. 

P.A.S.A.I. acknowledged the support of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (M.F.A.T.) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (D.F.A.T.).