A training program “Citizen Participation in Performance Audit”, conducted by Freedom Forum in collaboration with the Office of the Auditor General of Nepal, was successfully completed in Biratnagar and Nepalgunj.
The training program had produced 95 active citizen auditors as well as facilitated the process of forming a nationwide informal network of civil society organizations (CSO) working in the field of performance audit.
On the occasion, representatives CSOs working for improve transparency, accountability and civil rights had expressed their commitment to take this issue forward in the coming days. As many as 47 CSO representatives from Probvince-1, Madhes Province and Bagmati Province were trained in Biratnagar-based training from April 20 to 22 while 48 representatives from Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province, Karnali Provonce and Sudurpaschim Provinces took part in the training held at Nepalgunj from April 24-26. Among the participants were 36 women i.e. 39 percent.
The three-day training program covered diverse topics such as audit cycle and performance audit, definition, principles, objectives, scope, benefits and practice of citizen participation in audit. Similarly, training was conducted in various sessions on Institutional Management of Citizen Participation in Performance Audit, Grievance Management Mechanism, Selection and Subject of Citizen Participation in Performance Audit, Citizen Support, Qualification and Selection Process of Civil Society Organizations and Social Accountability Tools.
In addition, the results and suggestions of the performance audit conducted in various thematic areas of Nepal were also presented. Participants also provided participatory feedback on the challenges and improvements in increasing citizen participation in performance audits. The training program was facilitated by Deputy Auditor General of the Office of Auditor General, Netra Khatri and Humnath Subedi, theme experts Taranath Dahal and Krishna Sapkota, former Deputy Auditor General of the Office of Auditor General of India Anupam Kulshrestha and other experts managed by the Ernst & Young India.