TCU Proposes Task Force on Innovation at OLACEFS Event

The Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) attended the Technical Workshop of the Capacity Building Committee (CCC) of the Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS), held from July 8 to 10 in Guatemala City. The event focused on the implementation of the 2025–2026 Training Plan, the exchange of best practices, and the strengthening of collaborative efforts among Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the region.

Represented by Ana Cristina Siqueira Novaes, Director General of the Serzedello Corrêa Institute for Capacity Building (ISC), and Flávia Lacerda, Director of Advanced Studies and Institutional Cooperation, the TCU took a leading role by proposing the creation of a Task Force on Research, Exchange, and Innovation for SAIs. This initiative is designed to coordinate strategic actions centered on three core pillars: capacity building, cooperation and innovation, and networking and exchange.

Innovation to Strengthen Public Auditing

The proposal from ISC/TCU aligns with the OLACEFS 2023–2028 Strategic Plan and features several innovative components. These include career development paths based on ISSAI 150, the Quintuple Helix model, and a proposed applied research initiative for OLACEFS, modeled after the INTOSAI Center for Advanced Studies (CASt), which would target high-impact issues for the region.

Highlighted initiatives included the ProInter program (which promotes female leadership and collaborative networks), the OpenGeoHub and Panoptes projects (on the use of georeferencing in auditing), and the implementation of persistent digital identifiers (ORCID to identify researchers and DOI to identify publications), in partnership with the Buscador Inteligente (Smart Search) engine project developed by the German cooperation agency, GIZ.

Regional cooperation and methodological alignment

The three-day event included workshops on the Learning Pathways (Rotas de Aprendizagem-RdA) being developed within the CCC. Task forces led by SAIs Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay presented their progress on topics such as environmental auditing, digital transformation, and training plan monitoring. The event also featured contributions from the OLACEFS Gender Equality Working Group and the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI).

The Chilean consulting firm ORP led workshops focused on methodology standardization and the definition of joint strategies. Meanwhile, roundtable discussions emphasized the importance of collaboration between SAIs, academic institutions, and development partners.

Next steps for TCU

Based on the discussions and shared experiences, the TCU may consider:

• Adapting the Learning Pathways to its internal training programs, particularly in environmental auditing and digital transformation.
• Implementing advanced tools to optimize knowledge management, such as the GIZ Smart Search Engine.
• Strengthening regional engagement through ongoing exchanges with partner SAIs and by establishing the new task force on research, exchange, and innovation.

TCU's participation reaffirms its commitment to strengthening institutional capacities within the OLACEFS and promoting a collaborative, innovative approach to public auditing across Latin America and the Caribbean.