2026-04-14
On 14 April, the 8th meeting of the EUROSAI Strategic Goal 1 “Professional Cooperation”—was held online. Organized by the National Audit Office of Lithuania and the German Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), the event brought together an international community of experts to share success stories and address the most pressing challenges in professional cooperation.
In her opening remarks, Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė emphasised that cooperation is not merely a strategic direction—it is a daily practice that creates real value for institutions. In welcoming the participants, she invited them to draw inspiration from the Artemis II mission as a shining example of cooperation, trust, and the pursuit of a common goal. According to her, it is precisely this kind of partnership that allows not only for the sharing of knowledge but also for the strengthening of collective impact, and the SG1 community is a space where these principles translate into practical solutions in the daily work of auditors.
Practical value and success stories
During the meeting, particular attention was paid to the practical value of cooperation—specifically, to what actually works and can be applied in different institutions. Colleagues from the SAIs of the Czech Republic, Italy, Israel, Latvia, and Poland presented concrete examples of cooperative audits, methodology development, and the exchange of best practices. Innovative solutions were discussed, including the application of real-time audit methods and parallel audits in the areas of artificial intelligence and population ageing (based on which the National Audit Office recently published its audit report “Promoting active ageing”, demonstrating how cooperation helps to respond more quickly to new challenges and strengthen the impact of audits.
The Latvian SAI presented the benefits of audit compendiums, which allow for the systematisation of knowledge and the sharing of best practices across the community, while Italian representatives shared their experience in developing a common real-time audit methodology. Meanwhile, SAIs of Poland and the Czech Republic emphasised the importance of effective communication, in-person meetings, and shared platforms—elements that, according to colleagues, help maintain member engagement, strengthen cooperation, and ensure that joint initiatives deliver tangible results.
From identifying challenges to finding solutions
Ahead of the meeting, the National Audit Office and the German SAI prepared a survey for the SG1 community, the data from which was intended to provide a more detailed assessment not only of what is currently working well within the community, but also of the challenges its members face. The insights from the survey served as an important basis for shaping the meeting’s agenda and discussions, allowing for a focus on the most relevant areas.
Based on a summary of the survey results, the following key challenges were identified: fostering member engagement, increasing the visibility of activity outcomes and improving communication, as well as strengthening coordination and reducing duplication of efforts. These aspects were discussed in detail during the meeting as practical solutions were sought—Sigita Rojutė-Balčiūnienė, Advisor at the Planning and Impact Department of the National Audit Office, presented practical tools for addressing the challenges highlighted by SG1 members, by strengthening inter-institutional cooperation, increasing engagement, and improving communication.
Looking at Rome
The 8th SG1 meeting served as an important preparatory stage—all the information shared by members, the insights refined, and the issues identified will be summarised and presented at the EUROSAI Governing Board meeting, which will take place on 25–26 May this year in Rome, Italy.
Founded in 1990, EUROSAI is a professional organisation of supreme audit institutions in European countries, whose Governing Board consists of eight members, four of whom are elected for a six-year term. In 2021, the National Audit Office of Lithuania was elected to the EUROSAI Governing Board for a six-year term; in the same year, it was also elected to serve as the organization’s SG1 Co-leader, a position it was re-elected to in 2024 for an additional three years.