ASSL-EU Project Records Steady Progress at Second Quarterly Review Meeting

The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) and its European Union (EU) project partners have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening public sector auditing and institutional capacity following the Second Quarterly Project Progress Meeting held on Friday, 19 June 2026, in the ASSL Conference Room in Freetown.

The meeting reviewed activities implemented during the second quarter, assessed progress against planned outputs, discussed upcoming activities, and identified areas requiring continued collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the ASSL-EU Project.

In his opening remarks, Auditor General, Mr. Abdul Aziz, expressed appreciation to the European Union for its continued support to the Audit Service Sierra Leone. He described the partnership as a significant investment in strengthening the institution’s capacity to deliver high-quality audits and enhance accountability in the management of public resources.

“The support of the European Union continues to make a meaningful contribution to the transformation of the ASSL. Through this project, we are strengthening our systems, improving audit quality, building the capacity of our staff, and enhancing our ability to deliver timely and impactful audit reports. We remain committed to ensuring that every component of the project delivers sustainable results that will benefit the people of Sierra Leone,” the Auditor General said.

Mr. Abdul Aziz encouraged project consultants and ASSL staff to maintain the momentum achieved so far and continue working collaboratively to accomplish the project’s objectives.

Presenting the overall project update, EU Consultant Kevin Hughes highlighted several key achievements recorded during the quarter. These included support for an ASSL technical mission to South Africa to study the implementation of disallowance and surcharge mechanisms, the completion and circulation of the Quality Manual for consultation pending final human resource inputs, technical support to the Quality Manager in finalising the institution’s first quality reports for the year, and the successful delivery of an online orientation on the Divisional Audit Recommendations Tracker, which is currently being piloted by the Follow-Up Division.

He further disclosed that a report writing workshop for staff is scheduled for July, while the project will continue working with the Training Division to update the Strategic Plan Monitoring Tool and collaborate with the Follow-Up Team on the implementation of the recommendations tracker. He also assured Auditor-General and team that the ISSAI 140 Roadmap would be delivered shortly and confirmed continued support for the second performance and environmental audit focusing on agricultural management activities.

Performance Audit Consultant, Michael Omwony reported that the pilot Performance Audit on the Management of Protected Areas had been fully executed, with the draft audit report on the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) submitted on 25 May 2026.

Providing an update on the Follow-Up Division, Follow-Up Consultant Mr. Moses Bangura outlined progress made in familiarising ASSL senior management, the Follow-Up Team and key stakeholders with audit follow-up processes and the use of the Audit Recommendations Tracker. He added that the project had successfully provided coaching to the Follow-Up Team both before and during the pilot follow-up exercises, helping to strengthen their practical skills and understanding of effective follow-up procedures.

Looking ahead, Mr. Bangura said the project will continue providing coaching and mentoring to ASSL teams on recommendation follow-up activities while supporting follow-up reviews aimed at improving the quality of evidence gathering and documentation.

The meeting concluded with renewed commitment from both ASSL and the European Union to continue working together to strengthen audit quality, improve the implementation of audit recommendations, and promote transparency, accountability and good governance in Sierra Leone.