Guam-based PASAI director visits Saipan

PASAI program director Doris Flores Brooks, fourth from left, poses with staff from the Office of the Public Auditor for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (PASAI)

PASAI program director Doris Flores Brooks and interim CNMI public auditor Dora I Deleon Guerrero meets with CNMI Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang. (PASAI)

PASAI program director Doris Flores Brooks and interim CNMI public auditor Dora I Deleon Guerrero meets with Senate President Edith DeLeon Guerrero. (PASAI)

PASAI program director Doris Flores Brooks and interim CNMI public auditor Dora I Deleon Guerrero meets with Finance Secretary Tracy Norita. (PASAI)

Guam-based program director for the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions Doris Flores Brook visited Saipan last week on an advocacy and knowledge-sharing mission.

The primary purpose of Brooks’ trip was to explain to the staff at the Office of the Public Auditor for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands how PASAI can help improve its capabilities.

Brooks, who is herself the former Public Auditor of Guam, made a presentation to interim public auditor Dora I. Deleon Guerrero and other audit staff on the independent performance assessment of their office. The office’s assessment indicated its performance audit standards, quality management and results stood out as strengths.

However, high staff turnover at the office since the baseline assessment took place made it especially opportune to familiarize staff with the report and discuss how PASAI’s program of work can address the gaps it identified. With a strategic plan now in place, the office is committed to tracking its progress against the report.

Such assessments have been completed for all 20 member offices who are beneficiaries of PASAI’s programs and were done using the internationally recognized Performance Measurement Framework.

In the CNMI, the Public Auditor’s duties include investigating possible cases of fraud, waste and abuse of public funds. As such, Brooks met with the office’s investigators as well.

Advocacy is one of PASAI’s strategic priorities, so while on Saipan Brooks made courtesy visits to senior government officials to promote the importance of actioning recommendations made by the OPA and maintaining its overall independence. Among those she met were Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang; Senate President Edith DeLeon Guerrero; and newly confirmed Finance Secretary Tracy Norita.

According to Brooks, majority of government employees in CNMI are working reduced hours due to an austerity program recently implemented by the governor.

“I was able to share insights that the Government of Guam went through when it too was faced with dire economic conditions,” she said.

PASAI acknowledges the support of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (PASAI)