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CASAI – Central Asian SAI Accountability Initiative

Programme Overview

Strong, independent and professional Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) are essential for sustainable development, effective public financial management, and public trust. In Central Asia, strengthening oversight systems is possible both through targeted country level reforms and structured regional collaboration to address shared challenges and promote mutual learning.

The Central Asian SAI Accountability Initiative (CASAI) represents the second phase of engagement building on the achievements of the Global SAI Accountability Initiative (GSAI). Drawing on the results, partnerships and lessons generated under GSAI, CASAI moves toward a more tailored and regionally anchored model of support.

CASAI combines dedicated country-level projects with a regional cooperation platform. Each participating SAI — in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — receives long-term, needs-based support aligned with its strategic plan and institutional priorities. At the same time, the initiative fosters peer learning, regional dialogue, and joint reflection on common reform areas, strengthening professional networks and promoting collective progress.

By integrating national capacity development with structured regional exchange, CASAI aims to enhance audit quality, reinforce institutional independence, and contribute to a more resilient and accountable public sector across Central Asia.

Programme Focus and Objectives

The project focuses on five key areas essential for strengthening the performance and relevance of SAIs in the region:

Key area 1: Improving audit quality

Improving audit quality and professional practices, including support for compliance with international standards, quality assurance mechanisms, and staff capacity development.

Key area 2: Strengthening strategic management

Strengthening strategic management and SAI governance to ensure alignment between resources, mandates, and long-term institutional goals.

Key area 3: Enhancing stakeholder engagement

Enhancing stakeholder engagement, including effective communication with parliaments, governments, civil society, and development partners to strengthen SAI independence.

Key area 4: Building institutional capacity

Building institutional capacity through peer learning, training, and advisory support tailored to each SAI’s needs.

Key area 5: Supporting digitalisation of audit processes

Supporting digitalisation of audit processes and internal operations to improve efficiency, transparency, and innovation.

Programme Approach

The project will employ a peer-based support model, facilitated by IDI in collaboration with regional and international partners. It will leverage:

Partnerships with well-established SAIs,
Institutional support from peer SAIs and expert networks,
Regional cooperation and shared learning platforms.

Activities will include a mix of joint regional events and country-specific interventions aligned with each SAI’s strategic plan. A four-year, flexible approach will be used to ensure adaptability to each SAI’s context and evolving priorities.

Why support the SAIs in Central Asia?

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Central Asia depends on sound governance, effective public institutions, and the transparent use of public resources.

SAIs play a vital role in this ecosystem by strengthening accountability, exposing inefficiencies and irregularities, and recommending improvements in public service delivery. This makes them not only key to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) but also critical enablers of broader SDG progress across sectors.

The SAIs of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan operate in complex and resource-constrained environments, often with limited access to long-term, coordinated support. Despite these challenges, they have demonstrated a strong commitment to institutional reform and capacity development, particularly in improving audit quality, enhancing strategic management, advancing digitalisation, and strengthening stakeholder engagement. Based on the progress made under GSAI we can see improved stakeholder engagement in both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, where such support was implemented.

Supporting SAIs in Central Asia is therefore both a strategic and timely investment. It ensures that early progress achieved under the GSAI is sustained and scaled, while responding to the unique governance needs of the region. Long-term, peer-based partnerships are essential to enable these SAIs to grow into more resilient institutions capable of fulfilling their mandates and contributing meaningfully to national development goals.