A significant milestone has been reached today in our collaboration under the IDI–ADB joint initiative, Sustainable Performance Audit Practices in Asia and the Pacific.
Audit team leaders from the Supreme Audit Institution of Papua New Guinea (SAI PNG) gathered at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Headquarters in Manila for a five-day workshop focused on strengthening professional development and audit leadership.
Outcomes that matter
During the first 3 workshop days, SAI PNG had laid down the foundation for its professional development system by drafting its first-ever Mentoring Policy and defining principles for an institutional mentoring system.
Being a small and close-knit institution, SAI PNG sees mentoring as the heart of its auditors’ professional development. The drafters - audit team leaders and future mentors - worked line by line to design a mentoring framework that fits SAI PNG’s size, context, and aspirations. Through role-plays and reflections, they discovered that mentoring is a skill that requires empathy, listening, and structure. The system they designed will help to sustain institutional knowledge, support new auditors, and foster a learning culture across the SAI.
As Assistant Auditor General Puva Heako, who led the team, put it: “We are establishing a fundamental framework for building our human resources in SAI PNG.”
The remaining two days offered an eye-opening exploration of leading audits as projects. Recognising audits as projects helped participants to see how structured planning, clear roles, and disciplined audit management by audit team leaders enhance audit quality and impact. The principle that resonated most strongly was: “My output is someone else’s input.” This simple but powerful idea highlighted that managing interdependencies along the critical path of an audit - where a delay in one task affects the entire chain - is vital for keeping audits on track and strengthening accountability. The audit team leaders left Manila with fresh insights on how a clear audit management structure, timely communication, and constructive feedback help enhance teamwork, manage risks, and lead audits with purpose and confidence.
Collaboration and gratitude
The success of the workshop was made possible through strong collaboration and support. IDI warmly thanks the ADB team - Akmal Nartayev, Katrina M. Fano, Jannine Cerilo, and Myra P. Ravelo - for their hospitality and outstanding support. Thanks also go to Thabo G. Mongatane for skillfully guiding the participants through the art of mentoring.
Special thanks go to IDI colleagues Archana Shirsat, Jade Quarrell, Marita Salgrave, and Chithra Ramasubramanian, who ensured both structure and inspiration throughout the event.
And above all, congratulations to SAI PNG’s audit team leaders - an inspiring, motivated, and proud group, committed to strengthening their SAI and contributing to a culture of excellence and impact.
Learn more about Sustainable Performance Audit Practices
