INTER INSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENTS AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION

SPECIAL STUDIES AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT OFFICE.

The special studies and technical support office of the GAR consists of an interdisciplinary group of professionals, highly qualified in managing cooperation projects with international organizations.

The most important project led by this office was “Institutional Strengthening and Modernization of the General Audit of the Republic”, that was finances with resources from Loan Contract 1243/OC-CO,celebrated between the Republic of Colombia and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Loan Contract BID No. 1243/OC-CO was signed September 12th, 2000 between the Republic of Colombia and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) to finance the “Strengthening of the General Audit of the Republic and the General Comptroller of the Republic” program. This program was structured around 4 main components: (i) Institutional and Management Strengthening of the GCR, (ii) Mission Strengthening of the GCR, (iii) Strengthening of the national system for fiscal control and (iv) Strengthening of the GAR. Each one of these components consisted of a certain number of main operative plans that were the basic instrument for the program’s execution.

The General Audit of the Republic (GAR) took part in this program as the executor organization, responsible for the execution and utilization of the resources from component (iv) “Strengthening of the General Audit of the Republic (GAR)”, which ended on March 30th, 2007.

The General Objective of the project was to give support to the General Audit of the Republic in its institutional and technological modernization as the organization put together to oversee and control fiscal management of the General Comptroller of the Republic and of territorial comptrollers through the definition of a coherent fiscal control system, the stimulation of citizen participation in the control of public management , the implantation of self control mechanisms and the application of mechanisms to prevent and eradicate administrative corruption.

The specific objectives of the project were:

1) To design a coherent, transparent system for the surveillance and evaluation of fiscal management by organizations constituted for fiscal control.

2) Design and implantation of a positioning and disclosure plan for the GAR to the distinct public powers of the country.

3) Execution of a technical assistance and training plan, to have suitable workers to exercise auditory and surveillance of the management results of fiscal control entities.

4) Design and implementation of a system that facilitates information management and automatic exercise of fiscal control.

5) Adoption and execution of the different policies, programs and processes that help the entity fulfill its functions.

Other current agreements.

Institutional Agreement of Cooperation between the State Audit Office of Hungary and the General Audit of the Republic of Colombia. Its object is to strengthen its bonds and share cooperation capabilities, specially in the fiscal control field, generating a higher credibility in public administration. Between the activities held by them we can highlight, Audit Report and other document exchanging and annually sending an employee for a week. The agreement is valid for 3 years, beginning on February 9th, 2007.

Institutional Agreement between the Sergio Arboleda- San Pablo Foundation and the General Audit of the Republic of Colombia. The agreement looks forward to the coordinated action between institutions, in order to develop activities to train GAR employees and/ or help them participate in programs, forums, courses and lectures, whether they are post graduate or continuous formation related, virtual or in person, about topics of interest of the GRA or its employees; at the same time establishing the framework for carrying out research, consultancy and other joint projects between the parties. The Agreement was signed on July 17th, 2007 it is valid for 3 years.

Academic, Scientific and Cultural Collaboration Agreement between the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the General Audit of the Republic of Colombia. The institutions agree to carry out in-company training programs, customized to the GRA training needs in the following topics: Quality Improvement of the National Auditing Process, New Technology Managing and Applicable Processes to the GRA Virtual School, Environment and Auditing process as an axis to Fiscal Control. The Agreement is valid for 3 years beginning on June 22nd 2007.

Inter institutional Agreement for the Strengthening of Citizen Service Systems in the Colombian State Entities. The institutions agree to work in a coordinated way to continuously improve customer service, with transparency, legality, quality and opportunity. The agreement was signed on November 3rd, 2005 and is still valid.