Environment & Sustainability Assurance Webinar Series

Webinar 1 of 2024, 29 February @ 15:30 SAST

We invite you to join us on 29 February 2024 for a presentation on the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) work on fragmentation, overlap, and duplication in federal programmes. The session will focus on the analytical framework GAO uses for this work and discuss illustrative examples and the financial and other benefits that have resulted from this work.

This will be the first of a four-part Webinar series focusing on Environment and Sustainability matters of importance to supreme audit institutions (SAIs).  

Since the signing of the SDGs, SAIs have taken on the role of supporting governments through the audit of government preparedness to implement the SDGs as well as actual implementation of them. AFROSAI-E, in its quest to support its member SAIs in the audit of SDG implementation, rolled out coordinated audits in 2022 and 2023. The Secretariat provides technical support to all SAIs embarking on such implementation audits.

A review of the first two coordinated audits showed a deficiency in some areas of SDG implementation. The series of four webinars will touch on key areas identified as challenges during the audit of SDG implementation.

WEBINAR 1: Building Strong Institutions – Assessment of Duplication, Fragmentation, Overlaps and Gaps in Government Operations.

Date: 29 February 2024

Time: 15:30 SAST

Guest Presenters: Susan Murphy and Patricia Powell from the US Government Accountability Office, USA

Session Facilitator: Richard Pappoe, Environment and Sustainability Assurance Manager, AFROSAI-E

Topic Overview

Government organisations working and reporting in silos have been an issue discussed pre the signing and operationalisation of the SDGs. As a result, the SDGs seek to achieve a government system that acknowledges work done by various arms of government without entertaining duplications, fragmentations, gaps and overlaps.

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has developed a tool that helps auditors assess and evaluate these challenges of duplication, fragmentation, overlaps and gaps in government operations. This would help auditors make sound recommendations on how governments can operate with due consideration for economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

Speaker Profiles

Susan Murphy

Susan Murphy is an assistant director on the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Strategic Issues team. In the last two years, she has worked on GAO’s efforts to identify and mitigate duplication, overlap, and fragmentation in federal programs. Her earlier performance audits at GAO covered a variety of federal budget and transparency issues, including federal trust funds; federal fees, fines, and penalties; agency implementation of Freedom of Information Act requirements; federal assistance to states, localities, territories, and tribal governments; and federal debt management. Susan has been with GAO for 19 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in government and Latin American studies from Smith College and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Massachusetts Center for Public Policy and Administration.

Patricia Powell

Patricia Powell is a senior social science analyst on GAO’s Applied Research and Methods team. This is her sixth year working as a methodologist on GAO’s fragmentation, overlap, and duplication efforts. Patricia also works across a broad portfolio of internal and external projects to help improve programme effectiveness and efficiency. She particularly enjoys mixed methods research and has a special interest in defence and health topics. Before joining GAO, Susan supported the U.S. military in various public health programs, including serving as Program Manager for the Headquarters Marine Corps Combat and Operational Stress Control Program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business and journalism, a master’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in public health, and a PhD in public health.