The Constructive Audit Reform – The Comptroller Presents the “in the Eyes of the Public” Audit Program

The State Comptroller: I will evaluate the use of digital tools in making the information accessible to the public

Digital tools include: Smartphone applications, use of online forms, available and reliable information on internet sites and more.

  • For example, the use by the National Insurance Institute’s medical committees of digital tools to make information available to the public, including reductions in property taxes, tax exemptions, eligibility for nursing care and more.

 

This morning, at the Myers – JDC – Brookdale Institute’s Annual Social Resilience Conference, Comptroller Englman presented his policy of focusing the audit work on issues that are, in “the eyes of the public”, essential ones. The conference was held in the Shalva Center, Jerusalem.

The “In the Eyes of the Public” Audit Program includes the following components:

  • The audit work will put special emphasis on the areas of education, health and welfare, from the perspective of “looking to the future”. The audit in these areas will focus on, among others, the socioeconomic periphery and making services accessible to residents.

  • The human resources skill mix in the Office of the State Comptroller will be updated and employees coming from a range of backgrounds—among which will be Arabic, Amharic and Russian speakers and professionals acquainted with the needs of populations targeted for advancement—will be recruited.

  • In audit work, emphasis will be placed on expanding the use of the process of public participation, including the wide use of questionnaires in a range of fields that have direct impact on the public.

  • Public participation will be expressed also through “going out into the field” and meeting directly with audited bodies and the general public in order to learn firsthand about the type of activities, the various needs of different communities and service quality.

 

State Comptroller and Ombudsman Englman continues preparing for completion of the “constructive audit reform”, which emphasizes, among others, strengthening the social aspect. This morning, at the Annual Social Resilience Conference of the Myers–JDC–Brookdale Institute, Comptroller Englman presented his approach wherein the focus of audit work is on issues that are, in “the eyes of the public”, essential ones. The conference was held in the Shalva Center, Jerusalem.

During his talk, the comptroller announced that it his intention to examine the use by government institutions and public bodies of digital tools and whether they are using advanced technology and making their services accessible to citizens through publication of available and reliable information on internet sites that offer online forms to facilitate processes, provide responses using smartphone applications and more.

  • As an example, Comptroller Englman stressed that the Office of the State Comptroller deals with the audit task of evaluating the way in which the National Insurance Institute’s medical committees are run from the citizen’s perspective and the continued handling needed by the latter in related issues such as reductions in property taxes, tax exemptions, eligibility for nursing care and more.

 

Comptroller Englman noted that in the framework of increasing the public’s benefit, “social audit” will deal with topics oriented toward the diversity and many levels of the Israeli public including the fields of education, health and welfare and with an emphasis on populations deserving advancement such as minorities, the ultra-Orthodox community, Ethiopian origin citizens, persons with special needs and more. By focusing on these populations, the audit activities will serve as a voice for those normally not heard. Likewise, collaborations will be established with academic institutions and research bodies such as the Brookdale Institute to improve the audit findings and recommendations. Comparisons to similar audited bodies in Israel and around the world will also be performed.

In this framework, the comptroller announced that he has directed that the human resources skill mix in the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman be reorganized and that employees coming from a range of backgrounds, among which there will be professional with backgrounds in education, health and welfare, who speak different languages (Arabic, Amharic and Russian) and who are strongly acquainted with the needs of the range of populations deserving advancement, will be recruited.

Comptroller Englman, in his talk, spoke of the expanded use of the process of public participation, including the wide use of questionnaires in a range of fields that have direct impact on the public, from the health service given to patients in the health maintenance organizations and hospitals, through education and welfare institutions, service centers for the public, tax payments and more. The comptroller believes that beyond reviewing primary sources and interviewing officeholders, the audit in these areas must also provide a response from the perspective of citizens.

In addition, Comptroller Englman stressed that the public participation will also be realized through the work of the ombudsman, whose office handles approximately 14,000 complaints per year, the majority of which are naturally focused on social aspects. Within this framework too, the emphasis will be put on populations deserving advancement such as minorities, the ultra-Orthodox community, Ethiopian origin citizens, persons with special needs and more. Further, there may be cases regarding which the state comptroller may open a comprehensive investigation into civil issues, following complaints by the public that indicate a broad phenomenon justifying a deep examination, in terms of “from the specific to the general”.

Public participation will also be expressed in “going out into the field” and meeting directly with audited bodies and the general public to learn firsthand about the nature of activities, the various needs of different communities and service quality. Field audit includes orientation days, tours and observations in government and local authority offices and as well as meeting the public at service centers and offices open to the public, including the handling of complaints and physically visiting the site to verify that the issue has been dealt with properly.