State Audit Office of Thailand Identifies Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Approach

Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs)—as independent, objective entities—play a major role in improving public financial management transparency and accountability.

SAIs also greatly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by auditing national preparedness for SDG implementation and undertaking performance audits to track SDG progress.

To further enhance positions, SAIs can leverage collaborative efforts with several stakeholders, including parliament, civil society organizations, media, anti-corruption agencies and academic bodies.

While the State Audit Office of the Kingdom of Thailand, the nation’s SAI, engages numerous stakeholders, the SAI does not have an engagement strategy. Using a framework developed by the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Development Initiative, SAI Thailand categorized stakeholders, employed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, and prioritized possible engagement impacts to inform a strategic engagement approach.

Categorizing stakeholders revealed it may be most beneficial to encourage pressure, opposite and passive stakeholders, as they represent the most prominent interest groups. This process also indicated developing strategic partnerships with these groups may increase SAI value and benefits for all stakeholders.

The analysis uncovered strengths and weaknesses in supporting engagements, identified influential stakeholder relationships to cultivate and unveiled emerging trends to consider.

While engaging all stakeholders provides numerous benefits, it can be costly and unrealistic. The SAI prioritized engagement strategies by analyzing stakeholder aspects, such as contributions, influence and legitimacy.

Results indicated that engaging with media and academic organizations would prove most beneficial, especially in enhancing SAI transparency and contributing to the nation’s SDG implementation progress.

For more information, contact Sutthi Suntharanurak at sutthisun@gmail.com.