Since March 2020, COA Regional Office No. XI (COA-ROXI) accepted the challenge to continue moving forward despite the ongoing health crisis affecting every people across the globe. Many industries, businesses and offices have stopped. But COA-ROXI led by Atty. Roy L. Ursal, Regional Director, has initiated steps and leaps toward achieving COA strategic goals and objectives.
First step, in terms of its Annual Audit Reports (AAR) Publication in the COA website, as early as May 15, 2020, COA-ROXI was the only Regional Office which achieved 82 of 82 or 100% publication of its CY 2019 AARs in the COA Website.
Second step is COA-ROXI’s online or virtual operational strategies. During the Enhanced/General Community Quarantines from March until today, COA-ROXI implemented and promoted online videoconferencing among its officials and employees. In fact, since May 2020, there were already 14 videoconferences which were hosted by Regional Director Roy Ursal, with Asst. Regional Director, Service Chiefs, Supervising Auditors and Regional Supervising Auditors, as participants. As an internal policy, the officials agreed that their videoconferencing with the Regional Director will be regularly conducted every Tuesday and Thursday of the week. The Agenda which are being set every conference by RD Ursal, engages on Operational and Administrative matters such as audit-related concerns, alternative work arrangement of personnel and the setting up of precautionary measures in the offices to prevent the spread or contamination of COVID-19.
Next steps are the upcoming novel projects which include the preparation of Audit Programs on the four (4) vital areas of audit on COVID-19 expenditures, programs and activities; the creation of a COA XI Editorial Board to manage the publication in the COA XI Website; the conduct of Initial Conference and preparation of the Entrance Conference Agenda for CY 2020 to be taken up with the National, Local and Corporate agency officials region-wide via videoconferencing; and the institutionalization of the paperless review of IRRBA templates and the AARs, MLs and CMLs.
The unprecedented moves by COA ROXI are realized because of its desire to efficiently and effectively serve the public amidst struggles and constraints in reporting back to respective offices and the risk or impossibility of conducting face-to-face meetings. Indeed, achieving its full potential in this most trying times is truly a challenge. But by being resilient and proactive by using technology-driven activities, COA-ROXI, led by RD Ursal, can leap forward just by taking its first step and the rest are phenomenal.
The faces behind the unprecedented move by COA-ROXI: the Service Chiefs, the Supervising Auditors, the Regional Supervising Auditors, the Assistant Regional Director and the Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Ursal.