Start date:  October 1, 2012
End Date: May 1, 2014 
Project budget (Life of Project):   $208,578
Additional co-funding from the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ($208,578), Macedonian Ministry of Finance ($19,796), and the Center for Excellence in Finance ($46,036)
Implementer:  Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF)

Objectives

Develop the internal audit profession in Macedonia to improve public financial management and increase accountability, transparency and efficiency in the public sector. 

TIAPS was awarded through the U.S. State Department’s "Emerging Donors Challenge Fund," a unique project designed to intensify U.S. foreign assistance partnerships with newer donor governments from Central and Eastern European countries.  The U.S. and Slovenian Governments have partnered to implement TIAPS in Macedonia, sharing the project costs and coordinating closely with regard to project oversight.

Components

• Week-long prerequisite refresher course on public accounting and internal auditing basics.
• Development of all course materials in the Macedonian language.  These will then be provided to the Ministry of Finance.
• Training of nine Macedonian course instructors and tutors, who will then be contracted to teach the course and provide one-on-one tutorials and consultations with students. 
• Provision of two internal auditing courses to up to 80 students.  Successful completion of the course qualifies the student to receive a certificate. 
• Development of a sustainability plan to assist the Ministry of Finance in taking over the course to continue its operations independently.

Expected Results/Impact

• Public sector management will be improved, and accountability, transparency, and efficiency in Macedonia’s public sector will be increased.
• A training curriculum for internal auditors in the public sector in Macedonia will be fully developed.
• Up to nine course instructors will be trained to provide internal auditing training.
• Up to 80 public sector auditors will have completed a comprehensive one-year training and certification program that provides graduates with a professional qualification for public sector internal auditors in line with international standards and best practices.
• A sustainability strategy to ensure the continuation of TIAPS under the Ministry of Finance after the end of the project will be fully developed and implemented. 

Contact Information

Contact at USAID:Meri Cuculoska mcuculoska@usaid.gov
Chief of Party:  Aleksandra Tekijaški, aleksandra.tekijaski@cef-see.org
Website:  www.cef-see.org