XIII COSITAL Biennial Congress “National Authorization, Foundation of the Rule of Law in Local Administration”

Courses

#PreventionAVAF

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency participated, on June 16, in the XIII biennial Congress organized by the General Council of Official Associations of Secretaries, Auditors and Treasurers of the Local Administration (COSITAL) under the title “NATIONAL AUTHORIZATION, FOUNDATION OF THE STATE OF LAW IN THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION” in Murcia, on June 16 to 19, 2022.

The purpose of holding this Congress was to highlight the importance of the role played by the National Authorities to guarantee the rule of law.

The event was attended by certain presidents of the Territorial Associations of Secretaries, Controllers and Treasurers, representatives of various administrations and national and international public institutions (the IGAE, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency…) and professional experts from universities. Authorities from the Murcia region and the Ministry also attended the meeting.

The representative of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Irene Bravo Rey, head of the Prevention Service, participated as a speaker in WORKSHOP 3: “The role of secretaries, auditors and treasurers in the management of Next Generation European Funds.” coordinated by Pilar Ortega Jiménez, Second Vice President of COSITAL together with Javier Font Miret, from Division III of the National Audit Office. IGAE. The participation of the Head of the Prevention Service, Irene Bravo Rey, focused, with her own preparation of the training material, on “The role of those enabled: Towards institutional integrity.” He proceeded, during his presentation, to explain the role played by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, the requirements of the Anti-Fraud Measures Plans (PMA) as a result of Order 1030/2021, of September 29, and the integrity approach required by both international, European, national and regional regulations and the key role played by national authorities in the preparation and implementation of the institutional public integrity strategy. He highlighted the various materials produced by the Agency in this area: The AVAF Guide; recommendations on planning, unjust enrichment and conflict of interest; the risk catalogs and the visual didactic manual, for the purposes of their great usefulness and as support material and help in the implementation of an integrity strategy by national authorities, in their respective institutions, as guarantors of the rule of law, breaking down the functions to be performed by these professionals in each of the phases that make up the establishment of an institutional integrity policy.

First Debate Conference of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency with CCOO PV: “Warning and prevention systems in the fight against fraud and corruption”

Courses

#TrainingAVAF

On June 16, the first CCOO PV – AVAF Conference-debate was held. The Conference was followed mainly by more than 60 union delegates, both in person and virtually.

The Conference was opened by the general secretary of CCOO PV, Ana García Alcolea, claiming the task of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and affirming that it is an “organisation that has not been sufficiently valued, perhaps because of the object of its activity”. From the trade union perspective, the AVAF is a valuable tool for the control of public powers and the preservation of the rights of citizens. Consequently, he concluded, “training in this matter will result in improving the capacity of intervention of the delegates and staff delegates and of the people who are part of the works councils”.

For his part, the director of Prevention, Training and Documentation of the Agency, Víctor Almonacid, highlighted the institutional position of the Agency, emphasizing its role in preventing possible fraud, and underlining that conduct that, although not criminal, may be in the basis of fraud and corruption. In his speech, he pointed out the importance of public integrity, beyond legality, because society is “intolerant of corruption.”

After the opening of the day, the round table began with the intervention of Víctor Almonacid on the main risks in the management of public resources, and continued with the presentation of the complaint channels, internal and external, by the head of service of Analysis and Research, Miguel Furió.

The interest of the interventions generated an intense debate, both by those attending the event and by the speakers. The questions focused on the complaint channels, the competent body to receive and process them, their follow-up, the investigations that they may give rise to, as well as the complaints that go to the Prosecutor’s Office. The need for preventive measures of public integrity and the necessary independence of the personnel at the service of an organization such as the AVAF or similar was also highlighted.

The Agency appreciates the collaboration and involvement of CCOO PV in this conference, which has allowed us to jointly reflect on the prevention of fraud and corruption, and on the obligation and importance of reporting channels and their management.

The 1st inter-university course on the prevention of corruption in public management, taught by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency in Valencian public universities, begins.

Courses

#TrainingAVAF

The five Valencian public universities (Universitat de València, Politècnica de València, Miguel Hernández de Elche, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló and University of Alicante9) have launched, thanks to the collaboration between the AVAF Training Service and its training services, the first interuniversity course on the prevention of corruption and the fight against fraud in public management

The course will be taught by staff from the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and the Services Inspection of the Generalitat Valenciana over five days, where each of the universities will be the host throughout the months of the learning experience. .

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, the course was inaugurated in a session chaired by Ángeles Solanes, vice-rector for Teaching Transformation and Lifelong Learning at the University of Valencia, and Joan Llinares, director of the AVAF, in the Assembly Hall of the Rectorate building of the UV.

The vice-rector Ángeles Solanes recognized the work of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and thanked the institution for offering to participate in this course, aimed at PAS personnel and those who exercise responsibilities in governing bodies of Valencian public universities.

The director of the AVAF shared with those present the international context in which the fight against corruption arises, the existing European and international references, as well as the creation of the Agency, its legal nature, functions and most relevant aspects of the entity, like the 27 whistleblowers who hold AVAF protection status.

Anselm Bodoque, head of the Agency’s Training Service, focused the second conference of the day on the social, civil, political, economic and institutional costs produced by irregular practices in public administrations, as well as the negative effects that affect the entire public sector and citizens in general. To put an end to fraud, the main battle is in the mechanisms to improve institutional quality.

The next day of the 1st interuniversity course on “Prevention of corruption in public management” will take place at the Polytechnic University of Valencia on July 6, 2022. In this second session, the staff of the General Services Inspectorate of the Generalitat Valenciana will present the focus on the IGS methodology of the GVA for the preparation of risk exposure maps and risk self-assessment plans in the field of public procurement and personnel management.

*Images courtesy of UV