Check in at the Accountability Desk
The Netherlands Court of Audit investigates the Dutch government's economical, efficient and effective use of taxpayers' money. The court itself chooses what it investigates but its auditors need to know what's alive in the Netherlands. That's why it has created something new: the Accountability Desk. Everyone can check in for a good talk. It's a desk where "You really will be heard"!
Look, there’s the Accountability Desk! On the street, in the park, at a railway station and perhaps in a factory. It’s a small wooden desk with two chairs, one for the guest and one for one of the Court’s auditors. The Accountability Desk is attached to a blue rear panel that represents a euro coin – a symbol of the Court’s work. The desk and the panel can be folded up for easy relocation. “That’s exactly what we intended,” explains project leader Ruiter Janssen. “We’re taking the desk to six places throughout the Netherlands this summer to talk with the people who are affected by the government policies the Court investigates. We’ll be talking with people, not about them!”
Receiving information instead of giving it
Ruiter Janssen is an auditor and designer. Together with his colleagues he believes citizens and businesses should be involved in the Court’s audit work. One example is the new web app, Ons geld ontcijferd (Our Money Explained, Dutch only), which uses simple language to show what happens to all the taxes we pay. But there is a difference, Ruiter explains. “The web app is a clear and straightforward visual means to present difficult information. The Accountability Desk goes a step further by providing us with valuable knowledge and experience thanks to the direct contact with the public.”
And tests have shown that the public appreciate the Accountability Desk, too. In recent months it has been located at places that match the topics the Court investigates. For an audit of elderly people and independent living, the desk was placed close to a block of apartments for seniors. People were literally queuing up to tell us what they thought. Education was discussed in Zuiderpark in The Hague. “I don’t have time for a focus group,” said a nursery school teacher. “But a spontaneous chat like this is much more appealing. It’s nice to share what I think.” And that means a lot to the Court of Audit.
Serious or fun
What is the Court of Audit and what does it do? Many people want to know the answers and those who check in at the desk are first told about the Court’s mission and function. “That breaks the ice. By sitting in a public space at a small desk, people feel at ease and safe.” The talks can be serious or fun, or both, depending on what people think about a policy. They can rank a policy from “very important” to “not so important”. The results are not representative of an entire group of people but they provide the auditors with new ideas and insights that keep them in touch with what matters to society. “You don’t think about such things when you’re sat in the office,” says Janssen, “but you do when you’re face to face with the people who are affected.” And how does that benefit the people? “We apply the insights we gain in ongoing or new audits. We examine the government’s policies in the light of what people think is important. As auditors we carry out independent investigations of how taxes are spent and the results they achieve. Taxpayers have a right to have their voices heard. The Accountability Desk is a tool to help us improve our work. It makes us more alert and aware of the many shades of opinion people have.”
So, the new Accountability Desk has many benefits. It’s an invitation to talk and, above all, to be heard. Follow us! Who knows, maybe the Accountability Desk will soon be making an appearance near you.