The ITC Faculty of the University of Twente has partnered with the Netherlands Court of Audit to launch a groundbreaking Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on geospatial auditing.
This free English-language course, hosted on ITC's Geoversity platform, aims to help audit institutions worldwide integrate geospatial information into their auditing practices.
Building on Regional Success
The Netherlands has been at the forefront of geospatial auditing since the collaborative international audit of the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster. This experience led to the development of international standards for applying geospatial tools in disaster management audits, positioning the Netherlands as a leader in this innovative auditing approach.
The course emerges from the Court's successful Sharaka cooperation programme (2022-2026) with seven audit institutions across North Africa and the Middle East. This collaboration demonstrated that incorporating maps and geospatial data in audit reports—particularly for assessments of UN Sustainable Development Goals, climate policies, and water management—significantly enhances communication with public authorities and stakeholders.
ITC's Role in Global Capacity Building
ITC Faculty experts collaborated closely with the Netherlands Court of Audit to develop this comprehensive online resource. This partnership aligns perfectly with ITC's founding mission of training students and professionals from developing countries in geo-information science and earth observation.
"The course offers practical guidance on how to use geospatial information in audit," explains Project Manager Egbert Jongsma. "It is a sustainable way to share expertise online. We are offering it free of charge to supreme audit institutions and other interested parties, such as geospatial scientists who want audit institutions to make use of their expertise and know-how." Jongsma emphasizes an additional benefit: "Not having to fly halfway round the world to provide this knowledge also reduces our carbon footprint."
Course lecture provided by Egbert Jongsma
The course will remain permanently available on Geoversity, with plans for regular updates and the addition of global case studies to ensure its continued relevance and impact.
Access the Geoversity Course
A Netherlands Court of Audit delegation officially presented the course at the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) global congress in Egypt at the end of October. This presentation marks a significant milestone in international knowledge sharing for public sector auditing.
Interested parties can explore the course via Geospatial Auditing of Public Funds on Geoversity
