Against a global backdrop of growing demand for transparent, accountable public governance, the Dominican Republic has opened its doors to a high-profile international leadership master class this week. Running from September 29 to October 1 in the capital Santo Domingo, the event titled “Leading Myself, Leading Others” forms a core module of the MASTERY leadership initiative, developed under the Development Initiative of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (IDI-INTOSAI).
This gathering marks the second MASTERY program activity hosted on Dominican soil in 2026, a milestone that underscores the country’s growing engagement in cross-border collaboration, specialized capacity building, and knowledge sharing among public audit bodies worldwide.
At the official opening ceremony, Emma Polanco Melo, president of the Dominican Republic’s Chamber of Accounts (CCRD), delivered opening remarks centered on the urgent need to upskill leaders of public oversight institutions. She highlighted that foundational capabilities including strategic leadership and emotional intelligence are non-negotiable for audit bodies to effectively navigate the evolving complex challenges facing modern public administration.
The MASTERY program itself is spearheaded by the Swiss Federal Audit Office, with financial and strategic backing from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Tailored specifically for the heads of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) from across the globe, the initiative centers on four core objectives: sharpening senior leadership capacity, driving meaningful institutional transformation, facilitating open knowledge sharing, and deepening mutually beneficial international cooperation among member audit bodies.
This year’s master class draws a diverse cohort of participants, bringing together senior representatives from six nations across four continents: Ecuador, Spain, Brazil, Honduras, Norway, and Switzerland. Complementing the national delegations are subject-matter specialists from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other leading multilateral organizations, adding cross-sector expertise to the collaborative discussions.
The curated academic agenda balances theoretical learning and practical peer exchange, covering a range of critical topics for modern public audit leaders: adaptive leadership styles, public sector ethics, emotional intelligence for senior management, constructive conflict resolution, and navigating complex institutional scenarios. Each module integrates real-world case studies, facilitated group discussions, and structured experience-sharing sessions to let participants draw on one another’s diverse institutional backgrounds.
Pascal Bornoz, Swiss Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, emphasized in his remarks that cross-border international cooperation is a key enabler for building public institutions that are both more transparent and operationally efficient. Echoing this perspective, Eduardo Ruiz García, senior manager of IDI, underlined the unique role the MASTERY program plays in catalyzing leadership development and institutional reform within global public audit bodies.
Beyond skills development for participating leaders, the three-day event delivers long-term structural benefits: it deepens the longstanding collaborative partnership between the Dominican Chamber of Accounts and IDI-INTOSAI, while simultaneously strengthening the Dominican Republic’s global ties in the critical fields of public oversight, governmental transparency, and public accountability.