IPW: Strengthen the Role of Internal Government Auditors

IPW highlights the government's internal oversight apparatus (APIP) as procurement's natural first line of defence, positioned to catch problems before contracts are signed. Their effectiveness, the organisation argues, depends on genuine independence, adequate resources, and leadership that acts on their findings rather than sidelining them. IPW encourages agencies to empower internal auditors early in the procurement cycle, where a timely question about a specification or an estimate can prevent a loss that no later prosecution fully recovers.