Great interest in SMC Compliance Series
What a start, when more than 200 participants from over 40 countries logged in with the same goal: to strengthen their ability to prevent, detect, and report financial irregularities, safeguarding both resources and trust.
The virtual classroom filled up quickly when SMC, together with our Norwegian sister organisation Digni and with support from LM International, launched the first course in the new Compliance Series—“Detecting and Reporting Financial Irregularities”.
Over three intensive days (21—23 October 2025), the programme combined a joint webinar with a self-paced online module and a closing session for reflection and peer exchange. The format made room for both knowledge and practice—from early warning signs in finance and procurement to how internal controls can be built, followed up, and documented so that audits and reporting become clear and robust. One participant captured a key takeaway in a short sentence: “Never underestimate the power of documentation.”
Building systems and trust
The course offered tools that can be applied immediately—in routines, in dialogue with partners, and in the small day-to-day decisions where mistakes can otherwise slip in unnoticed. Several participants also highlighted the value of developing a shared language for risk and accountability, and the confidence to act when something doesn’t add up.
“When it becomes easier to do the right thing, we don’t just strengthen systems—we strengthen trust,” says SMR course lead Miriam Mondragon. With this strong start, the Compliance Series will continue to contribute to a more open and reliable international development cooperation.