Background

The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) is the supreme audit institution of the country, established in terms of Chapter 9 of the Constitution to strengthen democracy by enabling oversight, accountability, and governance in the public sector. As an independent constitutional authority, the AGSA audits and reports on the accounts, financial statements, and management of public entities at national, provincial, and local levels. Its mandate supports transparent and effective use of public funds, with the ultimate goal of improving service delivery and public trust. The AGSA operates nationally, with over 3,600 employees deployed across all provinces.

Client’s Need

The AGSA’s organisational culture is central to its identity as a constitutional authority and change agent within the public sector. Through its #CultureShift2030 strategy, the AGSA has committed to building a values-based, enabling work environment that fosters employee wellbeing, performance, and integrity. The journey toward #CultureShift2030 has been shaped by ongoing efforts to assess and strengthen internal culture, embed behavioural competencies, and align the leadership team to its strategic intent.

Since the 2018 employee engagement and culture survey, AGSA has invested in interventions to institutionalise values, redesign its operating model for efficiency, and adapt to new ways of working. A new corporate strategy, further reinforcing the importance of culture, set the foundation for a collective commitment to continuous improvement. In the words of the AGSA: “As we continue to focus on strengthening our internal environment, we envisage it will contribute significantly to the shifts we desire to see in the public sector.”

In this context, Laetoli was appointed to conduct a two-phased assessment process:

• A comprehensive Employee Engagement and Culture Survey (EES) to establish a baseline
• A Culture Dipstick Survey to assess progress against that baseline

Laetoli’s Approach

Phase 1: EES and Culture Survey

• Co-designed an AGSA-specific survey instrument incorporating key culture and engagement dimensions:
  • Leadership and strategy
  • Immediate manager
  • Team functioning
  • Organisational commitment and satisfaction
  • Diversity, inclusion and ethical culture
  • Digital transformation
  • Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
• Embedded the Competing Values Framework (CVF) to assess AGSA’s culture orientation
• Benchmarked AGSA results against national and industry comparators
• Provided extensive disaggregated reporting at organisational, portfolio, and business unit level
• Enabled strategic goal setting by quantifying the baseline Culture Index and setting a measurable improvement target
• Delivered detailed feedback presentations to Executive Leadership Team, Portfolio and business unit heads
• Build the capacity of the People Portfolio to provide survey feedback

Phase Two: Culture Dipstick Survey

• Administered a pulse survey to track shifts in cultural patterns and climate indicators
• Delivered comparative insights by juxtaposing the baseline data with dipstick findings
• Produced 13 portfolio-level and 37 business unit-level narrative reports
• Enabled AGSA to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and adjust its trajectory toward #CultureShift2030

Key Deliverables

• Co-created Employee Engagement Survey and Dipstick Survey instruments
• Validated and scientifically tested survey tools
• Achieved 89% response rate in the Employee Engagement Survey
• Generated and interpreted survey data (quantitative and qualitative)
• Delivered 40+ bespoke PowerPoint reports for feedback and engagement
• Provided strategic and methodological support to the People Portfolio
• Facilitated survey feedback sessions at all leadership levels

Outcomes & Successes

• Established a robust cultural and engagement baseline with high organisational buy-in
• Provided AGSA leadership with targeted insight to support behavioural and structural change
• Strengthened the organisation’s ability to monitor culture strategically across portfolios and business units
• The 2dipstick enabled rapid assessment of intervention impact and progress tracking toward 5-year targets
• Contributed to a more aligned and self-aware culture within AGSA