Over the past months, this first generation of 30 public officials completed four intensive modules: Fraud Principles, Fraud in the Public Sector, Digital Forensics, and Data Analytics. The program not only strengthened their technical skills but also gave them practical tools to apply in their institutions, exchange experiences, and build professional networks, enhancing accountability, integrity, and public trust across the region.

Opening the ceremony, Jana Repanšek, CEF Director, welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of the program: “Being the first generation comes with a special role. You are not just certificate holders - you are reference points. You come from different institutions and countries across the region, but you share a common responsibility: safeguarding integrity, accountability, and trust in public institutions. Completing this program demonstrates not only technical competence but also professional courage and the readiness to ask difficult questions, follow evidence, and stand by the facts. For that, you have our sincere respect.”

We were also honored to have addresses from our official speakers: Edvin Skrt, Director-General, Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia; Anna Blackman, Chief Operating Officer, CIPFA; and Liljana Cvetanoska, Policy Manager Counter-Fraud and Anti-Corruption, CIPFA. Their participation highlighted the importance of this program and the shared commitment to strengthening public sector capacities in the region.

The forensic certification program is part of the broader Empowered Accountants and Auditors for Accountable Public Sector (EAPS) project, which develops professional capacities in public sector financial management, anti-corruption, and asset management. Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has been a key supporter, recognizing the program’s strategic importance in fostering governance and embedding sustainable expertise across South East Europe.

This program also reflects the long-standing partnership between CEF and CIPFA, which spans more than two decades. Together, we have worked to bring international public finance expertise into the region in a way that respects local realities and institutional maturity. The forensic program is a strong example of this cooperation: practical, relevant, and forward-looking. To mark this successful collaboration, we also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CIPFA, reaffirming our commitment to further strengthening and expanding this partnership in the years ahead.

Graduates are now part of a growing professional community, ready to serve as reference points and share knowledge within their institutions. The second generation of the program is scheduled to launch in autumn 2026, continuing the mission of developing regional expertise and sustainable public sector capacities. We at the CEF, together with CIPFA and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, congratulate all graduates for their dedication and commitment, and reaffirm our support for alumni networks and continued professional development in the years ahead.