The Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia presented two reports to the Legislative Assembly today, one on budget management and expense monitoring in school districts, and the other on procurement of buildings at colleges and universities.
Both reports point to good practices and identify areas for improvement.
Regarding Improving Budgeting and Expenditure Management in the Public Education System, some school boards have been surprised in the past by unexpected year-end deficits; therefore, the report contains suggestions for any school district to consider for improving its long-term planning and budgeting, engaging with stakeholders, and improving scrutiny over spending. The report also includes a good practice guide and checklist to help school boards self-assess their management of budgets and expenses.
In An Audit of Mid-Size Capital Procurement in Post-Secondary Institutions, the Ministry of Advanced Education's major campus building projects met budget and construction goals. The ministry also followed good practice for implementation,
monitoring and reporting processes during construction. The audit team found that the ministry was not meeting government's framework or the ministry's guide, when the projects we audited were planned. The ministry has since improved its planning processes.
For both audits, the Office encountered the best case scenario: by the time we were finished, action on all of our recommendations was underway.
Enjoy a short video summary of both reports here.
