The Audit Connection Blog
Inside the Auditor’s request for funding for additional accountability audits
The Office of the Washington State Auditor has asked the Legislature for $700,000 to pay for more accountability audits of state agencies, one of Auditor Pat McCarthy’s initiatives to increase transparency and accountability in government. You can read the full request here. ... CONTINUE READING
Pre-proposal statement of inquiry: rule making
The State Auditor’s Office filed with the Code Reviser’s Office the notice to begin the rule making process to amend WAC 48-13 Access to Public Records. ... CONTINUE READING
State Auditor’s Office leads national IT auditing conference
As state and local governments increasingly depend on information technology (IT) systems to serve the public, the need to audit the controls in and around these systems increases. ... CONTINUE READING
Don't overlook changes to fiduciary activity reporting
After observing that governments were reporting fiduciary activities inconsistently, in January 2017 the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) released Statement No. 84, Fiduciary Activities. ... CONTINUE READING
Financial management policies and resources
Implementing effective internal financial policies can be challenging for local governments of any size, which is why the Performance Center teamed up with the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) to simplify the process. ... CONTINUE READING
Change Management, Lesson One
Government staff all over Washington often ask me where to start when they seek to improve a process like permits, asset management, approval queues and so on. To answer this, I ask them: Do you have a change management strategy in place? ... CONTINUE READING
Risky business: New resources help assess challenges in reporting process
The processes for compiling and presenting financial and federal program reports contain many areas of risk, such as reorganization or personnel changes, and new or revised guidance and rules. ... CONTINUE READING
Mosquito Control Districts: Classifying and assessing properties in proportion to the benefit received
In May 2016, local governments reached out to the State Auditor’s Office with concerns that mosquito control districts were not following state law regarding annual assessments for district operations. ... CONTINUE READING
Preparing for audit: Tips for success
Washington’s state and local governments regularly undergo a wide variety of audits with differing objectives. These audits assure you and the public that financial data is accurate and public resources are properly safeguarded, that the government complies with various regulations and its programs are run effectively. ... CONTINUE READING
Auditor's Office announces staff changes
We are excited to share a couple of staff appointments that have occurred this year. ... CONTINUE READING