The Audit Connection Blog
New phone numbers for the Office of the Washington State Auditor
Beginning in February, several phone numbers for the Office of the Washington State Auditor will change. ... CONTINUE READING
Change Management Lesson 3: Improvement requires desire to change
How many of us have been shaped by a work culture that lives by an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rule? But what does that really mean? ... CONTINUE READING
Some governments move off unauditable list
In response to legislative interest in addressing unauditable governments, the State Auditor’s Office recently updated the status of this small group of noncompliant districts. ... CONTINUE READING
Spending Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds? Here are some resources for you
We know that many of our local governments in Washington received funding from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF). While the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) hasn’t audited this funding source yet, we’ve compiled some resources to help you comply with this federal grant program and, hopefully, avoid future audit issues. ... CONTINUE READING
Change Management Lesson 2: Building Awareness of the Change to Come
In our Lesson 1 post, we introduced change management as a strategy to implement successful process improvement initiatives. In this installment, we will introduce the ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) change management model. This is a five-stage approach to help organizations manage the people side of change. Today, we will focus on Awareness. ... CONTINUE READING
Visit SAO during our 1-day Performance Audit Workshop!
Are you, or someone you know, currently enrolled in a college degree program? Interested in learning about an exciting career where you can help improve government services? Well, you're in luck! ... CONTINUE READING
Change Management Lesson 1: How to Get Started
Government staff often ask where to start when they seek to improve a process like permits, asset management, approval queues and so on. It’s hard to know what actions to take without looking at why you are where you are today, and the mindset of the people who will have to make the change happen. ... CONTINUE READING
State Auditor’s Office uncovers $7 million misappropriation
Today, the Office of the Washington State Auditor released its report on a major fraud investigation involving the Pierce County Housing Authority. The State Auditor's Office investigation found nearly $7 million in misappropriated public funds, which is the largest case of its kind on record for a Washington local government. ... CONTINUE READING
Newest newsletter focuses on school issues
From time to time, the State Auditor’s Office compiles the articles we post on this blog into our Audit Connection print newsletter, which we distribute at meetings and conferences. Recently, we put together our first print newsletter aimed solely at education professionals. ... CONTINUE READING
Are you ready for lease accounting?
Accounting and reporting standards and guidance for leases are changing for both GAAP and cash basis local governments, effective for fiscal years ending December 31, 2020, and after. Although you won’t be preparing your financial statements and notes until early 2021, those first lease payments under the new standard will begin to flow in January 2020. Will you be ready? ... CONTINUE READING