Management Audits

May 30, 1996

The Honorable Judge William L. Gordon

Presiding Judge, Santa Barbara County Superior Court

1100 Anacapa Street

Santa Barbara, Ca 93101

RE: Santa Barbara County Grand Jury Interim Final Report on Performance Audits

Dear Judge Gordon;

The Grand Jury has recommended that as an elected official, I should initiate a self-administered performance audit program and request an outside review audit every five years by the Auditor-Controller or an outside consultant, and publish the results and recommendations. I concur.

The Grand Jury noted that the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor was one of three County Departments that had an outside management audit completed. The audit was done by the Auditor-Controller's Internal Audit Division in 1993. I am attaching a request to the Auditor-Controller that the Internal Audit Division schedule another audit for 1998. It would be my expectation that the results of this audit would be published.

Additionally, I will implement a self-administered performance review program beginning in fiscal year 1996-97. Each year the Department will review one or more of its major processes. The review will incorporate elements of both efficiency and program audits. Specifically we will consider:

* Whether the objectives of the process are proper, suitable or relevant and comply with the Department' mission;

* Whether the process complies with laws and regulations;

* The adequacy of the management control system for measuring, reporting, and monitoring a program's effectiveness;

* Whether the measures of effectiveness are valid and reliable;

* The extent to which the process achieves a desired level of results;

* Whether the process includes duplication of effort with other related processes;

* Whether the process includes work that has little or no purpose;

* Whether the process is appropriately staffed;

* Whether the operating procedures are efficient; and

* Ways in which the process can be improved.

Since the first of this year, a team of employees, (the Recorder/Title Transfer Team), has been reviewing the recordation title transfer process. This team has been charged with answering many of the questions listed above and making recommendations for improvement. Recently, as part of the START program, the Department has fielded three focus groups: Discovery, Description and Valuation. These groups will make a high level examination of these three processes. They are charged with identifying:

* Problems/Strengths

* Inputs and Outputs

* Customers

* Short and Long Term Improvements

* Ways in which to measure the output of the process

The content and the emphasis of each management review may vary depending on the process selected, the level of effort and specific areas which process managers may wish to have examined.

I would like to thank the members of the 1996 Grand Jury for their attention to this important tool for improving efficiency and productivity in County Government and specifically in the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor.

Respectfully Submitted,

Click here for Picture

Kenneth A. Pettit

Clerk-Recorder-Assessor

c Board of Supervisors

County Administrator

Auditor-Controller

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