USBE’s Internal Audit Division presented its personnel‑management audit to the Law & Licensing Committee and discussed high‑level findings related to the agency’s control environment, organizational structure and staff workload.

Chief Audit Executive Debbie Davis and Deputy Audit Executive Kevin John summarized the audit’s approach: the team combined surveys, interviews and document review to examine whether the board’s control environment and personnel systems support organizational objectives. The audit highlighted several themes, including how matrixed work (project‑based assignments that draw staff outside hierarchical lines) affects accountability; supervisor clarity about critical functions; and workload patterns, including seasonality tied to the legislative session and spikes in project work.

Audit staff pointed to several data points: a substantial share of supervisors reported difficulty effectively communicating critical functions; a portion of employees indicated they do not feel comfortable raising concerns up their supervisory line; turnover data from 2021–2023 showed notable staff movement; and a variety of leave and overtime practices merited review. Committee members asked how audit results should be used: to inform management priorities, to guide requests for additional staff, or to shape board oversight metrics. Auditors said their role is to provide objective data and risk assessments; decisions about corrective actions, resource requests and policy changes rest with management and the board.

Committee members requested additional detail in several areas (for example, frequencies of particular survey responses and trends over time) and asked staff to provide specific personnel‑related metrics the board could receive on a recurring basis. The committee did not take formal action on the audit report but asked staff to return with follow‑up information and to consider whether board‑level personnel reporting would assist governance and legislative advocacy.