City auditor's office passes external quality-control review; reviewers flag scope language

The Audit and Finance Committee of the Austin City Council was told Aug. 20 that the Office of the City Auditor passed its external quality-control review, commonly called a peer review, with a single management-letter comment recommending more precise scope language in public audit reports.

The City Auditor presented the findings during the committee meeting in City Council Chambers. The auditor said the peer-review team — drawn from other auditing jurisdictions including Long Beach, Phoenix and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania — reviewed the office’s policies, personnel practices, training records and a sample of audit engagements as part of a triennial external review required by professional standards. "As part of those standards, every 3 years, there's an audit of the auditors," the City Auditor said. "We had our peer review in July ... and pass is like the best."

The auditors issued one management letter comment asking the office to be more detailed when describing the scope of specific audit engagements in public reports. The City Auditor told the committee that staff have already adjusted internal processes to increase precision in scope statements. The City Auditor also commended quality-assurance staff, naming two team members, and thanked audit staff for their work.

Committee members asked no substantive questions and the item concluded with the chair moving on to the next agenda item. No formal committee vote was required for the presentation.

The peer review alerts the council and the public that the city audit office is meeting applicable government-auditing standards and identifies a narrow area for process improvement; it does not itself change any policy or program.