Weaver delivers preliminary internal-audit maturity assessment to El Paso FOAC; firm and CAE to supply more documentation

City of El Paso officials heard a presentation from Weaver and Tidwell LLP on a preliminary internal-audit maturity and needs assessment at a Finance, Oversight and Audit Committee meeting. The consultants said the city—internal-audit function currently sits at a "repeatable" level of maturity and outlined short- and long-term steps to move toward a more defined and managed state. No final policy decisions were made; Weaver said it will incorporate feedback and return with a revised report for the council.

The assessment matters because the internal-audit function provides independent assurance and helps city leaders prioritize risks, monitor controls and track performance across departments. Weaver told the committee it used a capabilities maturity model benchmarked to professional standards, peer reviews and sampled engagement files to reach its preliminary conclusions.

Brandon Tanis, partner and lead on the engagement, told the committee, "this is our presentation for our preliminary results," and described a three-phase approach of stakeholder interviews, document review and workpaper sampling. Weaver said it interviewed city management, the mayor, members of the FOAC, the internal-audit team and other stakeholders, reviewed recent audit engagements and two prior peer reviews, and applied guidance from the Institute of Internal Auditors and governmental auditing standards.

Holly Hart, Weaver senior manager, summarized the overall finding: the internal-audit function is "in the repeatable stage of maturity," meeting minimum professional requirements and…