Why Follow-Up Matters
Management’s actions to implement the Auditor General’s recommendations result in various benefits to the City, including non-financial benefits of strengthening internal controls to mitigate risks and continually improving how services are delivered.
There are also financial benefits – the Auditor General’s 2022 Annual Report noted that management’s actions to implement recommendations have led to total five-year cumulative estimated savings of $398 million. These savings include cost reductions, new or increased revenue streams, or future cost avoidance.
Our follow-up process provides accountability and transparency for City Council and the public by reporting on the City’s implementation of our audit, investigation, and other report recommendations.
Summary of Results
Areas Needing Further Action
Oversight of City’s Real Estate Assets
Greater centralized governance is needed to ensure consistency in implementing recommendations at all City properties and facilities.
Long-outstanding Recommendations
More than 100 high priority recommendations have been outstanding for five or more years. Delays in implementing these recommendations mean the City is missing out on the intended improvements in controls and efficiencies.
Benefits of Implementing Recommendations
During this follow-up cycle, we noted management actions to implement recommendations that have led to improvements in different areas of the City:
Social Housing
- Reduced turnaround time to fill vacant social housing units and provided people with access to housing they chose through a new online system
- Identified and corrected Ontario Works overpayments
Urban Forestry
- Improved oversight of City and contractor tree maintenance crews
- Increased productivity by reducing time waiting for removal of parked vehicles blocking access to trees, meaning more time is spent actively working on trees
- Enhanced monitoring identified unproductive time which was recovered through credits
Life Safety Systems in City Buildings
- Established the Fire and Life Safety Program Office to oversee inspections, testing and maintenance for City properties to ensure compliance with the Fire Code
- Worked with the Province to amend the Fire Protection and Prevention Act to expand the powers of Fire officials to improve fire safety across the industry and Province
Conclusion
Management actions to implement Auditor General recommendations have resulted in both financial and non-financial benefits for the City. The Auditor General will continue to review actions taken by the City to implement her report recommendations, particularly those that are considered high priority.
Note: There are two confidential attachments to this report.