Item - 2019.AU4.3

During the review of the Order Paper on October 29, 2019, City Council adopted a procedural motion to remove this Item from the jurisdiction of the Audit Committee and bring it forward for consideration by City Council.

City Council recessed its public session and met as Committee of the Whole in closed session on October 30, 2019 to consider confidential information on this Item as it pertains to the security of the property of the municipality or local board, labour relations or employee negotiations and litigation or potential litigation that affects the City of Toronto. 

The Audit Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the City Manager to report to City Council, through the Audit Committee, on the following:

a. Steps in providing effective mechanisms for management to be held accountable for implementing, within reasonable and identified timelines, measures which they have agreed to take in order to implement recommendations from the Auditor General.

b. Ensuring appropriate consequences when information provided to the Auditor General is not fully accurate.

2. City Council receive the report (October 10, 2019) from the Auditor General for information.

3. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 remain confidential in its entirety, as it involves the security of property belonging to the City of Toronto, it is about labour relations or employee negotiations, and it is about litigation or potential litigation that affects the City of Toronto.

The Audit Committee:

1.  Directed the City Manager to report to the Audit Committee in Q1 2020 with an update on the implementation of all outstanding audit recommendations for City Divisions in Corporate Services and Finance and Treasury Services, with the report to include detailed plans and timelines for implementation of all recommendations not yet fully implemented.

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The Audit Committee recessed its public session and met in closed session to consider confidential information on this Item as it relates to:

- the security of the property of the municipality or local board;

- labour relations or employee negotiations; and

- litigation or potential litigation that affects the City of Toronto.

The Auditor General's Office conducts an annual follow-up review to determine the implementation status of recommendations in previously issued audit reports. The results of the review are reported to City Council through the Audit Committee.

This report provides information regarding the implementation status of audit recommendations issued to City divisions in Corporate Services and Finance and Treasury Services. Our 2019 follow-up review included 206 outstanding recommendations from audit reports issued between 2005 and 2017 for the following City divisions:

- Accounting Services
- Corporate Real Estate Management
- Environment and Energy
- Financial Planning
- Information and Technology
- Pension, Payroll and Employee Benefits
- Purchasing and Materials Management
- Revenue Services
- 311 Toronto
 

Our review verified that 24 recommendations (12 per cent) have been fully implemented, 178 recommendations (86 per cent) have been partially implemented and four recommendations (2 per cent) are no longer applicable.

Recommendations reported by management as implemented that the Auditor General determined as not fully implemented

During the current follow-up process, management reported that 87 out of 206 outstanding recommendations were fully implemented. However, based on our review we determined that 63 (72 per cent) of those recommendations have not been fully implemented. Management agreed with our assessments and will take additional actions to fully implement these recommendations.

Continued efforts to implement outstanding recommendations will provide additional benefits to the City such as cost savings, improved controls, and enhanced service delivery.