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“Oh, why do audits take so long?” everyone laments.
I’ve said the same thing many times over the years, yet I cringe when I hear someone say that audits shouldn’t have birthdays. Big findings…
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Putting the “Grit” in Integrity
A wise auditor told me that we really only ask one question in our audits: “What did you do with the money?” For variety, we…
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Seeking Sustainability
State law required an audit of an agency with the mission of restoring Oregon’s watersheds and salmon. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) had been…
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Audit Story: Annexations
Today, I see East Portland still afflicted by the concerns raised in an audit from thirty-five years ago. The very first audit I worked on…
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The Long View of Auditors
You’ve heard the old saw that those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it. The same goes for audits. Ignore our recommendations and…
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Balancing Transparency and Confidentiality
Audits of sensitive topics require different methods and interactions to be successful. Workpapers pose a particular challenge for auditors, as sometimes they will handle information…
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The Uncertainty of Economic Development Programs
Beyond compliance-testing, I concluded long ago that economic development audits have extremely high audit risks and only produce uncertain benefits. My corporate-speak bottom line is…
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Audit Story: Raising Accountability of the PDC
The City of Portland appoints influential business and community leaders to its Portland Development Commission (PDC). This agency operates with tax-increment financing to subsidize projects…
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Auditing Social Justice and Equity
I applauded the addition of equity to the 2007 Standards because the public deserves fair treatment by its government, and auditors are in a unique…
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Audit Story: Understanding Overtime
This story begins before I was an auditor. I worked in the Planning and Research section of the sheriff’s office and during my time a…
Questions, Suspicions, Clarity, Solutions
