Report 2011-116.2 Recommendation 5 Responses

Report 2011-116.2: Department of General Services: Strengthening the Division of the State Architect's Workload Management and Performance Measurements Could Help It Avoid Delays in Processing Future Increases in Workload (Release Date: May 2012)

Recommendation #5 To: General Services, Department of

To more accurately report on its plan review activities to stakeholders and provide relevant information to management, the division should exclude projects from client phase calculations that were not returned to the division for back check within the division's deadlines.

1-Year Agency Response

DSA has issued a new policy that eliminates the six-month maximum (maximum allowable before being voided) for projects that have not been returned for back check. The new policy provides that regional managers have discretion in voiding an application based on the individual circumstances of a specific project (See Attachment II, Revised IR A-17).

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

In its six-month response to this audit, the Division of the State Architect (division) stated it changed its calculation of plan review processing time to use a maximum of 365 days for projects that have not been returned for back check. However, this response indicates a change in policy to allow managers discretion to void applications based on project circumstances. The intent of our recommendation was to ensure that the division's performance reporting followed it policies as written. By changing the policy, the division addresses the recommendation.

6-Month Agency Response

According to the department, the division changed its calculation of plan review processing times to use a maximum of 365 days for projects that have not been returned for back check. It said the division would begin using the new calculation in its November 2012 metrics' reports. However, the division's November 2012 plan review scorecard still included projects that had not begun back check within the division's one-year deadline. (See 2013-406, p. 46)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2011-116.2

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.