Report I2016-1 Recommendation 10 Responses
Report I2016-1: Investigations of Improper Activities by State Agencies and Employees: Misuse of State Resources, Forgery, False Time Reporting, Financial Interests Disclosure Violations, and Waste of State Funds (Release Date: February 2016)
Case Number I2014-1576
Recommendation #10 To: Water Resources, Department of
Water Resources should require division chiefs and the training chief to review and approve training requests for all job-required and job-related training.
Agency Response From September 2016
Water Resources reported that it distributed the all managers and supervisors memo in September 2016. An attachment to the memo specifically discusses the training chief's added responsibility to review and approve employee training plans and travel expense claim packages for college courses. In addition, Water Resources stated that travel expense claim packages will contain the training plan and training request forms.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Resolved
Agency Response From April 2016
Water Resources reported that in 2015 its employees attended more than 18,000 job-required and 3,000 job-related training courses. Thus, based on current staffing levels, Water Resources stated that it is neither physically possible nor efficient to implement this recommendation. However, Water Resources stated that since the report focused on college courses, it will consider implementing a new requirement that its training office chief review and approve all college courses proposed via a training plan, along with completing a review and approval of the expense claim reimbursement packages prior to submission to its accounting office. Water Resources stated that it believes this action represents a reasonable, prudent, and feasible alternative to the recommendation as there were 90 college courses reimbursed in 2015.