Tips for Surviving a Performance Audit

Background on the Audit Historical and Recent Press reports which identified issues or raised public consciousness State Department, School Committee, Superintendent directed changes be made. State Department, Municipal Government, School Committee requested audit

Highlights of Performance Audit LEA/Town contracted with XYZ Consultants X number of professional auditors examined our operations and were ‘part of our family” for x period of time Staff spent x thousand of hours compiling information and assisting the auditors.

Audit Report and Findings Audit report was x pages long. It included x number of findings & x number of recommendations. We are now using that information to make changes. We learned a lot and that information will be invaluable to our future work

Ten Tips for Experiencing and Responding to a Performance Audit

10. A credible performance audit is important for everyone The school department / school needs recommendations that all members of the community can support. The School Committee/ Town Council must have faith in the product. The auditors want their findings and recommendations to be acted upon. The consumers (parents, students, taxpayers) want to know that evaluation is regular and the basis for improvements

9. The right attitude makes the difference Look at Audit as an opportunity for making improvements. Prepare administrators and staff. Constantly and enthusiastically communicate with all The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. Carlos Castaneda

8. Assign an audit point person Does not need to be subject/content expert Should be a specific assignment, the whole job, not add on to other duties and responsibilities Emphasizes the importance being attached to the results and the actions prescribed for improvements Must be a strong project manager and facilitator

7. Get a jump on the work ahead For example Review NEASC standards Become familiar with and learn performance audit protocols. Review Federal or RIDE (or other) applicable standards. Look at other district/school performance audits.

6. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression Do an in-person briefing for auditors. Most (NEASC e.g.) have this built in to their process Introduce auditors to all the key players. Have everything in the book. Set up a good space for auditors to work.

5. Write it Down Schedule regular briefing meetings and conduct them. All members of the community need to be informed Be proactive: Raise issues/challenges as they come up. Record and date items for action.

4. Provide information and make copies Respond to information requests quickly. Talk with staff about the need to be responsive and monitor that. Make duplicate copies of everything you provide.

3. Keep track of everything The public wants to know Even the best auditors lose things. It will be needed when the report is drafted. Why am I always losing things? Why do they disappear? Here one minute, gone the next, I’m sure I put them near. Lindsey Priest English Poet

2. Be ready to challenge and negotiate Engage your auditor on issues and or differences of findings and interpretations. Don’t wait, it gets more hectic as the deadline nears. Use facts and data to back your arguments. He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of a diplomat. Robert Estabrook Journalist

1. Be ready to communicate – even if its not good news Prepare and disseminate communications Stay on message Prepare for the tough questions and have well reasoned and thoughtful answers Be candid Use your website, answer the phone and respond to s Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people William Butler Yeats

The bottom line… Treat the performance audit as though you had asked for it. There may be pain, but is should lead to gains An audit can highlight what you are doing well and provide the leverage needed to initiate changes in areas which need improvement. A performance audit can help you meet your loftiest goals, in our case – student performance results.