Annual report of the Auditor General Alberta. Office of the Auditor General.

2006·11.5 MB·English

by  Alberta. Office of the Auditor General

AUDITOR
OMERAL IW
berta
Annual Report of the
Auditor General of Alberta
2005-2006
Volume of 2
1
Volume 1—ISSN 1704-2313
AUDITOR
GENERAL
Alberta
MLA
Ms. Janis Tarchuk,
Chair
Standing Committee on Legislative Offices
I am honoured to send my 2005-2006AnnualReport, which is in two volumes, to the
members ofthe Legislative Assembly, as required by section 19(5) ofthe Auditor General
Act.
This is my fifth annual report to the Legislative Assembly and the twenty-eighth such report
issued by the Auditor General ofAlberta.
Fred J. Dunn, FCA
Auditor General
Edmonton, Alberta
September 22, 2006
Digitized by the Interne! Archive
1 :
2014
in
http://archive.org/details/annrepalbaud2006
Contents
Volume Volume
2
1
Introduction We published Volume 2
1 Snapshot separately. It contains
1 Results ofourfour major systems audits our audit findings and
7 Results ofour audit work in ministries and other entities recommendations for
9 Recommendation statistics Ministries, MLA expense
10 Acknowledgements reimbursements, and the
Offices ofthe Legislative
Assembly. It also
Audits and recommendations contains supplementary
13 2005-2006 recommendations list and reference
information.
Major systems audits
25 Drinking Water
63 Food Safety
109 Reforestation
133 Regional Health Authority Global Funding
Topics involving more than one ministry
163 Cross-Ministry
179 Government ofAlberta and Ministry Annual Reports
185 Seniors Care and Programs
195 Sustainable Resource and Environmental Management (SREM)
Annual Report ofthe Auditor General ofAlberta 2005-2006 i
Annual Report ofthe Auditor General ofAlberta 2002-2003
a
—
Volume 1 Snapshot
Snapshot
Results of our four major systems audits
1
.
Clean drinking water, safe food, healthy forests, and health eare: all
important programs that the Alberta government regulates. Regulation
involves setting standards, monitoring and enforcing compliance with the
standards, and measuring results. The Alberta government works with
—
other parties to deliver many programs and services locally
decentralized approach. However, the government still regulates these
areas.
Last year, we examined seniors1 care; this year, we examined the
government's programs for drinking water, food safety, reforestation, and
regional health authority funding. In completing our audits, we considered
the following questions:
• Does the government have adequate systems to set standards and
monitor and enforce compliance with them?
• Has the government established objectives for its programs so that it
can measure ifthey are successful?
In our audit work on the four programs, we identified two key themes that
are the focus ofour recommendations.
Two key themes
—
Standards exist but government needs to better monitor and enforce
compliance
The government has systems to set standards in the areas it regulates, but it
needs to improve monitoring and enforcement practices. Monitoring of
standards is either inadequate or inconsistent. Good monitoring and
enforcement processes are particularly critical in the decentralized
—
environment that the government operates in to help ensure that the
delivery ofprograms and services is consistent across the province.
Without adequate monitoring, government cannot be sure that the
standards for clean drinking water, safe food, and healthy forests are being
met. The government also needs information to assess ifthe standards
continue to be appropriate.
Government needs the right information to assess ifprograms are
effective
The government has a wealth ofinformation on its activities, but it needs
— —
better not necessarily more information to assess ifprograms are
working and achieving intended results. Performance information is
critical to help the government evaluate whether programs are effective
Annual Report ofthe Auditor General ofAlberta 2005-2006 1
—
Volume 1 Snapshot
and meeting objectives. Good performance information will help
government, Members ofthe Legislative Assembly, the media and other
Albertans assess program effectiveness. Without the right information,
government managers cannot tell ifprograms are working properly and if
they make sense. This is true in any environment, but especially in a
decentralized model.
Government regulation has a profound effect on everyday life. Our
recommendations are designed to help the government and Albertans
know how well government programs are working.
The following four tables summarize the four major systems audits.
2 Annual Report ofthe Auditor General ofAlberta 2005-2006
—
Volume 1 Snapshot
Drinking water
Ministry ofEnvironment's Drinking Water Program
Audit objective Conclusions and Recommendations
(6)
findings
To assess ifthe Ministryof Improve effectiveness ofsystem
Environment has adequate for issuing approvals and
systems to regulate and registrations.
promote the provision ofsafe 2. Improve drinkingwater
drinking waterunderthe inspection processes.
EnvironmentalProtection 3. At the district level, expand
andEnhancementAct. communication with partners in
drinking watermatters.
Specifically:
Workingwith drinking water
• Do necessary systems Yes, systems exist to support
partners, update strategies to deal
existto support the the program.
with Alberta's need for certified
drinkingwater
watertreatment operators.
program?
Improve information systems
usedto manage drinking water
• Are the systems well- • Systems are adequately
businesses.
designed? designed, but the Ministry
Ensure that legislation, programs,
can improve system design in and practices supportnew
three areas.
drinking watergoals.
• Do they operate as they • No, systems do not always
should? operate as designed.
We did not examine if The MinistryofEnvironment
Alberta's drinking wateris regulates drinkingwater systems
safe at all times in all places. for80%ofAlbertans by:
• setting standards
• approving systems
• monitoring performance
• inspecting facilities
• enforcing laws
Annual Report ofthe Auditor General ofAlberta 2005-2006 3
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Volume 1 Snapshot
Food safety
Ministries ofHealth and Wellness; Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development; Regional Health Authorities (RHAs)
Audit objective Conclusions and findings Recommendations (10)
Do Alberta government Government systems can improve Regional Health Authorities (RHAs)
regulatory and in key areas. • Improve food inspection
program systems
programs.
effectively and Food safety inspectionprograms:
• Ensurepractices forissuing
efficiently promote food • 8 of9 RHAshaven'tmet permits complywith law andare
safety in Alberta? inspectiontargets. Followup and
efficient.
enforcement are lacking, so places
The systems involve the withpoor safetypractices
health and agriculture continue operating. RHAs and Health and Wellness
We
sectors. didnotaudit • Agriculture isbehind on • Considerwiderrange oftools to
the federal system inspections undertheDaily promote and enforce food safety.
regulating foodproduced ControlAct. • Improve automated food safety
inAlbertabut sold • Enforcement canbe improved information systems.
outside it. through abroaderrangeof
enforcementtools. —
Agriculture improve:
Coordination ofparticipants: • Administration offood safety
surveillance program.
• Alberta lacks acoordinated food
safetypolicy and integrated • Inspection and investigation
programs.
planningprocesses.
• There are gaps in food safety • Food safety information systems.
coverage causedbypoor
cooperation. Health and Wellness andAgriculture
• Performance measures are • Furtherdevelop capacity for food
lacking.
safety accountability, ensuring
that information systems produce
Information and information systems: accountability information the two
• Different RHAs use different ministers need.
information systems. Many have
management, security, and control
Health and Wellness, Agriculture, and
problems. Dataacross systems is RHAs—workwith federal regulators
inconsistent; useful reports are
to:
lacking.
• improve integrated food safety
• Lackofcoordination and
planning and cooperation on food
information system issues
underminethe capacity ofHealth safety activities and initiatives.
and Wellness and Agriculture to • eliminate gaps in food safety
producejointreporting. coverage in Alberta.
4 Annual Report ofthe Auditor General ofAlberta 2005-2006