Report 2012-121.2 Recommendation 16 Responses
Report 2012-121.2: Department of Parks and Recreation: Flaws in Its Budget Allocation Processes Hinder Its Ability to Effectively Manage the Park System (Release Date: September 2013)
Recommendation #16 To: Parks and Recreation, Department of
To ensure that its position control unit staff do not circumvent state law to preserve vacant positions, the department should establish procedures that include a process to periodically review any personnel transactions that are not subject to EPRC review. It should provide a summary report of this review to the director's office and the EPRC.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2015
Chapter 28, Statutes of 2015 repealed Government Code Section 12439, meaning that positions are no longer abolished by the State Controller's Office after being vacant for a period of six consecutive months. In the absence of those requirements, the Department does not believe a specific process is required to ensure that its position control staff does not circumvent state law to preserve vacant positions.
No Attachment
- Completion Date: September 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Resolved
The state law associated with this recommendation has been repealed. Therefore, we assess this status as resolved.
1-Year Agency Response
EPRC was disbanded as was recommended by a process improvement team using the Lean 6-Sigma process learned through the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) program. Additionally, the Department adheres to the procedures in PML 2014-011 and the requirements in Government Code section 12439. A monthly vacancy report is given to Executive Staff and the Director's Office for review to ensure personnel staff is not preserving vacant positions through the "shell game."
- Completion Date: September 2014
- Response Date: September 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: No Action Taken
The department did not address our recommendation that it establish procedures to periodically review personnel transactions that are not subject to EPRC review. Although the department has disbanded the EPRC, we would expect it to assign the responsibilities to another entity. However, the department did not include details on the personnel action process that replaced the EPRC. Additionally, it did not provide documentation to support its claim that it provides monthly vacancy reports to the director's office.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
6-Month Agency Response
The review is in place and is being completed by the Position Control Unit Manager, the Assistant Personnel Officer for the unit, and the Personnel Officer. Beginning March 2014, a summary of this review will be provided to the Directors Office and the EPRC.
- Estimated Completion Date: 12/31/2014
- Response Date: March 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
The Department has developed procedures regarding the hiring processa nd will include those to identify and review any personnel transactions not currently subject to EPRC review as part of the procedures established for the EPRC.
- Completion Date: November 2013
- Response Date: November 2013
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
We assessed the implementation of this recommendation as pending because the department did not provide us a copy of the procedures it has developed. Also, the department does not address whether it will provide a summary report to the director's office.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
All Recommendations in 2012-121.2
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.