Report 2016-121 Recommendation 14 Responses
Report 2016-121: Department of Motor Vehicles: Administrative and Statutory Changes Will Improve Its Ability to Detect and Deter Misuse of Disabled Person Parking Placards (Release Date: April 2017)
Recommendation #14 To: Motor Vehicles, Department of
To properly equip its employees with the knowledge necessary to identify and report potential fraud indicators in placard applications, DMV should provide employees who process applications with training specific to the types of fraud that can occur in an application. This training should be provided by December 2017 and every other year thereafter.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From July 2019
Training has been provided to employees. To fully implement this recommendation, DMV has developed a training video and instructional memo reinforcing the importance of fraud prevention and detection in the application review process. These materials are expected to be released by December 31, 2018.
- Completion Date: December 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2018
Training has been provided to employees. To fully implement this recommendation, DMV has developed a training video and instructional memo reinforcing the importance of fraud prevention and detection in the application review process. These materials are expected to be released by December 31, 2018.
- Estimated Completion Date: December 31, 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented
As we noted in DMV's six-month response, DMV's updated policy contains specific instructions to staff to ensure applications are complete, that the applicant has provided a true full name, and that the applicant has not requested replacement placards in excess of the limit established in law. DMV also included training materials that describe how to determine whether an application is legible and created a form to walk staff through documenting incomplete applications and communicating to individuals and medical providers what information they need to provide to complete the application. According to DMV, staff received training during weekly training and update meetings, during which supervisors walked staff through the policy changes. DMV's response partially addresses our recommendation. The materials provided do not directly address fraud prevention, but the policies put in place will help DMV to identify fraud by better screening applications for possible fraudulent data. We will review the training video once it is complete and update our assessment of the status of this recommendation accordingly.
1-Year Agency Response
This item has been fully implemented. Training materials were developed, disseminated and reviewed with appropriate staff in a training session in March 2018. To further reinforce the importance of fraud detection in the application review process, DMV will continue to provide training to employees every other year, and a training video also is being developed for staff.
- Completion Date: March 2018
- Response Date: April 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented
DMV's updated policy contains specific instructions to staff to ensure applications are complete, that the applicant has provided a true full name, and that the applicant has not requested replacement placards in excess of the limit established in law. DMV also included training materials that describe how to determine whether an application is legible and created a form to walk staff through documenting incomplete applications and communicating to individuals and medical providers what information they need to provide to complete the application. According to DMV, staff received training during weekly training and update meetings, during which supervisors walked staff through the policy changes. DMV's response partially addresses our recommendation. The materials provided do not directly address fraud prevention, but the policies put in place will help DMV to identify fraud by better screening applications for possible fraudulent data. We will review the training video once it is complete and update our assessment of the status of this recommendation accordingly.
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
6-Month Agency Response
The department is developing a script for video-based fraud prevention training. In addition, staff are using interviews with stakeholders and data analysis to identify specific techniques used in fraudulent applications so that they can be included in training materials.
- Estimated Completion Date: December 31, 2017
- Response Date: October 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
DMV program staff are working with the Investigations Division to develop fraud detection training for DMV staff responsible for processing placard applications. The training will be conducted annually and will provide DMV staff the additional knowledge necessary to identify and report potential fraud indicators.
- Estimated Completion Date: 12/31/2017
- Response Date: June 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2016-121
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.