B.C. Government organizations have completed 57% of 130 recommendations for improving public programs and services, the Office of the Auditor General says in its second-annual follow-up report on performance audits.

In 2023, government had completed 42% of audit recommendations from 18 audits published between 2019 and 2021.

Tuesday’s report looks at progress on recommendations accepted in 24 audits published between 2019 and 2022. The audit topics included contracted services for children and youth in care, avalanche safety on highways, and telework cybersecurity.

Recommendations have been fully implemented for seven audits. Organizations have committed to implementing all outstanding recommendations, with set timelines.

“Performance audits often include recommendations for improving programs and services. When government organizations accept our recommendations and commit to them, we follow-up and monitor their progress,” Auditor General Michael Pickup said.

The auditor general’s office asked organizations to prepare progress reports that confirmed whether they had completed each audit recommendation as of November 30, 2023. They summarized the status of each recommendation and gave anticipated completion dates.

The auditor general’s office reviewed the progress reports and found no material misstatements. The reports were found to be a faithful representation of progress, meaning they were reliable, relevant and understandable.

“This information can help MLAs hold government accountable on audit recommendations,” Pickup said. “We also know that some recommendations are more complex and take longer to implement, such as when government decides to make system changes or amend legislation.”

Performance audits, conducted under the authority of the Auditor General Act, examine the efficiency, economy and effectiveness of provincial programs and services.