LLA's Performance Audit Services Section Earns 3 Top Awards from National Association

The National Legislative Program Evaluation Society (NLPES) has awarded the LLA’s Performance Audit Services section three of its top awards for 2019.

NLPES is associated with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Its purpose is to advance the professions of legislative program evaluation and performance auditing and to provide members with relevant training, opportunities for exchanging ideas and information, and recognition of superior performances.

LLA’s Performance Audit Services received the Excellence in Evaluation Award, which is presented to one office nationwide that has made significant contributions to legislative program evaluation or performance auditing over a four-year period. Between January 2015 and December 2018, Performance Audit Services produced 81 audits, covering an assortment of government programs and topics, including state water systems, child care regulation, secure care juvenile justice facilities, statewide sexual harassment policies, management of state lands, tax credits, state bond practices, and multiple areas within the Medicaid program. In total, the reports contained 350 recommendations to various agencies and 42 matters for legislative consideration.

Performance Audit Services also received the Excellence in Research Methods Award. This award is given to the office or offices using exemplary research methods in an evaluation or audit report. Performance auditors were recognized for the innovative methodology they developed to evaluate the Louisiana State Bond Commission’s oversight of local government bond issuance costs.

In addition, Performance Audit Services was awarded an NLPES Certificate of Impact. The Certificates of Impact are presented to offices producing an evaluation or audit report that result in documented public policy changes, program improvements, dollar savings, or other public impacts. Performance auditors received the certificate for their March 2017 report, “Water Rates in Louisiana – Louisiana Public Service Commission.”

The purpose of the audit was to evaluate whether the rates charged by governmental water systems were high enough to cover their expenses, and whether the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) approved water rates for private water systems in a timely manner. Auditors found the PSC did not always approve requests for water rate changes in the required timeframe, while a significant number of the state’s governmental water systems spent more than they collected in revenue.

In March 2018, Governor John Bel Edwards formed an emergency task force, the Rural Water Infrastructure Committee, to try to prevent more water system crises like the one that occurred in the Town of St. Joseph. The task force requested all of the data on water systems that performance auditors had compiled and developed a list of the state’s 10 water systems most likely to collapse.

During the current legislative session, legislators passed Senate Bill 170 by Senator Francis Thompson to formally establish the Rural Water Infrastructure Committee. The measure requires the committee to develop a comprehensive plan to address deteriorating public water supply systems across the state.

“Part of the goal of the LLA’s work is to provide state and local officials with information they can use to make decisions that will help move Louisiana forward,” Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera said. “These awards are a testament to our staff’s commitment to that goal. I am proud of the work of our performance auditors and delighted they have received this recognition.”