Auditor-General's overview

In recent months, I have published on the Office of the Auditor-General's website (www.oag.govt.nz) a series of articles that discuss the progress that a number of public entities have made in implementing recommendations I made in eight performance audit reports published in 2010 and 2011.

This represents a different approach by my Office, to provide timely and accessible information about where good progress and improvements have been made, and where further work still needs to be done. It is also richer information than in previous progress reports – my staff have examined what entities have done, to obtain a more in-depth understanding of what has been achieved and where barriers still remain.

Although these articles do not necessarily represent a full and final assessment of actions and improvements, I have now combined them in one report for Parliament to consider through the select committee process as it sees fit.

The eight progress articles represent a wide range of performance audit activity – from home-based support services for older people and access to out-of-hours services for local communities to protecting our maritime domain and lessons to be learned from management of the Crown's Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

In response to all eight performance audits, the entities have made improvements by acting on my recommendations.

However, not all of my recommendations have been fully implemented. In some instances, this is because the recommendations are not "quick fixes". In other instances, the public entities need to do more to secure the intended improvements. My staff will continue to monitor the progress of these entities through our ongoing contact with them.

I thank the staff of the public entities discussed in this report for their co-operation, and encourage them to continue to make improvements to achieve effective and efficient results.

Lyn Provost
Controller and Auditor-General

10 July 2014

Articles published

• Delivering scheduled services to patients
• Department of Internal Affairs and grants administration
• The Treasury: Learning from managing the Crown Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme
• New Zealand Customs Service: Managing Trade Assurance capability risks
• District health boards: Availability and accessibility of after-hours services
• Home-based support services for older people
• Effectiveness of arrangements for co-ordinating civilian maritime patrols
• Inland Revenue Department: Making it easy for taxpayers to comply