1. COUNCIL AUDIT WORKING GROUP - 2005 - 2008 AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS - QUARTERLY ACTION STATUS REPORt

GROUPe de travail du conseil sur la vérification - recommandations découlant des vérifications de 2005 À 2008 - rapport d'étape trimestriel

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

That Council:

1. Receive for information the ongoing action status tracking report for the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 audit recommendations as of December 31, 2008 as outlined in Documents 1 - 4; and

2. Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the following 2006 audit recommendations as outlined in Document 5, specifically:

a. Fire Services Audit recommendations no. 12, 15 and 19b); and

3. Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the following 2007 audit recommendations as outlined in Document 6, specifically:

a. 3-1-1 Audit recommendations no. 7 and 10

b. Labour Relations Audit recommendations no. 10, 11 and 18

c. Staffing Relations Audit recommendations no. 6 and 8

d. Food Safety Audit recommendations no. 2 and 10

e. Pesticide Use Policy Audit recommendation no. 5

f. Parks and Recreation Branch Audit recommendations no. 6, 15, 17 and 21

RECOMMANDATIONS DU COMITÉ

Que le Conseil :

1. prenne connaissance du rapport sur l’état de la mise en œuvre des recommandations découlant des vérifications de 2005, 2006, 2007 et 2008 en date du 31 décembre 2008, comme le précisent les documents 1 à 4;

2. approuve les modifications visant la mise en œuvre des recommandations suivantes découlant de la vérification de 2006 énoncées dans le document 5, à savoir :

a. recommandations n^os 12, 15 et 19b) concernant la vérification du Service des incendies d’Ottawa;

3. approuve les modifications visant la mise en œuvre des recommandations suivantes découlant de la vérification de 2007 énoncées dans le document 6, à savoir :

a) recommandations n^os 7 et 10 concernant la vérification du Centre d’appels 3-1-1,

b) recommandations n^os 10, 11 et 18 concernant la vérification des relations de travail,

c) recommandations n^os 6 et 8 concernant la vérification de la dotation en personnel,

d) recommandations n^os 2 et 10 concernant la vérification du Programme de salubrité des aliments,

e) recommandation n^o 5 concernant la vérification de la Politique sur l’utilisation des pesticides,

f) recommandations n^os 6, 15, 17 et 21 concernant la vérification de la Direction des parcs et loisirs.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Council Audit Working Group report dated 31 March 2009 (ACS2008-CMR-OCM-0001).

Report to/Rapport au :

Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee

Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique

and Council / et au Conseil

31 March 2009 / le 31 mars 2009

Submitted by/Soumis par : Council Audit Working Group / Groupe de travail du Conseil sur la vérification

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Kent Kirkpatrick, City Manager /

Directeur des services municipaux

(613) 580-2424 x 25657, kent.kirkpatrick@ottawa.ca

City Wide / À l’échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2009-CMR-OCM-0001

SUBJECT:	COUNCIL AUDIT WORKING GROUP - 2005 - 2008 AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS - QUARTERLY ACTION STATUS REPORt
OBJET :	GROUPe de travail du conseil sur la vérification - recommandations découlant des vérifications de 2005 À 2008 - rapport d'étape trimestriel

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend Council:

1. Receive for information the ongoing action status tracking report for the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 audit recommendations as of December 31, 2008 as outlined in Documents 1 - 4; and

2. Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the following 2006 audit recommendations as outlined in Document 5, specifically:

a. Fire Services Audit recommendations no. 12, 15 and 19b); and

3. Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the following 2007 audit recommendations as outlined in Document 6, specifically:

a. 3-1-1 Audit recommendations no. 7 and 10

b. Labour Relations Audit recommendations no. 10, 11 and 18

c. Staffing Relations Audit recommendations no. 6 and 8

d. Food Safety Audit recommendations no. 2 and 10

e. Pesticide Use Policy Audit recommendation no. 5

f. Parks and Recreation Branch Audit recommendations no. 6, 15, 17 and 21

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique recommande au Conseil :

1. de prendre connaissance du rapport sur l’état de la mise en œuvre des recommandations découlant des vérifications de 2005, 2006, 2007 et 2008 en date du 31 décembre 2008, comme le précisent les documents 1 à 4;

2. d’approuver les modifications visant la mise en œuvre des recommandations suivantes découlant de la vérification de 2006 énoncées dans le document 5, à savoir :

a) recommandations n^os 12, 15 et 19b) concernant la vérification du Service des incendies d’Ottawa;

3. d’approuver les modifications visant la mise en œuvre des recommandations suivantes découlant de la vérification de 2007 énoncées dans le document 6, à savoir :

a) recommandations n^os 7 et 10 concernant la vérification du Centre d’appels 3-1-1,

b) recommandations n^os 10, 11 et 18 concernant la vérification des relations de travail,

c) recommandations n^os 6 et 8 concernant la vérification de la dotation en personnel,

d) recommandations n^os 2 et 10 concernant la vérification du Programme de salubrité des aliments,

e) recommandation n^o 5 concernant la vérification de la Politique sur l’utilisation des pesticides,

f) recommandations n^os 6, 15, 17 et 21 concernant la vérification de la Direction des parcs et loisirs.

BACKGROUND

Since the establishment of the Council Audit Working Group (CAWG) in May 2006, the group has been meeting on an ongoing basis with the City Manager, the Auditor General and City staff as required.

The Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and City Council have considered and approved previous quarterly reports on the 2005 and 2006 audit recommendations action status as well as an adjustment to implementation of recommendations for some of the audit recommendations under dispute.

The purpose of this report is to provide the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and Council with the following:

• A quarterly status update on implementation of the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 audit recommendations (Documents 1 to 4); and
• Recommendation for revisions regarding the implementation of recommendations from the:

- 2006 Ottawa Fire Services Audit (Document 5)

- 2007 3-1-1 Audit (Document 6)

- 2007 Labour Relations Audit (Document 6)

- 2007 Staffing Audit, which includes a direction to the City Manager to review the definition of “family member” contained in the portion of the Hiring Policy that relates to employees (Document 6)

- 2007 Food Safety Audit (Document 6)

- 2007 Parks and Recreation Audit (Document 6)

- 2007 Pesticide Use Policy Audit (Document 6)

DISCUSSION

The CAWG was created to oversee the implementation of the audit recommendations and provide a body for discussion with the Auditor General, appointed members of Council and senior management to further discuss the audit recommendations under dispute or where circumstances may have changed.

The primary focus of the CAWG has been to receive additional background information on the 2005, 2006 and 2007 audit recommendations where the Auditor General and management had differing opinions, and to formulate recommendations for decision by CSEDC and Council on the disputed item. These management responses have been the subject of discussions between the Auditor General, the City Manager and the CAWG. In a majority of the cases, consensus was achieved on revisions to the implementation of the audit recommendations, with only a small number of cases where further discussion and analysis was required.

2005 to 2006 Audits – Action Status Tracking

(Documents 1 and 2)

Document 1 provides the action status tracking of recommendations from the 2005 audits as of December 31, 2008. The Emergency Management Program, Real Estate Management and Procurement audits are 100% complete. Further progress has been made on implementing the remaining audit recommendations, with the majority of the audits being over 80% completed. This is provided to the CSEDC and Council for its information.

Document 2 provides the action status tracking of recommendations from the 2006 audits as of December 31, 2008. The Munster Hamlet audit is 100% complete. Further progress has been made on implementing the remaining audit recommendations, with six audits being over 70% completed. This is provided to the CSEDC and Council for its information.

With the resolution of Fire Services recommendations 12, 15 and 19b) as indicated in Document 5, all 2005 and 2006 recommendations, including items under dispute in the 2006 Fraud and Waste audits, have been resolved.

2007 Audits – Action Status Tracking

(Document 3)

CAWG received their first status tracking update on the 2007 Audit recommendations at the September 22, 2008 meeting. The Light Rail Transit Financial Information and Procurement of Fax Machines audits are 100% complete. Progress has been made on implementing the remaining audit recommendations, with fourteen audits over 50% completed. This is provided to the CSEDC and Council for its information.

2008 Audits – Action Status Tracking

(Document 4)

CAWG received their first status tracking update on the 2008 Audit recommendations, tabled to date, at the February 19, 2009 meeting. This is provided to the CSEDC and Council for its information.

2006 Audit Recommendations

(Document 5)

For recommendations 12, 15 and 19b) in the 2006 Fire Services audit, the CAWG and the Auditor General agreed to the recommended revisions as outlined in Document 5.

2007 Audit Recommendations

(Document 6)

For the following recommendations, the CAWG and the Auditor General agreed to the recommended revisions as outlined in Document 6:

· 3-1-1 Audit recommendations no. 7 and 10

· Labour Relations Audit recommendations no. 10, 11 and 18

· Staffing Relations Audit recommendations no. 6 and 8

· Food Safety Audit recommendations no. 2 and 10

· Pesticide Use Policy Audit recommendation no. 5

· Parks and Recreation Branch Audit recommendations no. 6, 15, 17 and 21

The CAWG endorsed staff’s recommendation with respect to Staffing Relations Audit recommendation 6 that the City Manager be directed to review the definition of “family member” contained in the portion of the Hiring Policy that relates to employees, with a view to establishing a broader definition of “family member” that is in keeping with the spirit and intent of the policy and the law in this regard, and to report such direction to Council.

A review of the definition of “family member” as it relates to employees will be incorporated into the work being undertaken by the City Solicitor and Clerk to revise the Code of Conduct.

CONSULTATION

The CAWG and the Auditor General receive the status tracking documents for their information quarterly at CAWG meetings.

Consultation was held with the applicable department heads as part of drafting this report. Consultation will continue as part of the ongoing discussions related to the implementation surrounding some of the audit recommendations.

Public consultation is not applicable and was not conducted as part of this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications associated with this action status report.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1: Status tracking for the 2005 audits as of December 31, 2008 (Previously issued to all members of Council and held on file with the City Clerk )

Document 2: Status tracking for the 2006 audits as of December 31, 2008 (Previously issued to all members of Council and held on file with the City Clerk)

Document 3: Status tracking for the 2007 audits as of December 31, 2008 (Previously issued to all members of Council and held on file with the City Clerk)

Document 4: Status tracking for the 2008 audits as of December 31, 2008 (Previously issued to all members of Council and held on file with the City Clerk)

Document 5: 2006 Audit Recommendations and Management Comments – Requested revisions with respect to implementation of recommendations for the Fire Services Audit (Attached to the report.)

Document 6: 2007 Audit Recommendations and Management Comments – Requested revisions with respect to implementation of recommendations for the 3-1-1, Labour Relations, Staffing, Food Safety, Pesticide Use Policy and Parks and Recreation Branch Audits (Attached to the report.)

DISPOSITION

The applicable department head and staff will continue to work on implementation of the audit recommendations as noted.

The City Solicitor and Clerk will review the definition of “family member” as it relates to employees as part of the working being undertaken to revise the Code of Conduct.

The Council Audit Working Group and the City Manager will continue to work with the Auditor General on the resolution and implementation of recommendations that are subject to further discussion.

Documents 1 - 4

2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Action Status Tracking

Issued separately and on file with the City Clerk.

Document 5

Recommendation 2 - a)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the Fire Services Audit recommendation no. 12, 15 and 19b), as outlined in Document 5;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
Fire Services Audit - Rec. 12 That the Ottawa Fire Service implement a formal management-led incident debriefing process, including a standard format for discussion and documentation of all findings and recommendations and report the results on all major incidents to senior management.	Design and implement a formal management-led incident debriefing process.	These items were originally discussed at the CAWG in October 2007 and it was agreed that they would be revisited when the arbitrator ruled on allowing unionized staff to become management. An update on the arbitration ruling was provided to CAWG on November 21, 2008.	No	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved management’s recommendation that implementation of this recommendation be reviewed as part of the corporate realignment initiative.
Fire Services Audit - Rec. 15 That the Ottawa Fire Services explore other potential opportunities to revise its management structure including: · Assigning Platoon Chiefs to non-shift regular hours; and, · Exchanging the existing non-unionized Rural Sector Chief positions with the existing Platoon Chief positions.			No	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved management’s recommendation that implementation of this recommendation be reviewed as part of the corporate realignment initiative.
Fire Services Audit - Rec. 19b) That the Community and Protective Service Department explore the potential for: · Consolidating its communications centre operations on a department-wide basis.			No	At its February 25, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed the following approach as being sufficient to consider implementation of this recommendation complete: As part of the 2008 budget deliberations, Council directed a review of the department’s communications centre operations. A report on consolidated dispatch is being undertaken by a consultant and is expected in Q2 2009. The Auditor General will be reviewing progress made in the 2009 follow-up audit.

Document 6

Recommendation 3 - a)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the 3-1-1 Audit recommendations no. 7 & 10, as outlined in Document 6;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
3-1-1 Audit - Rec. 7 That the compensation budget for the 3-1-1 Contact Centre not be increased until management can demonstrate compliance with the Collective Agreement for shift premiums paid to staff.			No	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed that they consider implementation of this recommendation complete further to the following: In consultation with Labour Relations and CUPE 503 Administration, this matter was resolved on May 31, 2008. Management can demonstrate compliance with the collective agreement.
3-1-1 Audit - Rec. 10 That 3-1-1 management use the results of the “mystery calling” program as a baseline for measuring performance, and continue to perform similar assessments on an ongoing basis to track performance and provide feedback to Agents.			Yes	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: This recommendation is tied to Council approved motions to improve quality assurance and performance of the 3-1-1 Contact Centre. Management reported back to Council with a business plan and related budget requirement to implement a comprehensive quality assurance program for the 3-1-1 Contact Centre, along with other service improvement options for Council’s consideration, in time for 2009 budget discussions. Given that a mystery calling program and client surveys are included within the comprehensive quality assurance plan management believes that it can now move forward on this recommendation.

Recommendation 3 – b)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the Labour Relations Audit recommendations no. 10, 11 & 18, as outlined in Document 6;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
Labour Relations Audit - Rec. 10 That whenever a discipline incident leads to a grievance, Employee Services prepare a brief synopsis of the issue to consult with Legal at this very early stage. Legal may be able to provide insight into the strategy to avoid what may be needless wrangling or to identify the ingredients to success.			Yes	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: Employee Services agreed to share all discipline grievance files electronically with Legal Services through a shared drive. Employee Services and Legal Services will pursue the possibility of using new software “an eDM collaboration tool” which will facilitate the sharing of grievance files within a limited access common area. The recent realignment of the Labour Relations Division under the City Solicitor will foster cohesive management of grievances and arbitration.
Labour Relations Audit - Rec. 11 That whenever arbitration is scheduled, the affected manager, LRC and a representative of Legal Services are required, as a matter of internal discipline policy, to convene a meeting immediately to review the issues, which are the object of the arbitration. As a result of this meeting, all three parties will agree on a course of action for the arbitration, and the client (manager) will be versed of settlement options and benefits in advance of the hearing – with all three parties committing to a course of action and helping to foster cohesive management resolve.			Yes	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: With respect to the first part of this recommendation, preparation for arbitration is generally undertaken with the involvement of line management, Labour Relations and Legal Services in order to review the issues and all possible options for resolution. With respect to the second part of this recommendation, matters arising from the arbitration process reside in Legal Services under the Delegation of Authority By-law as the City’s representative for all litigation matters. The Law Society’s rules of professional practice obligate the Legal Services’ lawyers to provide the best advice to their respective client (the line manager).

Labour Relations Audit - Rec. 11 (cont’d)		The realignment of Labour Relations under the City Solicitor/Clerk and the sharing of electronic grievance files between Legal Services and Employee Services will foster the cohesive management resolve to arbitration hearings as recommended by the Auditor General.
Labour Relations Audit - Rec. 18 That the ultimate decision to proceed with matters be a joint decision between the parties concerned (Line Manager, Labour Relations, Legal Services) and that there be a mechanism (i.e. City Manager or delegate) to resolve differences between these parties in the event of disagreement for the interests of the whole and that such decisions be thoroughly documented to avoid having cases proceed to arbitration unnecessarily.	No	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed the following approach as being sufficient to consider implementation of this recommendation complete: Management agrees that the line manager should be involved throughout the decision-making process and should have the option of consulting with the department head and the City Manager at any time – this is the process that currently exists. In April 2007, the City Manager sub-delegated legal matters under the Delegation of Authority By-Law to the City Solicitor, including arbitrations. He also sub-delegated various labour relations matters to the Director of Employee Services, including grievances. In addition, the City Clerk/Solicitor is a member of the City’s Executive Management Committee, an appropriate forum to resolve any disputes arising from the arbitration process. The recent realignment of Labour Relations under the City Solicitor will foster the cohesive management resolve to arbitration hearings as recommended by the Auditor General.

Recommendation 3 - c)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the Staffing Audit recommendations no. 6 & 8, as outlined in Document 6;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
Staffing Audit - Rec. 6 That Employee Services review the policy “definitions” to include a broader definition of “family”. Once the policy is modified, ensure appropriate communication strategy to clearly explain to all hiring managers and employees the importance of being free from any real or perceived improper influence based on familial relationships in order to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the City’s hiring and employment practices. Family members in existing direct reporting relationships should be reassigned.			No	At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG directed the City Manager to review the definition of “family member” contained in the portion of the Hiring Policy that relates to employees, with a view to establishing a broader definition of “family member” that is in keeping with the spirit and intent of the policy and the law in this regard, and to report such direction to Council. The Auditor General was in agreement with the abovementioned direction.
Staffing Audit - Rec. 8 That senior management retain search firms only after City processes do not generate qualified candidates and that, in those cases, allocation of work be balanced as per this recommendation outlined in the 2005 Audit of Procurement.				At its November 21, 2008 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed the following approach as being sufficient to consider implementation of this recommendation complete: Employee Services and the client department will assess the current market specific to the position being recruited for and will conduct a preliminary assessment of internal resources using each branch’s succession plans which are part of the City’s overall talent management strategy. The City will only use executive search firms to recruit for senior management positions and positions requiring specialized skills where this assessment warrants it.

Staffing Audit - Rec. 8 (cont’d)

When competing the standing offer in the fall of 2008, greater emphasis was put on the financial component of the evaluation and consideration was given to pre-qualifying fewer firms. Additionally, the call-up procedure for each executive search includes seeking proposals from all of the pre-qualified firms with the selection based on best value considering both professional services offered and cost.

Recommendation 3 - d)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the Food Safety Audit recommendations no. 2 & 10, as outlined in Document 6;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
Food Safety Audit - Rec. 2 That management inform the Province of non-compliance concerns and planned corrective action.			No	At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: While the MOHLTC does not require health departments to describe planned corrective action, management supports the development of a comprehensive Strategic Food Safety Report to be presented to Council on a yearly basis. This report will outline sustainable solutions to address non-compliance and will be sent to the MOHLTC for information. Management considers the Board of Health the appropriate agency to make recommendations regarding non-compliance, corrective action and related budgetary implications.
Food Safety Audit - Rec. 10 That management, once a more strategic approach to managing the Food Safety Program has been established, pursue the feasibility of inspection fees or especially a surcharge for repeat offenders (i.e., charge for extra visits required to ensure compliance, beyond the Provincially-mandated annual inspection frequency).			No	At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: Some food premise operators repeatedly fail to comply with the Food Premises Regulation. These operators monopolize a Public Health Inspector’s time with re-inspections and complaint investigations. A surcharge fee (fine) may work as a deterrent to address this problem. Pending its compatibility with the Strategic Plan, Management will consider the surcharge fee structure in the context of the Strategic Food Safety Report. A surcharge fee would have to be incorporated into a by-law and passed by Council. Management will present a draft by-law in 2009.

Recommendation 3 - e)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the Pesticide Use Policy Audit recommendation no. 5, as outlined in Document 6;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
Pesticide Use Policy Audit - Rec. 5 That City staff develop a short list of approved pesticides for use by pesticide applicators for specific and recurring circumstances that meet the requirements of the Policy. (Approval of the Medical Officer of Health would still be required prior to applying these approved pesticides.)			No	At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: The Ontario government has passed Bill 64 - Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act, 2008 that is scheduled to come into effect in the spring of 2009. Regulations may be set out to prescribe specific pesticides that may or may not be used in Ontario. Until this legislation comes into force, it would be premature to develop a short list of pesticides for use on City of Ottawa properties. It is proposed that existing protocols be enhanced with the Office of the Medical Officer of Health consulting both the contracted applicator and the requesting staff to determine the most appropriate and least toxic pesticide suitable for each pest condition being considered.

Recommendation 3 - f)

Approve the changes with respect to implementation for the Parks and Recreation Branch Audit recommendations no. 6, 15, 17 & 21 as outlined in Document 6;

Audit Recommendation	Action Required Based on Dept. Head Action Plan	Comments (Risks, issues regarding implementation)	Related Council Motion	CAWG Recommendation / Request for Approval of revised Implementation
Parks & Recreation Branch Audit - Rec. 6 That the Branch develop a consistent approach to determining recreation programming fees, and management should review on a regular basis the justification for the fees established.	Remind all staff of Pricing Tool in Q3 2008. Establish mechanism for program fee review Q2 2009. Document fee deviations and review with management - target Q4 2009 (aggressive target given there are over 15,000 programs to review).		No	At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General approved the following approach: In October 2008, correspondence related to the branch Costing and Pricing Tool was sent to staff to provide direction on the scope of implementation at the program level. This is being used as an interim measure, until further direction is provided from the Recreation Master Plan White Paper with respect to fee setting. Management agreed that while a tool has been developed, the intent of the audit recommendation is to ensure that: the tool has been implemented within the branch, mechanisms are in place to review fees for programs, and the rationale for deviations from the results of the tool are documented and reviewed by the appropriate committees and management respectively.
Parks & Recreation Branch Audit - Rec. 15 That the Branch's Risk Management Review Team include staff training as a part of their workplan and develop a process for increased oversight and compliance to staff training requirements.			No	At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed the following approach as being sufficient to consider implementation of this recommendation complete: A work plan / project charter description was developed by the branch training coordinator and circulated to Parks and Recreation Management Team, which ensures consistent training practices and effectively manages risk.

Parks & Recreation Branch Audit - Rec. 15 (cont’d)	No	A key deliverable was also identified, and includes: development of measures, tracking tools/procedures and branch training reports to monitor compliance and effectiveness of training strategies. A quarterly report has also been developed to provide management with quarterly updates on the training status of staff by facility. Management will continue to monitor staff training in the Branch.
Parks & Recreation Branch Audit - Rec. 17 That the Branch develop and communicate a policy on facility rentals and the requirement for City staff to be on the premises during a rental event.	No	At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed the following approach as being sufficient to consider implementation of this recommendation complete: Management believes that the current process provides an efficient service to the community at a reduced cost to taxpayers. Key agreements and contracts outline the expectations of Parks and Recreation staff and facility users in the execution of the agreement. Key holders agreements are signed by the individual who is issued a key to access the facility and agrees to clauses outlining details associated with: indemnification, evidence of insurance, deposits, etc.

Parks & Recreation Branch Audit - Rec. 21 In order to ensure a high level of public health and safety, that the Branch coordinate the conduct of regular water quality tests of the City's swimming pools.

No

At its February 19, 2009 meeting, CAWG and the Auditor General confirmed the following approach as being sufficient to consider implementation of this recommendation complete: In addition to water testing which already meets the provincially mandated requirements, Program Properties staff implemented water quality testing in City run outdoor pools in the summer of 2008. The results were positive with only three incidents of failed water tests in the smaller (baby pools) attached to larger outdoor pools. Once discovered, the pools were drained, scrubbed, refilled and reopened the next day. The branch will continue the current practice of monthly water testing for outdoor pools.