Reports and Publications

The following reports are provided by the Office of the City Auditor.

2024 Reports

Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Audit Plan | Adopted December 12, 2023(PDF, 3MB)

Council Adoption Date 

Audit Report Name

Description
May 21, 2024 Public Safety Building Construction Audit Report(PDF, 1009KB)

This audit aims to verify that billings from contractors working on the new Public Safety Building project were contractually compliant and authorized by the City.
August 2024 Procurement Process Review Audit(PDF, 1MB) This audit evaluates the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of the needs assessment, budgeting, solicitation, and vendor selection processes to ensure value for money and fair competition, compliance with laws, regulations, and City policies, and proper use of technology. It also identifies opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement process.
August 2024 Parking Permit Technology Contracts Audit(PDF, 891KB)

This review assesses whether the City implements adequate policies and procedures to protect the privacy of personal information collected through parking permit technology. It also evaluates if the City monitors the vendor's performance to ensure compliance with contract terms and data privacy laws and regulations.
September 2024 Technology Applications Disaster Recovery Preparedness Assessment Audit(PDF, 672KB)

This review evaluates the current disaster recovery plan for high priority applications and infrastructure, assessing documentation adequacy and identifying additional documentation needs. It also examines current disaster recovery capabilities and provides recommendations to address capability gaps and update documentation.
November 2024  ADA Compliance Audit(PDF, 1MB)

This audit aims to determine whether improvements have been made to make facilities, programs, and services compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and in accordance with the City of Palo Alto’s ADA Transition Plan Update (Plan Update).
December 2024 Recruitment & Succession Planning Audit(PDF, 775KB) This audit aims to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the recruitment and hiring process and whether a formal succession plan and related policies and procedures (“P&P”) are in place.

2023 Reports

Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Audit Plan | Adopted February 15, 2022(PDF, 842KB)

Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Risk Assessment | Adopted December 12, 2023(PDF, 2MB)

Council Adoption Date 

Audit Report Name

Description
March 14, 2023 Electronic Payment Process and Controls(PDF, 812KB)

This review aims to determine whether internal controls effectively ensure that all electronic payments are valid and whether end user security awareness training is sufficient to prevent erroneous payments through phishing.
March 14, 2023 Remote and Flexible Work Study(PDF, 966KB) This audit evaluates the City's remote and flexible work policy and procedure and identifies position eligibility criteria for remote and flexible work schedules.
December 12, 2023 Investment Management Audit(PDF, 5MB) This review assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of the investment portfolio management and determines whether internal controls effectively ensure that investments are properly managed in accordance with the investment policy.
December 12, 2023 Wastewater Treatment Plant Agreement Audit(PDF, 2MB) This audit investigates whether costs related to the wastewater treatment plant are properly accounted for and allocated and whether internal controls effectively ensure compliance with contracts and regulations.

2022 Reports

Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Audit Plan | Adopted January 15, 2021(PDF, 1001KB)

Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Risk Assessment | Adopted February 15, 2022(PDF, 1MB) 

Council Adoption Date 

Audit Report Name

Description
March 15, 2022 Economic Resiliency Review(PDF, 1007KB)

This audit reviews the City's long-term financial planning models and inputs, recommends improvements, identifies and evaluates key revenue sources that present long-term risk to the City's financial sustainability, and performs scenario analysis.
April 10, 2022 Building Permitting Process Review(PDF, 1MB) This review of the building permitting process identifies high-impact areas to focus the assessment, documents and evaluates corresponding processes, and benchmarks operational performance against industry practices.
June 14, 2022 Nonprofit Agreement Risk Management Review(PDF, 1MB) This review determines whether appropriate procedures are applied for entering into and monitoring agreements with nonprofit organizations, and whether monitoring activities effectively ensure nonprofit organizations meet performance requirements.
August 9, 2022 Utility Work Order Process & Control Review(PDF, 1MB) This audit report analyzes the City's utility work order processes and evaluates the effectiveness of relevant internal controls.

2021 Reports

Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Audit Plan | Adopted January 15, 2021(PDF, 1001KB)

Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Risk Assessment | Adopted January 15, 2021(PDF, 1MB)

Council Adoption Date 

Audit Report Name

Description
July 30, 2021 Asset Capitalization Review - Construction In Progress(PDF, 1MB)

This review aims to identify the cause of the $12.6M capital asset adjustment made during FY2020 and determine whether internal controls ensure that costs associated with construction in progress are properly categorized and recorded.
September 30, 2021 Information Technology (IT) Risk Management Assessment
 This assessment aims to understand key risk areas within IT governance strategy, evaluate the adequacy of the control environment, and offer recommendations for improvement.
October 20, 2021 Construction Project Controls Assessment This assessment reviews documented policies and procedures, assesses the adequacy of current project risk controls, and verifies that implemented procedures conform to the documented policy.
November 4, 2021 Power Purchase Agreement Assessment This audit aims to understand the City's process for entering into power purchase agreements, evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls and the management of agreements, and validate the accuracy and compliance of billing.
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