Work in Progress

At any time, the OAG has a number of audits or reviews in progress. Click the report name to view a brief description and the audit criteria (what we looked at).

Projects in the Reporting Phase

Learn more about the reporting phase.

Examining Board Governance

These examinations focus on the governance of Crown agencies, including the relationship with their respective ministries. "Governance" refers to the structures and processes by which an organization is directed, controlled, and held to account. Good governance supports an organization to achieve its goals and objectives.

Four Crown agencies were selected for examination:

BC Transit (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure),
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (Ministry of Health),
University of Northern British Columbia (Ministry of Advanced Education), and
Camosun College (Ministry of Advanced Education).

Our objectives are the same for all four governance examinations:

Does the Board’s composition, size, term length, compensation, and appointment process result in a Board with members that have the capacity to fulfil their governance roles?
Has government made its performance expectations for the agency clear, and does it monitor compliance with them?
Is the Board taking the necessary steps to fulfil its roles and responsibilities, thereby providing effective governance for the Crown agency?

Managing B.C.'s Timber Resource

The objective of the audit is to determine whether the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is achieving its forest objectives for timber.

Criteria

Has the ministry clearly defined its forest objectives for timber?
Does the ministry have effective management practices to achieve its desired objectives for timber?
Does the ministry appropriately monitor and report its timber results against its objectives for timber?

Development Initiative Trusts

In October 2004, the government of B.C. introduced legislation to establish the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) from proceeds realized from the sale of BC Rail. In April 2005 the government announced its intention to create two additional Development Initiative Trusts: the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust (SIDIT) and the North Island-Coast Development Initiative Trust (NICDIT).

NDIT received $185 million between 2005 and 2006. SIDIT and NICDIT each received $50 million in 2005, and began their operations as regionally operated economic development funding corporations. The Trusts were established with the intent to give regional communities the “funding, control and ability to identify and pursue new opportunities for stimulating sustainable economic growth and job creation in their regions.”

The audits examine whether the Development Initiative Trusts are publically accountable.

Criteria

Are the Development Initiative Trusts meeting the legislative requirements of their respective Acts?
Are the Development Initiative Trusts meeting public accountability reporting good practice standards?

Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project P3

The objective of the audit is to conclude on the effectiveness of the Ministry of Transportation’s management of the Sea-to-Sky Highway Concession Agreement in meeting its goals for the project.

Criteria

Was design and construction risk effectively transferred to the Concessionaire?
Has the Ministry developed appropriate OMR (Operations, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation) contract governance and management tools and managed them effectively?
Can the Ministry demonstrate that it is achieving the project’s key objectives of improved safety, reliability and capacity through a well-designed and effectively managed contract?

Britannia Mines Water Treatment Plant P3 Project

The objective of this audit is to assess whether government’s objectives for the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant P3 are being met.

Criteria

Did construction of the treatment plant meet the government’s objectives?
Are government’s financial and environmental objectives being met?

Receivables Management

This audit examines whether government is effective at managing accounts receivable. Six revenue portfolios, representing the range of models for accounts receivable management, were selected:

Tax receivables portfolios:

Ministry of Finance: Property Transfer Tax
Ministry of Finance: Rural and School Property Tax

Non-tax receivables portfolios:

Ministry of Finance: Medical Services Premium
Ministry of Health: Ambulance Charges
Ministry of Attorney General: Court-Related Fines and Penalties
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General: Motor Vehicle-Related Fines and Penalties

Projects in the Conducting Phase

Learn more about the conducting phase.

(No projects at this time.)

Projects in the Follow-up Phase

Learn more about the follow-up phase.

Follow-up report spring 2012: The Office's next semi-annual follow-up report will include updates on a variety of projects. It will be issued in April 2012.