WA performance audits: Beyond gotcha?

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Washington State's bold embrace of performance audits of state and local governments has drawn a mixed review from GOVERNING magazine. The Legislature adopted a performance audit law in 2005, and it was soon expanded by the voters that fall, via Tim Eyman's Initiative 900. The state has long done financial audits, tracking how public dollars are spent and accounted for. Performance audits go a big step further, looking at how effectively the money is spent. Entire agencies and programs, as well as local and regional programs and agencies, are scrutinized. The magazine, widely read in government circles, says Washington is being closely watched, since "performance auditing is an evolving and somewhat controversial practice." Some critics say auditors should place sole focus on financial audits and "have no business wandering into program or policy evaluation or making judgments about whether government is actually operating efficiently and effectively," writer Jonathan Walters said. Others wonder if the process is "adding value" and whether it's too adversarial, he added. But State Auditor Brian Sonntag, a huge fan of performance audits, is quoted as standing by the project and his office's methods and selection of auditees. He said the program is already paying big dividends in cost savings and more effective operations. His website says nearly two dozen performance audits already have identified $3.8 billion in one-time and long-term potential savings.