The Auditor General of Québec issues the conclusions of her performance audit concerning the administrative management of CEGEPs - Press Release no. 3

QUÉBEC, Nov. 23, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Ms. Guylaine Leclerc makes public the Fall 2016 Volume of the Report of the Auditor General of Québec to the National Assembly for 2016‑2017. In Chapter 3, she makes known the results of her audit carried out at five CEGEPs and at the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur.

Activities included in the contract management process of the audited CEGEPs are not carried out rigorously. Cost overruns and non-compliance with certain deadlines and with regulations were observed. For 22% of the contracts analyzed, cost overruns varying from 12 to 85% in relation to the initial value of the contracts were noted. In addition, for 17 contracts, the performance time frame exceeded the planned schedule by 4 to 72 weeks. The average overrun for these contracts reached 149%. Furthermore, for 7 contracts granted by 3 of the 5 audited CEGEPs, the solicitation method used did not comply with current regulations or with the CEGEP's contract management policy, without adequate justification.

The audited CEGEPs have better knowledge of their buildings. However, the quality of the information needs to be improved for CEGEPs to have a more complete picture of their buildings and adequately estimate the sums required to maximize their useful life. Moreover, work related to asset maintenance is generally carried out as planned and in accordance with identified priorities. However, in three of the five audited CEGEPs, no structured preventive maintenance program has been implemented.

In certain cases, the financial information relating to self-funded services does not allow decision makers to assess whether partnerships are profitable. In other cases, the information is insufficient, which does not enable them to assess the achievement of results. More specifically, knowledge about costs is incomplete, as the allocation of these costs is often missing, arbitrary or partial.

Nearly 40% of the agreements relating to self-funded services that we analyzed were imprecise or lacked significant related elements, which can increase financial risks for CEGEPs. Sometimes, the agreements do not specify expected services or responsibilities of the parties. In other cases, they do not contain any modification or termination clause.

The Department does not ensure compliance with budget rules pertaining to donations and contributions to organizations. Four of the five audited CEGEPs made donations and contributions representing a little over $65,000 that may not be in compliance with the rules established by the Department.

The Highlights are available at www.vgq.qc.ca. The full report and a video summarizing the audit are available only in French.

Source:

Lucie Roy, Director of Communications Auditor General of Québec Tel.: [phone]

SOURCE Vérificateur Général du Québec

Lucie Roy, Director of Communications, Auditor General of Québec, Tel.: [phone]