This quarter’s message is devoted to all of our hard working members who diligently work behind the scenes on ALGA’s many committees. The purpose of the committees, according to ALGA’s Constitution and Bylaws, is to “assist in carrying out the programs and operations of the Association.” In my short time as president of ALGA, I’ve come to realize how limited that definition is and that it really does not do justice to the effort that many of our members devote to committee work or to the level of professionalism that they exhibit in performing that work.
I have had numerous conversations during the past several months with the committee chairs as they embark on the year’s (or more) worth of work that lies ahead of them. The one thing that stands out among all of them is the enthusiasm with which they approach their work and that they generate among their committee members. For all of these members, the reward is not only in what they contribute to ALGA, but also in what that work contributes to the advancement of the auditing profession.
Here are some of the recent and planned accomplishments of our committees:
The Advocacy Committee , chaired by Ross Tate of Maricopa County, Arizona, recently updated two ALGA brochures used to advocate for the creation and enhancement of independent audit functions. The committee has responded to numerous requests from local governments who are interested in establishing new audit functions or are considering eliminating or reducing the resources of their audit functions. The committee recently established an advisory group of members who work one-on-one with specific organizations in need of advocacy services but do not participate in all of the activities of the committee.
George McGowan, Audit Manager for Orlando, Florida, recently became chair of the Awards Committee . During the year, the Awards Committee will focus on clarifying the evaluation criteria and developing a system for ensuring consistency in how the criteria are used when judging award submissions.
Plans are currently underway to establish a new Communications Committee , which will incorporate the responsibilities of the previous Editorial Committee and maintenance of the ALGA website, as well as assume other responsibilities. Janis Koch from Multnomah County, Oregon, and current editor of the Local Government Auditing Quarterly, will chair this committee. One of the Communications Committee’s initial efforts will focus on developing the Quarterly into a more professional-looking publication and increasing the number of articles and book reviews relevant to local government auditors.
The Education Committee , chaired by Stan Wilmer of Denver, Colorado, continues to provide our members high-quality, low-cost training opportunities, and recently sponsored another successful training session in Orlando, Florida. Our members consistently give these sessions high evaluations, which is a direct reflection of this committee’s hard work. The committee recently implemented an on-line training program that allows members to obtain free CPE by participating in the “Quizzer” training project for the ALGA Quarterly and worked with the Peer Review Committee to implement an on-line version of the popular training on how to conduct a ALGA peer review.
The Long-Term Conference Planning Committee, chaired by Chris Dawkins of Orange County, Florida, recently clarified the boundaries of each region and the guidance for evaluating proposals from organizations wishing to host the annual ALGA conference. By the time you read this, the committee will be in the process of evaluating proposals for the location that will host the 2009 annual conference, to be held somewhere in the western region.
The MembershipCommittee, chaired by Gary Nienhuis of Modesto, California, diligently works to increase ALGA’s membership and retain current members. The committee follows up on leads for new members through an active recruiting and referral program. During the year, the committee plans to update ALGA’s membership brochure and continue promoting ALGA as the professional organization for local government auditors.
The Peer Review Committee , chaired by Amanda Noble of Kansas City, Missouri, continues to provide low-cost, quality peer reviews to our members. The committee is currently working on a project to incorporate Red Book audits into the Peer Review Guide, and plans to begin testing the guide later this year in audit shops that conduct Red Book audits.
The Professional Issues Committee , chaired by Debbie Taylor, Jackson County, Oregon, is preparing to conduct its second emerging issues survey. The committee devotes much of its time to monitoring new developments in the audit profession and providing input to standard-setting bodies regarding the concerns of ALGA members. The committee recently reviewed and commented on two ISACA exposure drafts, is developing a model job description for chief audit executives, and is initiating a project for ALGA members to share their policies and procedures through the Internet.
As you can see from these summaries, there is a lot of work that goes on outside of the board meetings and the annual conference. Over 60 of our members actively participate on one of these committees. The devotion of our committee members to making ALGA your professional organization is one of the reasons for our success. The strength of the committees has grown significantly over the years as our organization has grown. I encourage those of you who have not taken the opportunity to participate on a committee to do so as ALGA continues to grow in the future.
Harriet Richardson is Performance Audits Director of San Francisco, California.
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