The City Auditor's Office was established by the City Charter. Today it consists of 11 professional employees and a very busy
executive assistant.
We are committed to providing professional, independent auditing services to City agencies, in order to promote
- Full financial accountability
- Efficiency and effectiveness of operations and programs
- Compliance with relevant laws and regulations
Under the guidance of the city's Audit Committee, the audit staff helps support management's internal control structures. Thereby,
the office assists the City Council and the city administration in achieving their goals and objectives.
We are dedicated not only to the city as a whole, but also to the professional and personal development of our staff. Toward this
end, we offer both a career path to help guide professional growth and on-going educational opportunities.
Please browse through our website. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us directly.
We do welcome suggestions for improving this site. Please do not hesitate to contact us. And if you travel to Richmond, Virginia,
please feel free to stop in for a visit at City Hall. We'll give you the full tour!
Umesh V. Dalal, City Auditor
Internal Auditor for the City of Richmond
Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline
Get rewarded for doing the right thing! Reporting significant fraud, waste and abuse can earn you a reward of 10% of the savings
realized, up to $5,000. City employees and citizens can
report incidents of fraud against the city
or waste and abuse of city resources to (804)646-5697 or www.richmondfraudsquad.org
without fear of retaliation. Please provide as much information as possible, stating the names of persons involved and dates of the
incidents. Share details of the incidents for more effective investigations. A report can be made anonymously.
City employees are required to report all incidents of fraud, waste and abuse to the City Auditor's office.
Remember, reporting these incidents will save city resources for improved services and benefits!
Top 10 Suggestions for a Smoother Audit
- Make sure you have up-to-date policies and procedures.
- Ensure authorization limits are communicated to your department.
- Ensure all assets are safeguarded at all times.
- Establish document control.
- Ensure approval signatures are visible on all required documentation.
- Make sure data is only accessible by authorized personnel.
- Understand your department's risks.
- Ensure adherence to City Code and to Departmental Policies and Procedures.
- Establish objectives and measures for your department and for major programs.
- Track performance to evaluate your success!
Audit Myths and Realities
Myth: Audit is a necessary evil.
Reality: Audit plays a critical role in the success of every organization. We provide independent, objective assessments of risk, controls and compliance; allow for transparency of operations and help to deter fraud. Through the audit process we strive to enhance controls, maximize efficiency and effectiveness, provide cost savings and revenue enhancement, increase awareness of internal controls, and strengthen the effectiveness of management's decision making process.
Myth: My department will not get audited because we do not handle money.
I'm being audited because I did something wrong.
I work very hard, why am I being audited?
Reality:
Several factors are considered and analyzed when determining which department or agency to audit. Consideration is given to the inherent risks within the department, known deficiencies, political sensitivities, major changes, magnitude of funding, and requests from City Administration, City Council or management.
Myth: I'm being audited, now I am going to lose my job
Reality:
No one is perfect; you will not lose your job because you are being audited or because there are audit findings. Our goal through the audit process is to help management: enhance controls, maximize efficiency and effectiveness within the department, provide cost savings and revenue enhancement, increase awareness of internal controls, deter fraud and strengthen the effectiveness of management's decision making process.
Myth:
Auditors always want to find something wrong.
Reality:
This is not true, if we perform an audit of a department or agency and there are no findings or recommendations for improvement then GREAT! - we will report that everything is working as intended.
Myth:
Audit is always recommending staff reduction to save money.
Reality:
As a course of business, we are constantly looking for opportunities to save money. However, we would not recommend staff reductions just as a means to saving money. We may recommend staff reduction if the audit process clearly identifies operational efficiencies with no negative impact by staff reduction and conversely, if the audit process identifies a need for additional staff to optimize departmental effectiveness we would recommend an increase in staffing levels.
