Report 2011-116.1 Recommendation 10 Responses

Report 2011-116.1: Department of General Services: The Division of the State Architect Lacks Enforcement Authority and Has Weak Oversight Procedures, Increasing the Risk That School Construction Projects May Be Unsafe (Release Date: December 2011)

Recommendation #10 To: General Services, Department of

To ensure that certified inspectors are knowledgeable about current code requirements, the division should not excuse inspectors from required trainings and should improve its process for identifying expired certification exam scores. Further, the division should consistently follow and document its procedures for verifying the past employment of inspector applicants.

1-Year Agency Response

In January 2012 the division updated its written policies regarding inspector certification. These policies directly state the specific training required for inspectors who are taking the certification exam and also state the number of years for which a partial exam score is valid. In addition, in January 2012 the division issued an updated policy regarding the verification and documentation of an inspector candidate's past experience. The policy directs certification unit staff to verify a candidate's experience and indicates the way to document that experience. The division has developed experience verification forms that feature “Verified By” and “Date Verified” fields for completion by staff. (See 2013-406, pp. 42-43)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2011-116.1

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.