Report 2012-044 Recommendation 15 Responses
Report 2012-044: California Department of Education: Despite Some Improvements, Oversight of the Migrant Education Program Remains Inadequate (Release Date: February 2013)
Recommendation #15 To: Education, Department of
To ensure that it receives satisfactory services and outcomes for the funds spent on statewide contracts for the migrant program, Education should develop and execute a plan to monitor each of its contracts and cancel any it determines do not provide adequate or cost-effective services.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2015
Education considers this recommendation fully implemented. Education's Migrant Education Intervention Team (Team) completed reviews of MEP contracts for statewide services and provided recommendations regarding the adequacy and cost-effectiveness of each contract. Based on the work of the Team, Education cancelled contracts that did not demonstrate cost-effectiveness and/or adequate services, and provided contract administration and monitoring training to all staff that oversee contracts.
- Completion Date: December 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2014
Education considers this recommendation fully implemented. Education's Migrant Education Intervention Team (Team) completed reviews of MEP contracts for statewide services and provided recommendations regarding the adequacy and cost-effectiveness of each contract. Based on the work of the Team, Education cancelled contracts that did not demonstrate cost-effectiveness and/or adequate services. In addition, Education is providing contract administration and monitoring training to all staff that oversee contracts; all staff are targeted to be trained by December 2014.
- Completion Date: September 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented
As it acknowledges in its response, Education has not yet provided contract administration and monitoring training to all of the staff that oversee contracts. Therefore, we continue to assess this recommendation as partially implemented.
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
1-Year Agency Response
Educations Migrant Education Intervention Team (Team) completed its review of nine MEP contracts for statewide services, and provided recommendations regarding the adequacy and cost-effectiveness of each contract. The Team also made recommendations to improve contract management and oversight; training on the improvements is mandatory for all of Educations MEP contract monitors.
- Completion Date: March 2014
- Response Date: March 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented
Although Education states that training on contract monitoring improvements is mandatory for all contract monitors, it provided no evidence that this training is mandatory or that any contract monitors attended this type of training.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
6-Month Agency Response
The Migrant Education Intervention Team's scope of work includes the monitoring and review of contracts. To date, the Intervention Team has reviewed six of the nine statewide contracts, and all of the contracts related to the operation of the Statewide Parent Advisory Committee (SPAC). On a rolling basis, the Intervention Team provides Education recommendations about contract renewal, monitoring, and development. Upon the recommendation of the Intervention Team, Education put two long-standing contracts out to bid to ensure high quality service and efficient use of funds.
- Completion Date: August 2013
- Response Date: August 2013
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented
Education's response describes laudable efforts by its intervention team. Before we would consider this recommendation fully implemented, Education's Migrant Office needs to put processes in place to continue to monitor its contracts after the term of the intervention team has ended.
60-Day Agency Response
The Migrant Education Intervention Team review of contracts is ongoing and expects to be completed in May 2013. Education's Migrant Education Office (MEO) will utilize the review results to improve the contract renewal and monitoring processes. The MEO plans to implement improved contract monitoring procedures in fiscal year 2013-14.
- Response Date: May 2013
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2012-044
Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.