98 Local Agency Audit of Hwy Trust Funds

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. DRAFT DATE: September 1, 1998 TO: Joint Legislative Audit Committee FROM: Pete Naumes, Chairman ODOT Advisory Committee on Efficiency RE: Report on Efficiency Committee Activity j Oregon Department of Transportation Director Grace Crunican assembled the Efficiency Committee after the 1997 legislative session as part of ODOT's ongoing efficiency efforts. Director Crunican asked me to Chair the committee j and I accepted the position. The committee's first formal meeting took place January 27, 1998. li As the third component of the Director's effort to have an extensive scrub of the agency, this committee's labor is to augment and in some cases compliment the Secretary of State's audit surveys as well as the Dye Management review. The Efficiency Committee was convened and charged with finding ways to improve productivity and efficiency in ODOT programs. The Committee is composed of public and private-sector individuals (see attached list) and acts in an advisory role to ODOT and the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC). Over the last seven months this Committee has been engaged in a detailed review of the agency's portfolio i.e., Construction, Maintenance, Central Services, DMV and Motor Carriers and the Transportation Development Branch (TDB). j This agency overview has allowed the Committee to "get their arms around the business known as ODOT" and to better understand the roles, functions and responsibilities of each of these components within the agency. I tion of the internal resentations, the Committee is to seek input U on corn e p p p from various parties that are external to the agency. The Committee has engaged in a dialogue will the Secretary of State's Audit Division concerning the audit surveys being conducted on various agency activities. Additionally, similar discussions with the Dye Management Group have taken place on the findin s/recommendations of their management review of ODOT. 9 On several occasions members of the Committee have traveled around the state to ask questions and receive briefings from ODOT personnel as well as local government transportation officials and staff. In addition, committee members have conducted individual field visits to ODOT facilities and projects.