See our introductory results in this report
Recommendations now organized by service area
Best practices in our profession describe that while the governing body, management and auditor have distinct responsibilities, our activities need to be aligned to achieve shared objectives. To that end, we organized our audit recommendations by service area to reflect the City’s new reporting structure.
In the new form of government, a city administrator will be responsible for responding to audit recommendations. As of July 1, 2024, the City’s leadership team includes an assistant city administrator and six deputy city administrators that oversee service areas and report up to a city administrator. We relied on the Portland City Council’s adopted organizational structure as well as related budget and reorganization decisions through July 2024 to identify which parts of the City would be responsible for implementing our audit recommendations. We will revisit our categorizations if City Council makes any changes to refine the City organizational structure before our next yearly update.
Organizing audit recommendations by service area reveals where we have a legacy of more audit coverage – such as in City Operations and Public Safety – and where there is less – such Budget & Finance. The distribution reflects our annual risk assessments, cumulative decisions of where we have chosen to devote our finite audit resources, and the number of improvement areas identified in a given audit.
Figure 1. Some service areas have more audit recommendations than others
As part of this work, we have also identified opportunities to coordinate services and improve equity of City government as it transitions. More information on how we did our work is available on that page. We received responses from the responsible City service area, bureau, or office and use that information and other evidence to determine the status of each recommendation. Possible statuses include:
- Implemented: The bureau has taken action to fully respond to the recommendation from the original audit and completed the work.
- Partial: The bureau has taken some action to respond to the original audit but does not intend to fully implement the recommendation.
- In Process: The bureau has taken action to respond to the recommendation from the original audit, but the work is not yet complete.
- Not Implemented: The bureau has not taken action to respond to the recommendation from the original audit.
- Pending: This is a new recommendation and our team has not yet requested an update from the bureau. We exclude these newer recommendations in this report and our calculation of implementation rate.
City Administrator
There are City functions that do not fall under one of the service areas but are ultimately accountable to the City Administrator. As of July 2024, these functions include Central Communications, City Attorney, Community and Civic Life, Equity and Human Rights, Government Relations, Portland Solutions, Special Projects & Opportunities, and the Sustainability Officer.
Relevant audits
We are tracking two audits to offices and programs within the City Administrator-led functions:
- Clean-ups of Homeless Camps: Improved Communications and Data Needed (March 2019)
- City does not ensure Americans with Disabilities Act compliance (December 2021)
We published Joint Office of Homeless Services: Sustained focus on shelter system needed to address unmet needs in April 2024. We consider these 10 recommendations in “Pending” status until we begin monitoring activities next year. Details from this audit are not included in this report but can be found in our dashboard.
Status of recommendations
The City Administrator has an 88% implementation rate. Of the eight recommendations we’ve made across these audits, seven recommendations are “Implemented,” and one recommendation is “In Process.”
Figure 2. City Administrator implemented most recommendations
For the one not yet implemented recommendation, the focus area in need of City leadership attention is Prioritization. Prioritization involves direction that reflects realistic commitments given available resources.
Figure 3. Prioritization by the City Administrator was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
During the 2023 review, there were no status changes for recommendations made to the City Administrator.
Citywide work remains to prioritize access for people with disabilities
The City has long expressed commitment to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. However, the City has not yet ensured compliance with the ADA by providing equal access and opportunity to its services, programs, and activities for all persons with disabilities. There is a risk for this recommendation not to be prioritized due to the enterprise-wide scope and competing priorities during the transition to a new form of government. Leadership may be needed by the City Administrator specifically to ensure this recommendation is implemented.
- Americans with Disabilities Act compliance audit:
- Develop a plan to ensure compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and allocate resources to ensure the plan is implemented.
None of the audits in this service area are at the end of our five-year monitoring period.
We plan to start a new audit of the Joint Office of Homeless Services’ Rapid Rehousing Program in the coming year.
Budget & Finance
The Budget & Finance service area includes parts of what was formerly the Bureau of Revenue and Financial Services – such as Accounting, Debt Management, Grants Management, Revenue, Risk Management, Special Appropriations and Treasury – as well as Business Operations, City Budget Office, Communications, Fire and Police Disability and Retirement, and Small Donor Elections.
Relevant audits
We are tracking three audits to bureaus within the Budget & Finance service area:
- Short-Term Rental Regulation: Enforcement is lax and effect on housing crisis unknown (August 2018)
- City credit card use slowed during pandemic but exposed underlying risks (April 2021)
- Taxes, fines, and fees: Customers who owe caught in a maze of inconsistent and uncoordinated collection strategies (February 2022)
Status of recommendations
The Budget & Finance service area has a zero percent implementation rate. Of the five recommendations we’ve made across these audits, two recommendations are “In Process” and three recommendations are “Not Implemented.”
Figure 4. Budget & Finance implemented none of its recommendations
Among the five not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership attention include Authority, Coordination, and Prioritization. The most significant focus area is Authority which includes clear ownership for change, especially with Council and across the City.
Figure 5. Authority of Budget & Finance was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a regression for two recommendations from two audits:
- City credit card audit. One recommendation changed from “Implemented” to “In Process” because of the Bureau of Revenue and Finance’s decision to temporarily suspend compliance and enforcement activities effective December 2023. As of April 2024, Revenue and Financial Services anticipates resuming enforcement by July 2024 after revising its manual to be more user-friendly.
- Short-Term Rental Regulation audit. One recommendation changed from “Implemented” to “In Process” because of the September 2023 termination of the data-sharing and registration agreement with Airbnb. Revenue and Financial Services says that it’s new focus is comparing short-term rental booking agent listings to the City’s Short-Term Rental Registry and they are in the early stages of enforcing the removal of listings not on the Registry.
We received no update for one audit with recommendations that have yet to be implemented:
- Taxes, fines, and fees audit. Two “Not Implemented” recommendations where we have received no update since the April 2023 follow-up report.
Better coordination needed to address inequities
The City’s inconsistent and uncoordinated process for collecting taxes, fines, and fees increases the risk of burdensome debt for community members from low-income households or with institutional language barriers. The City took no action in 2023 to implement our recommendations. There is a window of opportunity to address inequitable burdens through implementation of our audit recommendations while also advancing changes needed for the City’s new form of government, and we caution the City against further delay.
- Taxes, fines, and fees audit:
- Develop Citywide standards for collections by convening a City Council work session or other collective effort. The standards should, at a minimum, include:
- A consistent collections process, including timing and content of collection letters, how additional charges are handled, availability of payment plans and waivers, timeframe for sending accounts to a collection agency, and how long the collection agency should pursue payment.
- A requirement and review process to write documents in plain English and translate them into other languages or provide translation information in every document.
- A hardship process that makes accommodations more explicit, consistent, and easier to access, while preserving flexibility where necessary. One advocate suggested the City develop a consumer protection office for people to contact with questions about their bills.
- The Council work session should include discussion of whether improved collections practices could best be accomplished by consolidating City collections.
- Once the City adopts collection standards, City bureaus should report their progress toward meeting the new standards to the City’s Chief Administrative Officer on an annual basis; the Chief Administrative Officer or Chief Financial Officer should post a progress summary publicly until all bureaus are in compliance with the standards.
- Develop Citywide standards for collections by convening a City Council work session or other collective effort. The standards should, at a minimum, include:
None of the audits in this service area are at the end of our five-year monitoring period.
We do not have plans to audit this service area in the coming year.
City Operations
- The City Operations service area includes parts of what was formerly the Office of Management and Finance. That includes existing bureaus Human Resources and Technology Services as well as the 311 Program, Fleet and Facilities, Independent Police Review, and Procurement. The Community Board for Police Accountability and Office of Community-based Police Accountability are also part of this service area. As of July 2024, the City is assessing whether to create new functions for Asset Management and Integrated Security.
Relevant audits
We are tracking seven audits to bureaus within the City Operations service area:
- Data Loss Prevention: City’s approach is sound but its practices should be strengthened: Human Resources (October 2018)
- Data Loss Prevention: City’s approach is sound but its practices should be strengthened: Technology Services (October 2018)
- Portland Building Follow-Up: Greater public transparency needed about project costs, trade-offs, and missed equity requirement (June 2019)
- Portland Building Contract: Costs reviewed were consistent with contract, although required cost classification and calculations for final payment need to start now (October 2019)
- Equity In Construction Contracting: Some goals achieved despite mismanagement, waste, and gamesmanship (September 2020)
- City credit card use slowed during pandemic but exposed underlying risks (April 2021)
- Portland Fire & Rescue does not have a coherent accountability system (September 2022)
We published Technology Purchasing: Citywide strategy and guidance needed to address problems in October 2024. We consider these eight recommendations in “Pending” status until we begin monitoring activities next year. Details from this audit are not included in this report but can be found in our dashboard.
Status of recommendations
The City Operations service area has a 55% implementation rate. Of the 58 recommendations we’ve made across these audits, 32 recommendations are “Implemented,” 19 are “In Process,” two have “Partial” implementation, and five are “Not Implemented.”
Figure 6. City Operations implemented over half of its recommendations
Among the 26 not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership attention include Decisions, Coordination, Reporting, Outcomes, Authority, and Prioritization. The most significant focus area is Decisions which requires action informed by the best available information, particularly reliable data.
Figure 7. Decisions by City Operations was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a regression for three recommendations from two audits:
- City credit card use slowed during pandemic but exposed underlying risks. Two previously “Implemented” recommendations changed due to the Bureau of Revenue and Finance’s decision to temporarily suspend compliance and enforcement activities effective December 2023. As of April 2024, Revenue and Financial Services anticipates resuming enforcement by July 2024 after revising its manual to be more user-friendly.
- Data Loss Prevention: City’s approach is sound but its practices should be strengthened: Technology Services. One recommendation moved from “In Process” to “Partial” based on actions taken thus far by Technology Services. We are unable to share more details about this recommendation because it addresses potential computer or system weaknesses, which are exempt in state law from public disclosure.
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect progress made for four recommendations from two audits:
- Data Loss Prevention: City’s approach is sound but its practices should be strengthened: Technology Services. One recommendation changed from “In Process” to “Implemented” because Technology Services consolidated and updated relevant City guidance in December 2023. Two recommendations shifted from “Not Implemented” to “Implemented” based on actions taken thus far by Technology Services. We are unable to share more details about these recommendations because they address potential computer or system weaknesses, which are exempt in state law from public disclosure.
- Portland Building Follow-Up: Greater public transparency needed about project costs, trade-offs, and missed equity requirement. One recommendation changed from “Not Implemented” to “Partial” because the Chief Administrative Officer provided Council with a final accounting of all renovation activity in March 2023 even though comprehensive reporting had not been provided during the lifespan of the project.
We received no update for two audits with 14 recommendations that have yet to be implemented:
- Data Loss Prevention: City’s approach is sound but its practices should be strengthened – Human Resources. One “In Process” recommendation where we received no update since our November 2021 follow-up report.
- Equity In Construction Contracting: Some goals achieved despite mismanagement, waste, and gamesmanship. Ten “In Process” and three “Not Implemented” recommendations where we received no update since our December 2022 follow-up report.
Better data collection and reporting needed to improve accountability for City Operations
The City Operations service area primarily supports other bureaus and therefore indirectly impacts the public. However, equity-related recommendations from two of our audits offer ways for central services to be more strategic, uniform, and accountable to the public. These recommendations are intended to improve the experiences of people with disabilities when working or visiting the City’s main office building, as well as women and people of color that are employed as contractors or laborers on City construction projects.
- Portland Building Follow-Up audit:
- Report on the status of Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility barriers to the Office of Equity and Human Rights and/or Bureau of Human Resources.
- Equity In Construction Contracting audit:
- Eliminate technical assistance offerings that do not add value to certified firms or help the City achieve its equity goals.
- Collect data on prices submitted for bid items to allow for monitoring for collusion.
- Appoint a procurement inspector assigned to monitor, investigate, report on, and make recommendations to the proper authorities about (a) the sufficiency of procurement regulations, (b) project-specific or citywide compliance with procurement regulations, (c) bid collusion, (d) questionable certifications, or other procurement matters as appropriate, based on self-initiation or complaint.
- Implement the oversight steps outlined in the agreement with Prosper Portland, including obtaining all required performance evaluations and progress reports.
- Produce public reports on the City’s progress toward contracting equity goals, including the use of disaggregated data when it helps explain barriers for subgroups.
- Recognize firms and bureaus that are successful at meeting goals.
- Evaluate the results of grant awards on growth in the construction market, determining whether overhead costs are justifiable, and reporting the information to Council.
- Set a goal for the use of certified prime contractors on City construction projects; track and regularly report progress toward the target to Council and the public.
- Follow existing rules for documenting and approving exemptions from program bidding requirements. Procurement should report on the number of exemptions and frequent reasons for exemptions.
- Eliminate barriers by awarding construction contracts valued at $1 million or less to certified firms, without requiring participation in the Prime Contractor Development Program.
- Create criteria to prevent bundling, and when bundling is necessary for project efficiency, document why.
- Formalize tracking of project communications from staff. Regularly assess whether communication is fair and transparent.
- Use overall progress and post-project reports to identify trends and lessons learned that can be used to inform technical assistance and workforce grant awards or to develop new policies.
None of the audits in this service area are at the end of our five-year monitoring period.
We are currently auditing Asset Management and plan to start a new audit on Cybersecurity in the coming year.
Community & Economic Development
The Community & Economic Development service area includes existing bureaus Housing, Planning & Sustainability, and newly created Portland Permitting & Development. Spectator Venues, which was part of the former Office of Management and Finance, and Prosper Portland are also included.
Relevant audits
We are tracking 10 audits to bureaus within the Community & Economic Development service area:
- Prosper Portland: Disciplined property management needed to achieve future revenue goals, equitable outcomes (November 2017)
- Short-Term Rental Regulation: Enforcement is lax and effect on housing crisis unknown (August 2018)
- Recreational Cannabis Tax: Greater transparency and accountability needed (May 2019)
- Portland Housing Bond: Early implementation results mostly encouraging (June 2019)
- Cannabis Program: Management fundamentals needed to improve regulation (January 2020)
- Lents Urban Renewal: 20 years of investment with minimal evaluation (February 2020)
- Enhanced Service Districts: City provides little oversight of privately funded public services (August 2020)
- Building Permit: Long-standing inability to meet customers’ needs won’t improve without better management, sustained governance (March 2021)
- Prosper Portland Emergency Grants: Standards needed to ensure program integrity (May 2021)
- Portland Clean Energy Fund: Additional steps needed to implement voter-approved program (March 2022)
We published Inclusionary Housing: Housing Bureau should improve Program goals, support for property owners, and monitoring to ensure Program helps address housing crisis in May 2024. We consider the four recommendations from this audit in “Pending” status until we conduct monitoring activities next year. Details from this audit are not included in this report but can be found in our dashboard.
Status of recommendations
The Community & Economic Development service area has a 44% implementation rate. Of the 39 recommendations we’ve made across these audits, 17 recommendations are ”Implemented,” 16 recommendations are “In Process,” one recommendation has “Partial” implementation, and five recommendations are “Not Implemented.”
Figure 8. Community & Economic Development implemented under half of its recommendations
Among the 22 not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership attention include Coordination, Outcomes, Reporting, Authority, and Prioritization. The most significant focus area is Coordination which requires active management of internal dependencies most susceptible to delay or inconsistency.
Figure 9. Coordination by Community & Economic Development was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a regression for three recommendations from three audits:
- Prosper Portland audit of property management. A recommendation about renegotiating the operating agreement for Union Station changed from “In Process” to “Not Implemented.” However, it’s important to note that the recommendation changed to “Not Implemented” because Prosper was unable to find a new property manager. Prosper staff are now managing financials, operations, and tenanting, and plan to outsource maintenance.
- Portland Housing Bond audit. One recommendation about the City emphasizing ballot measure commitments and reporting on service to priority communities changed from “In Process” to “Not Implemented” due to the Bureau no longer showing evidence of actively making progress toward the recommendation. This highlights a key concern related to government accountability, in which the City may cease implementing changes that were recommended to better the City’s services and accountability to the public.
- Cannabis Program audit. We recommended that the program implement a data management system and to use the data to report program performance, among other things. One recommendation changed from “In Process” to “Partial” because the program has implemented a data management system but has not yet reported on program performance using the data in the system.
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a progression for two recommendations from two audits:
- Portland Clean Energy Fund audit. The recommendations that changed from “In Process” to “Implemented” addressed improving management of the program through ensuring alignment with the City’s climate policies and having clear guidelines for the program’s capacity-building spending.
- Enhanced Service Districts audit. The recommendation changed from “Not Implemented” to “In Process” because the City was successful in funding and hiring an Enhanced Services District Coordinator position, which will help ensure effective oversight of the district agreements.
We received no update for two recommendations from one audit that have yet to be implemented:
- Short-Term Rental Regulation audit: We did not receive an update for two “In Process” recommendations for which the Housing Bureau has responsibility. The last update we received was in January 2023.
Greater focus on outcomes of housing programs needed
Portland faces a housing crisis that has acutely affected our most marginalized community members. Given their potential for positive impact on the public, prompt and thorough implementation of our two audits with housing recommendations are especially important. They are intended to evaluate the impact of short-term rentals on the housing market, and ensure that the Portland Housing Bond is sufficiently serving the families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities as approved by voters.
- Short-Term Rental Regulation audit:
- Work with Council to add measuring the effect of short-term rentals on housing goals to short-term rental City Code and regulations.
- Obtain short-term rental data from booking agents or from other publicly available sources, develop a monitoring process of the market, and evaluate effects on housing. Report short-term rental market data in the State of Housing annual report.
- Portland Housing Bond audit:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the new approach to reaching target populations for bond projects that are not City-owned.
- Emphasize ballot measure commitments in addition to the framework criteria and report on service to those priority communities.
One audit is at the end of our five-year monitoring period:
- Prosper Portland: Disciplined property management needed to achieve future revenue goals, equitable outcomes
We are currently auditing the City’s plans for Climate Justice.
Public Safety
The Public Safety service area includes the bureaus Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Fire & Rescue, and Police, as well as Business Services of the former Community Safety Division in the Office of Management and Finance.
Relevant audits
We are tracking seven audits to bureaus within the Public Safety service area:
- Gang Enforcement Patrol: The Police Bureau must show that traffic stops are effective (March 2018)
- Gang Crime Investigations: Lack of accountability and transparency reduced the community’s trust in police (March 2018)
- Portland Police: Improvements made to training program (May 2018)
- Police Overtime: Management is lax despite high overtime use (October 2019)
- Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities (December 2021)
- Police Intelligence-Gathering and Surveillance: Better management needed to protect civil rights (April 2022)
- Portland Fire & Rescue does not have a coherent accountability system (June 2023)
We published Portland Fire & Rescue: Community Health Division programs need guidance and leadership to provide Portlanders with the services they need and reduce demands on firefighters in January 2024. We consider these seven recommendations in “Pending” status until we begin monitoring activities next year. Details from this audit are not included in this report but can be found in our dashboard.
Status of recommendations
The Public Safety service area has a 44% implementation rate. Of the 52 recommendations we’ve made across these audits, 23 recommendations are “Implemented,” 23 are “In Process,” two have “Partial” implementation, and four are “Not Implemented.”
Figure 10. Public Safety implemented under half of its recommendations
Among the 29 not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership attention include Decisions, Authority, Reporting, Outcomes, Coordination, and Prioritization. The most significant focus area is Decisions which requires action informed by the best available information, particularly reliable data.
Figure 11. Decisions by Public Safety was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a progression for four recommendations from three audits:
- Portland Police audit of training program. Two of the recommendations moved from “In Process” to “Implemented” because of the more consistent use of scenario-based training, and expansion of a needs assessment to inform the annual training plan.
- Police Intelligence-Gathering and Surveillance audit. One recommendation moved from “In Process” to “Implemented” because Police adopted a policy for when social media searches may be used for investigations.
- Emergency Management audit. One recommendation changed from “Not Implemented” to “In Process” because the Disaster Policy Council has recently been convened to review the consultant’s report which includes conclusions about Americans with Disabilities Act compliance activities.
We received no update for one audit with five recommendations that have yet to be implemented:
- Police Overtime audit. Five “In Process” recommendation where we have received no update since the November 2021 follow-up report.
Police should design safeguards that protect civil liberties while upholding public safety
Policing has been under intense public scrutiny not only in Portland but across the country. During our audits, community members expressed concerns about racial profiling and inappropriate surveillance, and felt these practices contributed to mistrust of police. Transparency and accountability are essential for public trust, particularly after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the subsequent civil unrest that made our city national news.
While the Police Bureau has changed its approach to gang and gun violence since our audits were issued in March 2018, data shows that traffic stops continue to disproportionately affect Black people.
Our recommendations about safeguards to protect community members’ civil liberties while upholding public safety remain relevant, particularly for those communities most impacted by policing.
- Gang Enforcement Patrol audit:
- Require its officers to document the investigative reason for their traffic stops. The Police Bureau should regularly analyze the data and publish the results.
- Set goals to measure the effectiveness of patrol stops, and record whether a stop resulted in contacting a criminal gang suspect. The Bureau should regularly analyze the data and publish the results.
- Regularly monitor stops data and the percentage of encounters recorded as “mere conversations” and provide training to officers on when this classification should be used.
- Gang Crime Investigations audit:
- Adopt official policies and procedures for collecting and disseminating information about people with gang relationships.
- Ensure that policies related to collecting information about people’s gang relationships include specific safeguards.
- Track the clearance rate for GET’s investigations, set a goal for the clearance rate, and publicly report outcome; track caseload by detective and rebalance as needed; maintain accurate case status in the records management system and other case management systems and use this information to track the timeliness of cases.
- Police Intelligence-Gathering and Surveillance audit:
- Adopt a directive related to investigating First Amendment activity that provides guidance for the appropriate collection of information to protect people’s civil rights.
- Create a procedure that limits access to sensitive information and promotes compliance with state law about collecting and maintaining political, religious, and social information that is not associated with criminal activity.
- Adopt a technology directive that includes Council authorization of surveillance technology, advice from a privacy commission, and requirements for policies and reporting.
- Publish public reports on the Bureau’s use of surveillance technology to ease the public’s concerns about inappropriate intelligence-gathering and how devices are managed to prevent it.
Three audits are at the end of our five-year monitoring period:
- Gang Enforcement Patrol: The Police Bureau must show that traffic stops are effective
- Gang Crime Investigations: Lack of accountability and transparency reduced the community’s trust in police
- Portland Police: Improvements made to training program
We plan to start new audits on Gun Violence Prevention as well as 911 Emergency Communications in the coming year.
Public Works
The Public Works service area includes the bureaus Environmental Services, Transportation and Water.
Relevant audits
We are tracking seven audits to bureaus within the Public Works service area:
- Street Improvement Projects: Bureau of Transportation has an inclusive planning process, but should improve assessment of neighborhood impact (March 2018)
- Private Stormwater Management: City reliance on property owners requires review of risks and results (July 2018)
- Restoration Projects and Green Streets: Planning and evaluation needed to confirm success (December 2018)
- Fixing Our Streets: Some accountability commitments not fulfilled (May 2019)
- Groundwater: City identified risks, must develop a long-term plan to address them (June 2020)
- Sewer Maintenance: Renewed attention to partnership needed to better serve ratepayers (September 2021)
- Portland Bureau of Transportation: Process in place to ensure capital projects meet specifications, but there were ways around it (June 2023)
Status of recommendations
The Public Works service area has a 37% implementation rate. Of the 35 recommendations we’ve made across these audits, 13 recommendations are “Implemented,” 16 recommendations are “In Process,” and six recommendations are “Not Implemented.”
Figure 12. Public Works implemented over one-third of its recommendations
Among the 22 not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership attention include Prioritization, Coordination, Outcomes, Reporting, and Decisions. The most significant focus area is Prioritization which requires direction that reflects realistic commitments given available resources.
Figure 13. Prioritization by Public Works was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a progression for four recommendations from two audits:
- Groundwater audit. One recommendation changed from “In Process” to “Implemented” and focused on the City’s approach to improving the groundwater system, including developing a consolidated, long-term plan to prioritize actions within limited resources.
- Portland Bureau of Transportation audit. Three recommendations that previously had a “Pending” status, meaning the report had recently been issued and there had been no follow-up yet, changed to “Implemented.” These three recommendations were related to improvements to the program’s management software to ensure better oversight of capital projects.
We received no update for five recommendations from two audits that have yet to be implemented:
- Street Improvement Projects audit. We did not receive an update for two “In Process” recommendations. The last update we received was in January 2023.
- Fixing Our Streets audit. We did not receive an update for three “Not Implemented” recommendations. The last update we received was in January 2023.
Attention to street-level work needed to improve infrastructure work
Infrastructure projects, such as those related to roads and transportation, impact all members of the community and shape the day-to-day experiences of Portlanders. Implementing street-level recommendations from two of our audits will address livability concerns and fulfill commitments made to voters, thereby increasing public trust in City government.
- Street Improvement Projects audit:
- Develop and fund a consistent evaluation process that includes livability and neighborhood impact assessment.
- Use the results from project evaluations to inform the City's future transportation plans and priorities.
- Fixing Our Streets audit:
- Track and publicly report on Fixing our Streets projects as they relate to commitments made to the public.
- Clarify language regarding the split of funding for street repair and safety projects in program and oversight committee materials. The clarification should include how safety elements included in projects advertised as paving will be treated in their budgets, and how paving work included in safety projects will be treated in their budgets.
- Informed by the clarification, the Bureau should track and account for spending to ensure that the split of funding for street repair and safety projects is maintained.
Three audits are at the end of our five-year monitoring period:
- Street Improvement Projects: Bureau of Transportation has an inclusive planning process, but should improve assessment of neighborhood impact
- Private Stormwater Management: City reliance on property owners requires review of risks and results
- Restoration Projects and Green Streets: Planning and evaluation needed to confirm success
We published Vision Zero: Portland Bureau of Transportation needs to systematically evaluate whether its safety projects reduce traffic deaths and serious injury crashes in November 2024. We consider these three recommendations in “Pending” status until we begin monitoring activities next year. Details from this audit are not included in this report but can be found in our dashboard.
Given the number of unimplemented recommendations on Street Improvements, we plan to start a new audit of that topic in the coming year.
Vibrant Communities
The Vibrant Communities service area includes the bureau of Parks and Recreation as well as the Office of Arts & Culture, Portland Children’s Levy, and Vibrant Communities Support Services. As of July 2024, the City is assessing whether to create a new function for Citywide Operational Natural Area Management within this service area.
Relevant audits
We are tracking three audits to bureauswithin the Vibrant Communities Service Area:
- Recreation Scholarships: Conflicting policy direction and communication barriers limit access (March 2018)
- Regional Arts and Culture Council: Clear city goals aligned with strong Arts Council strategy will improve arts and culture services (May 2018)
- Portland Parks Golf: Changes needed to ensure long-term sustainability (May 2019)
Status of recommendations
The Vibrant Communities service area has a 42% implementation rate. Of the 12 recommendations we’ve made across these audits, five recommendations are “Implemented,” six recommendations are “In Process,” and one recommendation has “Partial” implementation.
Figure 14. Vibrant Communities implemented over 40% of its recommendations
Among the seven not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership include Coordination, Authority, Prioritization, and Reporting. The most significant focus area is Coordination which includes the active management of internal dependencies most susceptible to delay or inconsistency.
Figure 15. Coordination by Vibrant Communities was the focus area most needed to implement outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a regression for one recommendation from one audit:
- Portland Parks Golf audit: One recommendation changed from “In Process” to “Partial” becausethe Golf Program worked with a consultant in 2021 to analyze the program’s financial future using alternative financial forecast scenarios to make recommendations, but these results were not presented to Council.
We determined a status change was warranted this year to reflect a progression for four recommendations from two audits:
- Recreation Scholarships audit: Four recommendations changed from “Not Implemented” to “In Process” because of work done to establish the Access Pass program to replace the previous scholarship policy using funding from the Parks Local Option Levy, reporting on cost and performance, and taking steps to overcome barriers for outreach.
- Regional Arts and Culture Council audit: One recommendation changed from “In Process” to “Implemented” because the Arts Council completed a Strategic Framework that incorporated community research and engagement and clarified the organization’s mission, goals and vision for arts and culture.
- Portland Parks Golf audit: One recommendation changed from “In Process” to “Implemented” becausethe Bureau negotiated a five-year contract for one operator to manage the operation of four golf courses. The contract communicates the golf program’s mission and how the operator contributes to that mission.
Sustained effort needed to add clarity and transparency to Parks scholarships and Arts funding
Outstanding recommendations in the Vibrant Communities service area impact the needs of community members in low-income households and the region at large. Our recommendations for Parks recreation scholarships and the Office of Arts & Culture remain applicable because of the uncertainty caused by the temporary Levy used to fund scholarships and the City’s changing relationship with the Regional Arts and Culture Council.
- Recreation Scholarships audit:
- Clarify and update the Bureau’s scholarships policy and implement it consistently across the centers.
- Budget for scholarships and establish funding sources.
- Report to the Council periodically on the cost and performance of the scholarship program.
- Develop a strategic outreach plan for scholarship information that overcomes language and other barriers, and is consistent with the budget and revised scholarship policies.
- Regional Arts and Culture Council audit:
- The Arts Commissioner and the Mayor should work with the Arts Council, City leaders, City agencies involved with arts and culture, and community stakeholders to assess the state of arts and culture in Portland, identify needs, and develop clear goals, vision, and strategy for arts and culture for City Council adoption.
- The Arts Commissioner, Mayor, and the Arts Council's Executive Director should update the contract consistent with the City's goals for arts and culture.
Both of these audits are at the end of our five-year monitoring period.
We are currently auditing Parks Fiscal Management and have recently started a new audit at the City’s Office of Arts & Culture.
Portland City Council
On occasion, we direct recommendations to the Portland City Council when we identified improvements that were specific to its unique authority. Historically, this included responsibilities over contractual agreements and City-referred ballot measures. In the new form of government, City Council will no longer manage bureaus. Instead, they will focus on developing laws and policies, engaging constituents, and increasing community representation in decision-making.
Relevant audits
We are tracking two audits to City Council:
- Regional Arts and Culture Council: Clear City goals aligned with strong Arts Council strategy will improve arts and culture services (May 2018)
- The City needs to make realistic commitments to voters and ensure they are delivered (December 2019)
Status of recommendations
City Council has a 25% implementation rate. Of the four recommendations we’ve made across these audits, one recommendation is “Implemented,” two recommendations are “In Process,” and one recommendation has “Partial” implementation.
Figure 16. Portland City Council implemented one quarter of its recommendations
Among the three not yet implemented recommendations, the focus areas in need of City leadership attention include Coordination, Prioritization, and Reporting. Coordination is the active management of internal dependencies most susceptible to delay or inconsistency. Prioritization is direction that reflects realistic commitments given available resources. And, Reporting is transparent and human-centered information for Portlanders.
Figure 17. Coordination, prioritization and reporting were focus areas that were equally important for outstanding recommendations
Changes in recommendation status
During the 2023 review, there were no status changes for recommendations made to City Council.
Additional effort from City Council needed to ensure ballot measures are realistic to build and maintain trust
City Council plays an important role in ensuring that ballot measures sent to voters make realistic commitments and that the City follows through on those commitments. To build and maintain trust with community members, it is vital for City Council to deliver on the promises made to voters. Consistent and thorough implementation of our recommendations will help the current and future City Council show Portlanders that their City government is responsive and reliable.
- City commitments to voters audit:
- Direct bureaus to assess the administrative burdens and costs to implement planned accountability measures to ensure that they are feasible. These assessments should be documented so that the meaning and intent behind commitments can be referenced when the program is implemented. The fiscal impact statement is one existing tool that should be considered.
- Specify the position or body responsible for monitoring accountability commitments. Early verification that accountability measures are implemented, and ongoing monitoring to assess if they are operating as intended should be included in their duties. Public reporting about programs paid for by the new taxes or bonds should include this information.
One audit is at the end of our five-year monitoring period:
- Regional Arts and Culture Council: Clear city goals aligned with strong Arts Council strategy will improve arts and culture services
We do not have plans to audit this part of City government in the coming year.
Project Team
Tenzin Gonta, Audit Services Deputy Director
Elizabeth Martinez, Senior Performance Auditor
Jessica Lange, Performance Auditor
