Department Information
Our Mandate
The City Auditor is a statutory officer appointed by City Council under the City of Winnipeg Charter. The City Auditor reports to Council through the Audit Committee (Executive Policy Committee) and is independent of the City’s Public Service. The City Auditor conducts examinations of the operations of the City and its affiliated bodies to assist Council in its governance role of ensuring the Public Service’s accountability for the quality of stewardship over public funds and for the achievement of value for money in City operations. After communication to City Council, an audit report becomes a public document.
Sections 102 to 106 of the City of Winnipeg Charter establish the position and mandate of the City Auditor. In 1989, City Council made the decision to contract out the annual financial statement audit to a firm of chartered accountants while expanding the scope of responsibilities for the City Audit Department. The Audit Department mandate has remained unchanged since 1989. In 2009, the Mayor and the CAO introduced the concept of a Chief Performance Officer for the City. The CAO has added the role of Chief Performance Officer to the position of City Auditor. The mandate of the department with the addition of the Chief Performance Officer role is as follows:- To examine problem areas, within the capabilities of the Audit Department, which are brought to the Auditors attention by taxpayers, department heads, employees, Council, Standing Committees of Council, members of Council and the CAO.
- To act as an internal consulting group to provide information and help to civic departments within the capabilities and resources of the Audit Department.
- To examine and evaluate the adequacy of the City’s systems of internal control, both financial and operational.
- To determine whether applicable sections of the City of Winnipeg Act, by-laws, regulations, orders of Council and administrative directives have been complied with, as well as applicable federal and provincial legislation.
- To review the performance of operations to ensure money was expended with due regard to economy and efficiency.
Chief Performance Officer Role
- To monitor the implementation of recommendations from audit reports and report on the status of implementation of recommendations to Audit Committee.
- To provide advice and assistance on the definition and development of performance measures, the implementation of performance management systems and the reporting of performance information to the public and to advocate for the use of performance information.
Our Service Value
The value of an independent audit function to Council is the ability to use credible information to make better decisions and to hold the Public Service accountable. Our primary client is the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is chaired by the Mayor and includes the Deputy Mayor and the chairs of the Standing Policy Committees of Council. The Audit Committee’s primary role is to ensure that due diligence has been directed towards ensuring that an effective control framework is in place. This framework provides reasonable assurance that the financial, operational and regulatory objectives of the City are achieved and that governance and accountability responsibilities of Council and the Public Service are met. The Audit Committee meets four times a year or more frequently at the call of the Chair.
In 2009, we have been asked to take a greater role in ensuring that decision-makers have access to performance information that measures the "right things". Our expanded role will include providing advice and recommendations on the definition and development of performance measures and assistance on the implementation of performance management systems. We believe that the availability of transparent performance information is essential for the citizens to understand how well services are being managed and will result in greater accountability for tax dollars spent.
The Audit Department’s stakeholders are the Public Service and citizens. Audit reports are made public once they have been communicated to City Council.
Our Mission
To support City Council and the Public Service in the achievement of organizational objectives by providing objective and independent information, advice and assurance with respect to governance, accountability, risk management and performance.
Our Vision
To be recognized as leaders in building public trust in civic government in support of our shared vision of a vibrant and healthy city.
Our Strategic Goals
- To provide independent and objective assurance on the efficiency and effectiveness of City operations as well as timely, relevant and value-added recommendations for improvement.
- To influence organizational outcomes and accountability by providing leadership, advice and assistance to support: good governance, effective risk management, and the development of comprehensive and transparent performance information.
- To deliver high quality, cost-effective Audit services.
Our Performance Measures
The Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) represents local government audit organizations in both the United States and Canada. Based on annual surveys of members, performance benchmarks are established for audit organizations by size. Results for the Audit Department are provided in the Balanced Scorecard which is included in our annual reports.
Contact:
Brian Whiteside, Auditor/Chief Performance Officer
bwhiteside@winnipeg.ca
204-986-2450
Where to find us
We are located at
Mandarin Building 3rd Floor, 185 King Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1J1
Our main inquiry telephone numbers are
Telephone: 204-986-2416 Fax: 204-986-4134
Last update: 06/18/2007
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