Office of the Auditor General Report
4 August 2010
A report by the Office of the Auditor General into the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) was tabled in Parliament earlier this afternoon.
The Auditor General was asked by the previous Government in 2008 to inquire into the way in which the PGDB was carrying out its statutory functions, in particular, the registration and licensing functions.
In the report tabled today, the Auditor General has concluded that there were historic problems with:
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The Board’s culture, communication and relationships, both internally and externally.
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The state of internal management, administration and organisational matters.
The report has identified problems with the Board's examinations, registration and licensing policies.
I want to assure practitioners that the Board accepts the findings of the report and is implementing, or has already implemented, the majority of its recommendations.
This current Board was appointed by the Minister in July 2008 after the events that led to the Auditor General review. This Board was tasked with ushering in the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers 2006 Act, which represents one of the most significant developments in the industry in 35 years, and address any issues identified by the Office of the Auditor General.
The Auditor General states that the current Board has made significant progress, but we recognise there are still some improvements to make.
Among the improvements currently underway are:
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Improved communication with the trades, for example, through consultation processes, Board members attending meetings around the country and the development of a new website;
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Work to improve relationships with sectoral organisations;
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Implementing an organisational review into the Board’s structure, capacity and capability;
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Tackling the failure rate for examinations, including commissioning a report into the overall system, surveying candidates about their experience of the examinations, implementing a new process for the examination system and developing agreed directions with others involved in the training process;
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Work on the gas certification audit system including:
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Independent review of the audit system.
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Pilot audit model.
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All gas certificates are now publicly available online at no charge.
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As from 1 November, all gas certificates will only be available online.
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Comprehensive review of operating policies;
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Implementing the requirements of the new Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act;
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Development of processes and policies to ensure a culture of transparency and accountability at all levels;
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Completion of a fees review in accordance with OAG guidelines, which reflects the true cost of the Board carrying out its statutory functions.
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These steps have all been necessary and important and the OAG has commended the Board for the progress it has made.
I encourage practitioners with any questions about the Auditor General’s report to contact me at: kern@pgdb.co.nz.
Regards,
Kern U’ren
Acting Registrar
Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board |
