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CIRM Directors Pleased with Performance Audit Findings

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May 27th, 2012 3:59 pm


The $3 billion California stem cell
agency received a "very favorable" performance audit report
compared to other government agencies, CIRM directors were told
today.

Representatives of Moss Adams, which
was paid $234,944 by CIRM for the study, made the comments during a
presentation today to the agency's 29 directors. During their
comments, CIRM executives and directors focused on the favorable
aspects of the findings of the six-month study.
CIRM Chairman J.T. Thomas said the
report showed that CIRM is "doing better than being on the right
track." Co-vice chairman Art Torres said,

 "Comparatively we
have done very well."

The report praised the professionalism
of the CIRM staff – "a high caliber group" – and noted
the seven-year-old agency is both "ramping up and ramping down"
at the same time – a reference to the end of state bond funding for
CIRM in 2017.
Prior to the presentation, CIRM
President Alan Trounson said the staff would review the findings and
come up with a plan for the board at its July meeting. The agency is
already implementing some of the recommendations.
The audit was required by a recent
state law that also allowed CIRM to hire more than 50 persons, a cap
imposed by Proposition 71, which created the agency. The audit found a need for improvement in 27 areas and made recommendations. Of the 20 recommendations with the highest priority,
half involved how CIRM manages its information, much of which is
needed for good decision-making. The audit did not assess the
scientific performance of the agency.
The Moss Adams report, performed by the
Seattle firm's San Francisco office, said,

"CIRM board members and senior
management do not receive regularly updated, enterprise-level
performance information. The ability to evaluate performance against
strategic goals is critical to effective leadership and program
monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. CIRM does not currently have a
formal performance reporting program."

In addition to decision-making
information, Moss Adams called for improvements in the agency's
long-troubled grants management system, better grant outcome
tracking, development of a results-based communications plan,
creation of a comprehensive, formal business development plan,
formulation of a comprehensive information technology plan that would
include steps to establish clear responsibility for CIRM's website
and improved monitoring of invention disclosure forms from grantee
institutions.
Last week, in a long overdue move, the
agency hired a director for information technology, who is expected
to solve many of the problems cited in the audit.
State law requires another performance audit in a few years. 

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

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