How do you turn things around?

I was at a conference last week that included auditors from federal, state, and local governments. As I listened to presentations and participated in discussions, it became clear to me that many times local government is far ahead of the federal level. I think that it is because government at the local level is so immediate and near. It doesn't take long to hear the echo from your constituency when they are upset.

Even comparing the federal and state audit organizations to local auditor shops, I could see the difference. There are very few levels, if any, of hierarchy at the local level. The audit director knows almost immediately what direction an audit is taking and has a close eye on audit quality and standards. At the state and local level there are levels of review and supervision before an audit is issued. This takes time and money.

So how do you turn things around in a large organization or how do you ensure that what you want the direction to be is what is occurring on the ground? It takes a concerted and dedicated effort. There are many analogies that I could think of. Imagine grabbing a 20 foot long rope and twirling around so that all of the rope was eventually off the ground. Just think how fast you would have to twirl before that final foot of rope was elevated. In large bureaucracies it may take years before the direction that you envisioned actually is reached.

Auditors can have a role in making the vision happen. Audits look at weaknesses in design and direction. As management twirls to lift that rope up, auditors can find places where weights drag the rope down.

Just a note. I am not saying that local efforts are more important. Many times those barriers to success at a local level occur because of state or federal action. So it takes us all to improve government.