DENVER – The state government needs to do a better job tracking its employees’ performance for their annual reviews, an audit released Monday said.
The state’s various departments do their own performance reviews and keep track of employee data at their home offices. But the information is supposed to be entered into the centralized Colorado Personnel Payroll System.
Too often, incomplete or inaccurate data was entered, according to the report by the Office of the State Auditor.
Also, 840 employees – about 4 percent of the state workforce – did not receive their annual reviews in 2012. More than 1,800 did not get their reviews in 2011.
The Legislature approved merit pay increases next year for the first time since 2009, so managers will need accurate information to decide who gets a raise.
Kathy Nesbitt, director of the Department of Personnel and Administration, owned up to her agency’s shortcomings, but she said the problems were often limited to data entry, and other agencies have accurate hard copies of their personnel files that allow them to review their employees’ performance.
“On paper, certainly, it would say we’re not doing the best job we can, but we’re doing a very good job with limited resources,” Nesbitt said.
Nesbitt’s agency is busy implementing Amendment S, a top-to-bottom reform of the personnel system that voters approved last fall.
Members of the Legislative Audit Committee said they were confident the problems could be solved, and they were impressed with Nesbitt.
“You have put together a very impressive team,” said Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction. “Let’s face it, when you’re coming in for an audit, you’re never going to get 100.”
Other state officials have found the Legislative Audit Committee to be a dreaded venue this year, as auditors and legislators have ripped into the Colorado Energy Office and Eagle-Net, which has a government grant to build high-speed Internet connections to rural schools.
The Denver Post reported Sunday that a new audit has found problems with Eagle-Net’s accounting. That audit was not released to the public nor discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Legislative Audit Committee.
joeh@cortezjournal.com