HRM can improve how it manages recreation programming planning according to a new report by Auditor General Andrew Atherton.

The review released Tuesday, found their strategies needed some work.

“HRM has numerous recreation programming strategic objectives, which considered community need when developed, there were limited connections between the work being done day to day in recreation program planning and where HRM wants to be strategically,” said Atherton.

“Recreation programming is planned at the community level, which is fine in many ways, but it is also done so with little attention paid to corporate objectives and with limited management oversight. There was a lack of action plans for achieving the objectives and no formal monitoring and evaluation of programming.”

The audit also found there was no process to monitor and evaluate programs offered by certain third-party bodies.

Atherton had five recommendations which HRM agreed to implement.

A follow-up report on 2021 audits was also released on the Transit Technology Project Management and Management of Accounts Payable whose recommendations were mostly complete.

“In 2021, we recommended HRM come up with some accounts payable KPIs and performance targets.  For transit, we recommended projects have reasonable and documented estimates and assumptions.  These recommendations relate to relatively basic management concepts and actions should be taken to address them” the auditor general said.

The full report is here.