When it comes to scope of inquiry and potential to spur reforms and innovations, Fairfax County’s Office of Financial and Program Audit (OFPA) packs considerable punch.
Led by Jennifer Girard, performance auditor to the Board of Supervisors, the office also is staffed by deputy auditor to the board Cara O’Connor and lead analytics auditor Ryan Huang.
The GazetteLeader recently asked Girard to expound on her office’s mission.
How long have you worked for the county and how long in your current role?
I have worked for Fairfax County and have served in my current role since November 2023.
What’s your background?
Prior to working at Fairfax County, I spent 20 years working across several fields in the nonprofit world. The last 17 years I spent at the American Red Cross, where I worked in internal audit, operations and fund-raising. In both my audit and operations experience, I focused on extracting value from data and turning that data into information that can help drive better decision making. Working at a large and complex nonprofit like the Red Cross gave me a real understanding of the importance of protecting every dollar that we receive while staying mission-focused.
What abilities are essential for this job?
I think it’s critical to have a good mix of people, process and analytical skills. Because I look across all county operations, it’s important for me to build good working relationships at the county. In addition, it’s really important to be able to understand, interpret and analyze data and processes to be able to know where there may be opportunities to improve something, and to be able to make helpful recommendations.
What is the history of your office and how many people work there?
We have a total of three employees (including me), plus an intern. Our budget is $506,000. This office was founded in 1993 by the Board of Supervisors, pursuant to Virginia Code §15.2-825.
What is the office’s mission?
The work of OFPA is performed on behalf of the Audit Committee of the Board of Supervisors, with a mission to ensure that operations, programs and resources authorized by the board are consistent with the intent of the board and operating effectively and efficiently.
Does you have legal authority to compel information from people?
County agencies and staff routinely provide my office with all requested information, and there has never been a need to force them to cooperate. Although my office does not have any legal authority to compel information, I report directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Supervisors, and the board does have the ability and authority to compel information as set forth in the Virginia Code, in the event that approach would ever be necessary.
What are your main objectives?
In the past, this office has mainly focused on executing the approved work plan for the year, which includes a handful of studies that are presented to the Audit Committee through quarterly meetings. As the new performance auditor to the board, my strategy is to continue to create relevant work plans and impactful studies that focus on cost savings, revenue enhancement or otherwise improve overall effectiveness here at Fairfax County.
What changes do you plan to make?
My plan is to bring more technology and data-analytics tools to our office that can help us do our jobs more effectively and find more insights. I also am working on making my studies more digestible and visually impactful, so they can be better understood by anyone who reads them.
What results or savings have past audits achieved?
The reports that our office has put forth have helped bring positive change to Fairfax County by identifying areas for improvement across County operations. Going forward, where possible, I intend to identify specific cost savings that result from our work plan.
How does the office come up with ideas for audits?
OFPA obtains ideas for our study plan from a variety of sources:
• Assessments of operations from previous studies.
• Input from board members, Audit Committee members, community members, other auditors and county leadership and staff.
• Consideration of current local events, financial conditions, major capital projects and public policy issues.
• Consideration of topics identified in other studies, reviews and audits that could emerge in Fairfax County.
We certainly accept ideas from the public, [which] can always reach out to my office by e-mailing me at auditoroftheboard@fairfaxcounty.gov.
How does the office’s fiscal 2025 Audit Plan stack up?
The approved plan for FY25 reflects OFPA’s steadfast commitment to making an overall positive impact on Fairfax County. It contains a mix of follow-up studies and new studies that my team has developed based on the sources listed above. I believe the plan speaks for itself, but with every study I recommend to the Audit Committee, I am looking to explore ways to find cost savings, enhance revenue or otherwise improve the effectiveness of operations and processes here at Fairfax County.
