For example, the office recently adopted a new guiding standard to increase detection and prevention of fraud. This guidance provides a broader perspective on factors within government operations that may be susceptible to fraud, ranging from inadequate physical safeguards to insufficient monitoring of key documents. Such perspectives, combined with more frequent reviews, will better deter fraud, waste and abuse. Better record keeping. Occasionally, well-intentioned clerks become overwhelmed with the various responsibilities of record keeping, especially if they inherited incomplete records.
Timely audits encourage officials to stay current with record keeping.
If records are not sufficient for audit, our Local Government Services Division can help reconstruct records or train officials before the problem worsens. Another clerk told us in a letter this summer that due to the advice of her auditors, her township joined the AOS Uniform Accounting Network and has dramatically improved record keeping. I believe this quick response has also contributed to the 46 percent decrease in the number of Ohio governments we have had to declare unauditable. At the Office of Auditor of State, we always welcome comments and suggestions relating to our services. We can arrange meetings with townships wishing to further discuss our services.