Wesley Jones, director of the Office of Audit and Performance (OAP), updated the Indianapolis-Marion County Audit Committee on staffing, the office’s enterprise risk assessment and planned work for 2025 during the March 7 meeting.

Staffing and operations: Jones said longtime audit manager Vanessa Mitchell retired in February. Heather Jones has been promoted to audit manager and a senior-audit vacancy is expected to be filled in the coming weeks. Jones described continuity in the performance and innovation team and said the office will continue administering whistleblower tips, cash counts and internal-control training.

Risk assessment and plan: OAP completed an enterprise risk assessment in the prior fall using about 15 measurable factors (personnel tenure, budgetary expenses, federal-grant expenditures and related data) to produce an agency risk rating. Jones summarized the three largest year-over-year decreases (courts, recorder and cooperative extension) and three largest increases (Office of Finance and Management, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Department of Metropolitan Development/Neighborhood Business and Services) and said the office will refine the methodology. He said risk assessment results will inform targeted audits and other engagements.

Audit charter: Jones told the committee OAP is drafting a formal audit charter that will define the internal-audit function’s mandate, services and authority. He said the charter is intended to give stakeholders clearer expectations and to provide the office support if it encounters resistance during engagements; Jones said he hopes to present a draft for committee review and possible vote by July.

AI and tools: Committee members asked about using artificial-intelligence tools. Jones said the office is still evaluating options and that the Information Services Agency has introduced Microsoft Copilot pilot work. He and Deputy Director Vivian Agnew said they plan to identify a small number of staff to build expertise and that AI could be helpful for reporting and analysis, with an emphasis on responsible, low-risk pilots.

Other items: Jones noted OAP will continue enterprise collaboration, lean continuous-improvement training, and a spring session of the Indy Performance program. He repeated that external auditors will share drafts with the State Board of Accounts and that OAP will work with council and departments on better early visibility into underspends and fund balances to improve budget decisions.

No committee vote was taken on OAP operational matters during the update; Jones asked members for feedback on the draft audit-charter approach.