About Us
About the Agency
The Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit is the non-partisan audit arm of the Kansas Legislature. Our mission is to inform policy makers by providing accurate, unbiased information through our audit reports. Our audits help the Legislature by focusing on three core areas – oversight, insight, and foresight. We help the Legislature by providing oversight of state government by evaluating whether agencies are following laws, achieving intended results, and operating efficiently. We also help legislators develop a better understanding of state government by providing insight into how agencies and programs actually work. Finally, in some cases, we provide legislators with foresight by predicting how changing current government structures and systems might affect state costs and program outcomes.
LPA staff presenting audit findings to the Legislative Post Audit Committee. Once a performance audit is presented, it is a public document and made available on the LPA website. IT security audits are generally presented to the Legislative Post Audit Committee in executive session.
Our Staff
The head of the agency is the Legislative Post Auditor, who employs a 25-person staff to conduct our audits. Our staff come from a variety of backgrounds, including public administration, law, political science, business, and other social sciences. The work requires excellent critical thinking skills, writing and data analysis skills, and the ability to work with a wide variety of people. While not required, most of our staff have at least a master’s degree in their chosen area of study.
Awards
National Legislative Program Evaluation Society:
EXCELLENCE IN EVALUATION AWARDS
This award is presented to one legislative office that is determined to have made significant contributions to the fields of program evaluation or performance auditing during a four-year period. Only one award is granted each year.
- 2026
- 2003
- 1994
- 1987
CERTIFICATE OF IMPACT AWARDS
This award is presented to legislative offices that issued evaluations or audit reports, during a three-year period, that resulted in documented public policy changes, program improvements, dollar savings or other public impacts.
- 2026 – Information Systems: Reviewing Specific IT Security Controls Across State Agencies and School Districts
- 2025 – Evaluating At-Risk Expenditures and Statutory Compliance
- 2024 – STAR Bonds Financing Program
- 2023 – School Districts’ Self-Reported IT Security Practices and Resources
- 2022 – Evaluating the Department of Agriculture’s Price Verification Inspection Process
- 2021 – Community Mental Health: Evaluating Mental Health Services in Local Jails
- 2020 – K-12 Education: Evaluating At-Risk Student Counts, Weights, and Expenditures
- 2018 – K-12 Education: Evaluating Transportation Services Funding
- 2017 – Larned State Hospital: Reviewing the Operations of the Sexual Predator Treatment Program, Part 2
- 2016 – K-12 Education: Reviewing Virtual Schools Costs and Student Performance
- 2015 – Department of Revenue: Examining Issues Related to the DMV Modernization Project
- 2014 – Office of Information Technology Services: Reviewing the Office’s Service Rates and Viable Alternatives for Its Services
- 2013 – JJA: Evaluating the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex, Part 1
- 2012 – Judicial Districts in Kansas: Determining Whether Boundaries Could Be Redrawn to Increase Efficiency and Reduce Costs
- 2011 – Department of Corrections: Reviewing Allegations of Staff Misconduct
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH METHODS AWARDS
This award is presented to the office or offices that used exemplary research methods in an evaluation or audit report released during a calendar year. A maximum of three offices may be granted the award in a given year.
2024 – Estimating the Cost of K-12 Education
2022 – Evaluating the Kansas Department of Labor’s Response to COVID-19 Unemployment Claims (Part 2)
2019 – Medicaid: Evaluating KanCare’s Effect on the State’s Medicaid Program
National State Auditors Association:
- 2013 Excellence in Accountability Award – JJA: Evaluating the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex, Part 1
- 2010 Excellence in Accountability Award – Surplus Computer Equipment: Determining Whether State Agencies Effectively Remove Software and Agency Data from Surplus Computers