How many, if any, consultant or contractor travel expenditure claims have been audited over the past 12 months and what discrepancies or breaches of policy, if any, have been found as a result?

Answer

Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities advises me that contractor and consultant travel costs are not individually audited; each Business Group ensures the total spend stays within the group travel budget with embedded savings targets. All consultant and contractor travel expenditure is approved by their people leader at the time of booking. If travel is within 14 days of departure, it is approved by the respective 2nd Tier manager. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development advises me that no formal audits of consultant or contractor travel expenditure claims have been undertaken in the past 12 months. However, all claims submitted during this period have been subject to the standard review processes to ensure they are reasonable, appropriately supported, and compliant with the organisation’s sensitive expenditure policy and tolerance settings. Through these review processes, no significant discrepancies or breaches of policy have been identified.