The Building Audit Process

The key goal of the Building Audit component is to ensure that certification status is conferred only upon those buildings and/or community of buildings that are in full compliance with the Program’s Standards of Practice. All building audits will be conducted by an independent third-party performance measurement firm, J.D. Power and Associates. The audit process will be implemented in a manner that will respect participant’s need for ongoing business continuation. All efforts will be made to minimize its impact on member employees’ ability to serve your customers effectively.

Scheduling A Building Audit

After a participant has completed their building self-assessment and requested an audit through the Program’s Administrator, an auditor from J.D. Power and Associates will contact them directly to schedule the audit on a mutually convenient date. Participants will receive confirmed notice of the audit (including time, date, and location) by email shortly after communicating with the auditor

What You Can Expect During the Audit

The auditor will seek to verify compliance with the Program’s Standards of Practice using a combination of four different methods:

  • Interview – the auditor will ask selected building managers and employees to discuss in depth how they go about performing some of their job function
  • Observation – the auditor will directly observe and note some of each building’s physical features and characteristics
  • Documentation/evidence review – the auditor will ask to see examples of certain documents and records
  • Simulation – the auditor will ask selected building managers and employees to describe and/or demonstrate the steps that they would take in a simulated situation corresponding to an event that they may face while fulfilling their daily responsibilities

Single Buildings vs. Multi-Building Communities

For “stand-alone” buildings, all audit activities will take place at each individual building

For those communities of several buildings located in close geographic proximity with a centralized office function, the audit will require visits to each individual building as well as a detailed documentation review and selected interviews at the central office

Audit Reporting

At the conclusion of the audit, the auditor will enter his or her findings into a laptop computer and print a compliance report which will be submitted “on the spot” to the owner or manager. If the building or community of buildings is not in compliance with the Program’s Standards of Practice, the report will identify the specific areas of non-compliance through a Gap Analysis report. After reviewing the report with the owner or manager, the auditor will briefly discuss suggested steps to bring the building or community into compliance.

If full compliance is demonstrated, the auditor will inform the owner or property manager that J.D. Power and Associates is in a position to recommend to the Director of Certification that the building (or community of buildings) has met the full compliance requirements with the Program’s Standards of Practice. The Director of Certification will them submit the relative documents and full compliance report to FRPO’s CRB Program Governance Committee to review and approve the buildings for Certified Rental-Building status.

Addressing and Correcting Instances of Non-Compliance

For certain instances of non-compliance (typically those involving missing or incomplete documentation), it is anticipated that a manager or owner may demonstrate that it has brought the building or community into compliance by sending the appropriate documentation to the auditor after his or her visit. For other instances of non-compliance, a return visit by the auditor to the building or community may be necessary

When all instances of non-compliance have been successfully addressed, the auditor will inform the owner or manager that J.D. Power and Associates is in a position to recommend to the Director of Certification that the building (or community of buildings) has met the full compliance requirements with the Program’s Standards of Practice. The Director of Certification will them submit the relative documents and full compliance report to FRPO’s CRB Program Governance Committee to review and approve the buildings for Certified Rental-Building status.