In 2014 and 2015, Bluestem published several posts critical of the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI).
Thursday, the Office of the Legislative Auditor released its evaluation report for AURI, noting:
We found that AURI, a nonprofit organization created and funded largely by the state, does not adequately measure and report the impacts of its work. In addition, AURI does not require some of its clients to justify their need for the institute’s services through a formal application. We make recommendations to AURI to address several issues we identified. We also make recommendations to the Legislature to amend state law to address issues related to board composition and the Open Meeting Law.
Here's the summary report:
Evaluation Report Summary / May 2016 Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI)
Read the full report at the OLA's website here [pdf]. The report recommends:
- AURI should more consistently and comprehensively measure the impact of its work. (p. 17)
- AURI should set rates for its services and develop guidelines for circumstances under which it will provide services for free or reduced rates. (p. 24)
- AURI should improve its annual report to the Legislature. (p. 25)
- AURI staff should follow the institute’s project-approval process. (p. 35)
- AURI should (1) develop guidelines that require explicit consideration of the value of staff time and more formal justification for projects that are expected to consume significant resources, and (2) consider using this information and other criteria to prioritize projects. (p. 38)
- The Legislature should amend state law to expand AURI’s board of directors to include at-large members of the board’s choosing. (p. 41)
- The Legislature should clarify what type of organization AURI’s board is for purposes of the Open Meeting Law. (p. 46)
- AURI should review its internal documents to ensure they are consistent with relevant laws. (p. 47)
- AURI should take steps to improve board knowledge of and compliance with relevant laws and guiding documents. (p. 47)
Map: Locations of AURI facilities.
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