Once the Audit Initiation Form has been submitted and the PRC has complete information, an OAS administrator will take the necessary steps to confirm that all individuals requesting access to the system are in fact authorized. This process is required to maintain the security of the system and to protect the materials stored in it.

For auditors, an OAS administrator will do the following:

• Confirm that the auditor has an active certification.
• Verify completion of the annual information security course.
• Confirm completion of the auditor's reporting requirements.

For PREA Coordinators and PREA Compliance Managers who are new to the OAS, an OAS administrator will do the following:

• Email the Supervisor Confirmation Form (SCF) to the supervisor indicated on the Audit Initiation Form.
• Review the SCF upon submission.
• Call the supervisor to verify the information provided on the SCF.

Please note: this process applies to new users and existing users who change roles.

Once a PREA Coordinator or a PREA Compliance Manager is confirmed, their confirmation is valid for one year. After one year, all users will need to be reconfirmed (see below).

For PREA Coordinators and PREA Compliance Managers with existing OAS accounts,  an OAS administrator will do the following: 

• Email the user’s supervisor to confirm that the user is still in the same role.

After the verification process is complete, an OAS administrator will set up the audit and users will be granted access to the OAS. All users will receive emails from the OAS indicating that an audit has been created. Users who are new to the Online Audit System will receive a separate email from the OAS with their log-in information.

Please Note: An audit cannot begin, and access to the OAS cannot be provided, until the verification process has been completed. 

For questions about audit and user account creation in the Online Audit System, contact OAS tech support.

There are five significant steps throughout the audit process in the OAS:

• The first step is for the OAS technical support team to process an audit initiation and then create it in the OAS. All users tied to the audit will be informed that the requested audit has been created.
• The next step is for the PREA Coordinator/PREA Compliance Manager to begin their work on the PAQ. Once the PAQ is completed, the PREA Coordinator/PREA Compliance Manager will submit it to the auditor for review. This indicates that the audit has begun.
• Once the auditor goes onsite they will begin working through the ACT. This tool is used during each phase of the PREA audit to guide the auditor in making compliance determinations for each provision of every standard.
• Once the ACT is filled out, the audit will either go to corrective action or, if all standards are found compliant, the final report is generated. Corrective action only occurs when the auditor has submitted an interim audit report with one or more standards not met. This initiates a corrective action period for the audit where the agency/facility and the auditor will work in collaboration to address noncompliance.
• Lastly, once that is completed, the final report is generated.

Please note: Agencies/facilities are strongly encouraged, but not required, to complete the PAQ in the OAS (unless otherwise contractually obligated to do so). However, agencies and facilities who choose not to complete the PAQ in the OAS must, at minimum, complete the Facility Information section of the PAQ, check each topic is ready for audit, and submit an otherwise "blank" PAQ. This will allow the auditor to complete their work in the OAS, as required.