Audit 401615

Federal Agency: Environmental Protection Agency Federal Program Name: Water Pollution Control Assistance Listing Numbers: 66.419 Federal Award Identification Number: 98339418 Pass-Through Agency: N/A Pass-Through Number(s): N/A Award Period: 10/1/2023 - 12/30/2025 Compliance Requirement: Procurement Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance, Other Matter Criteria or specific requirement: Compliance: Non-federal entities other than states, including those operating federal programs as subrecipients of states, must follow the procurement standards set out at 2 CFR §200.318 through §200.327. They must use their own documented procurement procedures, which reflect applicable state and local laws and regulations, provided that the procurements conform to applicable federal statutes and the procurement requirements identified in 2 CFR Part 200. Small purchase procedures are used for purchases that exceed the micro-purchase amount but do not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000). If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources (2 CFR §200.320(b)). Control: Per 2 CFR §200.303(a), a non-Federal entity must: Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. These internal controls should comply with the guidance in "Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government" issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the "Internal Control-Integrated Framework," issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Condition/Context: For two of five procurements selected for testing, the Commission was unable to provide documentation (completed requisition form) to demonstrate compliance with their procurement policy. Questioned costs: Undetermined. Cause: Controls were not operating effectively to ensure that the Commission’s procurement policies were followed for procurements entered into where expenses were charged to the federal program. Effect: The Commission was unable to provide documentation to support compliance with Federal requirements. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: We recommend that the Commission ensure that it follows its procurement policies for all goods and services charged to the program and that documentation be readily available for audit. Views of responsible officials: To prevent future noncompliance the Commission will 1)clarify vendor coverage on existing agreements, 2) strengthen controls over procurement threshold, 3) monitor cumulative spending by vendor, and 4) reinforce training and communication.