Finding 2024-010 – Lack of County-Wide Internal Controls Over Major Federal Program – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Repeat Finding – 2023-010) PASS-THROUGH GRANTOR: Direct Grant FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Department of Treasury ASSISTANCE LISTING: 21.027 FEDERAL PROGRAM NAME: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds FEDERAL AWARD YEAR: 2021 CONTROL CATEGORY: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles; Period of Performance; Procurement and Suspension and Debarment; Reporting; Subrecipient Monitoring QUESTIONED COSTS: $-0- Condition: County-wide internal controls regarding Control Environment, Risk Assessment, Information and Communication, and Monitoring have not been designed. Cause of Condition: Policies and procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure the County complies with grant requirements. Effect of Condition: Without an adequate system of county-wide controls, there is a greater risk of a breakdown in control activities which could result in unrecorded transactions, undetected errors, or misappropriation of funds. Further, this condition could result in noncompliance with grant requirements and a loss of federal funds to the County. Recommendation: OSAI recommends that the County design and implement a system of internal control procedures to ensure compliance with grant requirements. This documentation should outline the importance of internal controls, the risk that the County has identified, the control activities established to address the risk, the steps taken to properly communicate pertinent information in a timely manner and the methodology to monitor the quality of performance over time. These procedures should be written policies and procedures and could be included in the County’s policies and procedures handbook. Management Response: Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners: The Board of County Commissioners will work to assess and identify risks to design a written county-wide controls policy over federal grant programs to ensure compliance with grant requirements. Criteria: The GAO Standards – Section 1 – Fundamental Concepts of Internal Control – OV1.01 states in part: Definition of Internal Control Internal control is a process effected by an entity’s oversight body, management, and other personnel that provides reasonable assurance that the objectives of an entity will be achieved. Additionally, GAO Standards – Section 2 – Establishing an Effective Internal Control System – OV2.04 states in part: Components, Principles, and Attributes Control Environment - The foundation for an internal control system. It provides the discipline and structure to help an entity achieve its objectives. Risk Assessment - Assesses the risks facing the entity as it seeks to achieve its objectives. This assessment provides the basis for developing appropriate risk responses. Information and Communication - The quality information management and personnel communicate and use to support the internal control system. Monitoring - Activities management establishes and operates to assess the quality of performance over time and promptly resolve the findings of audits and other reviews.
Finding 2024-011 – Lack of Internal Controls Over Major Federal Program – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Repeat Finding – 2023-011) PASS-THROUGH GRANTOR: Direct Grant FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Department of Treasury ASSISTANCE LISTING: 21.027 FEDERAL PROGRAM NAME: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds FEDERAL AWARD YEAR: 2021 CONTROL CATEGORY: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles; Period of Performance; Procurement and Suspension and Debarment; Reporting; Subrecipient Monitoring QUESTIONED COSTS: $-0- Condition: During the process of documenting the County’s internal controls regarding federal disbursements, we noted that the County has not established procedures to ensure compliance with the following compliance requirements: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles; Period of Performance; Procurement and Suspension and Debarment; Reporting; Subrecipient Monitoring. Cause of Condition: Policies and procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure federal expenditures are made in accordance with federal compliance requirements. Effect of Condition: This condition could result in noncompliance with grant requirements and could result in a loss of federal funds to the County. Recommendation: OSAI recommends the County gain an understanding of requirements for this program and implement internal control procedures to ensure compliance with requirements. Management Response: Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners: The Board of County Commissioners will work with all County Officials to inform them of all grants and federal monies that Pottawatomie County receives to ensure that proper internal controls are implemented. Criteria: 2 CFR § 200.303 Internal Controls (a) reads as follows: The 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 be in compliance with 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). Further, accountability and stewardship should be overall goals in management's accounting of federal funds. Internal controls should be designed to monitor compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to grant contracts.
Finding 2024-012 – Noncompliance with Subrecipient Monitoring Over Major Federal Program – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Repeat Finding – 2023-012) PASS-THROUGH GRANTOR: Direct Grant FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Department of Treasury ASSISTANE LISTING: 21.027 FEDERAL PROGRAM NAME: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds FEDERAL AWARD YEAR: 2021 CONTROL CATEGORY: Subrecipient Monitoring QUESTIONED COSTS: $-0- Condition: During the test of 100% of expenditures of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, totaling $1,152,068, it was noted that the County had two (2) subrecipients with expenditures totaling $46,935. The County does not have a subrecipient monitoring policy, and the County did not obtain agreements containing all the required elements of 2 CFR 200.332. Cause of Condition: Policies and procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure federal expenditures are made in accordance with compliance requirements. Effect of Condition: This condition resulted in noncompliance with grant requirements and could lead to a loss of federal funds to the County. Recommendation: OSAI recommends the County gain an understanding of the requirements for this program and implement internal controls to ensure compliance with these requirements. Management Response: Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners: The Board of County Commissioners will take measures to ensure future compliance with all requirements of federal grants. Criteria: 2 CFR 200 §200.332 Requirement for Pass-Through Entities states in part: All pass-through entities must: (a) Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. (2) All requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the Federal award is used in accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. (5) A requirement that the subrecipient permit the pass-through entity and auditors to have access to the subrecipient's records and financial statements as necessary for the pass-through entity to meet the requirements of this part. (6) Appropriate terms and conditions concerning closeout of the subaward.
Finding 2024-013 – Noncompliance with Reporting Over Major Federal Program - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Repeat Finding – 2023-013) PASS-THROUGH GRANTOR: Direct Grant FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Department of Treasury ASSISTANCE LISTING: 21.027 FEDERAL PROGRAM NAME: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds FEDERAL AWARD YEAR: 2021 CONTROL CATEGORY: Reporting QUESTIONED COSTS: $-0- Condition: During the test of 100% of expenditures for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, totaling $1,152,068, twenty-three (23) expenditures totaling $905,330 were not accurately reported in the proper period on the quarterly reports as required by the Reporting compliance requirement. Cause of Condition: Policies and procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure federal expenditures are made in accordance with federal compliance requirements. Effect of Condition: This condition resulted in noncompliance with grant requirements. Recommendation: OSAI recommends the County design and implement a system of internal controls to ensure the accuracy and completeness of reports and to ensure compliance with federal requirements. Management Response: Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners: The Board of County Commissioners will take measures to ensure future compliance with all requirements of federal grants. Criteria: Accountability and stewardship should be overall goals in management’s accounting of federal funds. Internal controls should be designed to monitor compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to grant contracts. Title 2 CFR § 200.303(a) Internal Controls reads (a) reads as follows: The 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 be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Controls Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Compliance and Reporting Guidance, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (10. Reporting.) reads as follows: All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. In addition, where appropriate, your organization needs to establish controls to ensure completion and timely submission of all mandatory performance and/or compliance reporting. Further, 2 CFR § 200.329 Monitoring and Reporting Program Performance (c)(1) reads as follows: The non-Federal entity must submit performance reports at the interval required by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity to best inform improvements in program outcomes and productivity. Intervals must be no less frequent than annually nor more frequent than quarterly except in unusual circumstances, for example where more frequent reporting is necessary for the effective monitoring of the Federal award or could significantly affect program outcomes. Reports submitted annually by the non-Federal entity and/or pass-through entity must be due no later than 90 calendar days after the reporting period. Reports submitted quarterly or semiannually must be due no later than 30 calendar days after the reporting period. Alternatively, the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity may require annual reports before the anniversary dates of multiple year Federal awards. The final performance report submitted by the non-Federal entity and/or pass-through entity must be due no later than 120 calendar days after the period of performance end date. A subrecipient must submit to the pass-through entity, no later than 90 calendar days after the period of performance end date, all final performance reports as required by the terms and conditions of the Federal award. See also § 200.344. If a justified request is submitted by a non-Federal entity, the Federal agency may extend the due date for any performance report.
Finding 2024-014 – Noncompliance with Activities Allowed or Unallowed and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Over Major Federal Program – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds PASS-THROUGH GRANTOR: Direct Grant FEDERAL AGENCY: U.S. Department of Treasury ASSISTANE LISTING: 21.027 FEDERAL PROGRAM NAME: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds FEDERAL AWARD YEAR: 2021 CONTROL CATEGORY: Activities Allowed or Unallowed; Allowable Costs/Cost Principles QUESTIONED COSTS: $46,935 Condition: During the test of 100% of expenditures for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, totaling $1,152,068, two expenditures totaling $46,935 reflected the following: The County used funds to pay the subrecipients that were dedicated for another project/purpose for Highway District's 1 and 2. Cause of Condition: Policies and procedures have not been designed and implemented to ensure federal expenditures are made in accordance with compliance requirements. Effect of Condition: This condition resulted in noncompliance with federal grant requirements. Recommendation: OSAI recommends the County gain an understanding of the requirements for this program and implement internal controls to ensure compliance with these requirements. Management Response: Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners: The Board of County Commissioners will take measures to ensure future compliance with all requirements of federal grants. Criteria: 2 CFR § 200.403 - Factors affecting allowability costs states in relevant part, Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (f) not be included as a cost or used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements of any other federally financed program in either the current or a prior period. (g) Be adequately documented.