Audit 404146

2025-006 – Internal Control over Compliance and Compliance with Activities Allowed or Unallowed and Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Requirement (Significant Deficiency) Information on the Major Federal Program - Federal Agency: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Program Name: USAID Foreign Assistance for Program Overseas Assistance Listing Number: 98.001 Award Number: 72052122CA00007 Award Period: June 13, 2022 – February 26, 2025 Criteria – The Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.303 requires that non-Federal entities receiving Federal awards (i.e., auditee management) establish and maintain internal control designed to reasonably ensure compliance with Federal statues, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. Per 2 CFR Section 200.403, “Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (a) Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles. (b) Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the Federal award as to types or amount of cost items. (c) Be consistent with policies and procedures that apply uniformly to both federally-financed and other activities of the non-Federal entity. (d) Be accorded consistent treatment. A cost may not be assigned to a Federal award as a direct cost if any other cost incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances has been allocated to the Federal award as an indirect cost. (e) Be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), except, for state and local governments and Indian tribes only, as otherwise provided for in this part. (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.” Condition – During our testing of expenses charged to the federal program, we identified three (3) out of 43 sampled transactions where full supporting documentation, including evidence of transaction approval, were not available for our review. Based on discussions with management, the source documentation was shipped from the Haiti program location and was lost in transit. As a result, complete records to support the three expenses and evidence of approval of expenses were not readily available. Cause – This appears to have resulted from insufficient controls over the transfer, retention, and tracking of project documentation during closeout, particularly for records originating from Haiti, where significant security and logistical challenges increase the risk associated with transporting original hard-copy files. Effect - Without adequate internal controls in place to ensure costs are properly reviewed for allowability and documentation, Corus could be noncompliant with the allowability requirement and could request funds for costs that are unallowed. Questioned Costs – Below reportable threshold. Context – This is a condition identified per review of Corus’ compliance with the specified requirements. Repeat Finding - This is not a repeat finding. Recommendation – We recommend that management strengthen controls over the transfer, retention, and accessibility of project documentation during closeout, particularly for records originating from Haiti, which is currently operating in a distressed location with significant security and logistical challenges. Given the heightened risk of loss, delay, or inaccessibility of hard-copy records in a war zone–like environment, management should implement procedures to scan and retain electronic copies of all critical financial, contractual, and approval documentation, including signed journal vouchers, before shipment; maintain a detailed shipping manifest of all files transferred; and track shipments through receipt and inventory confirmation at headquarters. These steps would help mitigate the elevated risk associated with transporting original records from a high-risk environment and support timely access to documentation for accounting, audit, and compliance purposes. Views of Responsible Officials - Corus management agrees with the findings and recommendations. The planned corrective actions are presented in Corus management’s corrective action plan attached as Appendix B to the Single Audit Report.