Condition In accordance with provisions of 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F, the filing of the data collection form and submission of audited financial statement to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse is to be completed within 9 months of the fiscal year end. The Institute did not complete the filing within 9 months of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Criteria The filing of the data collection form and audited financial statement are due to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse within 9 months after the end of the audit period. Cause Due to change to new audit firm, locating supporting documents for items selected for testing and errors in the general ledger reconciliations, the audited financial statements were not completed timely. Effect The required reporting was not completed until September 2026. Recommendation The Institute should put procedures in place to ensure accurate reporting of general ledger accounts and locating supporting documents so reporting to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse can be completed within 9 months of the fiscal year end. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions Management agrees with the finding and recommendation. There has been a change in leadership at the Institute. The Institute recognizes the importance of completing the annual audit and submitting the data collection form and audited financial statements to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse within the required nine-month period. Management will move from paper-based to an electronic system in order to facilitate future audits or document requests. We will strengthen year-end close and audit preparation procedures, including monthly reconciliation of general ledger accounts, organization of supporting documentation, and coordination with the independent auditors to support timely completion of future audits. The Institute has established an audit preparation and close schedule with assigned responsibilities and target completion dates. General ledger accounts will be reviewed and reconciled monthly and as part of the year-end close, and audit supporting documentation will be organized and maintained in a centralized location to facilitate timely retrieval. Management will monitor the audit timeline and outstanding requests to support submission to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse within the required deadline.
Condition During testing of cash disbursements, the audit team was unable to locate adequate supporting documentation for selected transactions sufficient to determine whether the costs charged were allowable and the activities were allowed under the applicable federal award(s). Documentation such as invoices, receipts, contracts, approvals, or evidence linking the expenditure to an allowable activity could not be located or provided by the Institute. Criteria Per 2 CFR § 200.403, costs charged to a federal award must be necessary, reasonable, and adequately documented. Per 2 CFR § 200.302 and § 200.334, non-federal entities must maintain financial records, including source documentation (e.g., invoices, receipts, canceled checks, time and effort records) that support the allowability, allocability, and reasonableness of costs charged to federal awards, and these records must be retained and readily accessible for a minimum of three years. Additionally, 2 CFR § 200.404 and § 200.405 require that costs be allocable and consistently applied to allowable program activities. Cause The Institute's recordkeeping and document retention practices did not ensure that supporting documentation for cash disbursements was consistently maintained, organized, or readily retrievable. This may be attributable to insufficient internal controls over document retention, lack of a centralized filing/records system, or turnover in staff responsible for maintaining disbursement records. Effect Without adequate supporting documentation, the Institute cannot demonstrate that disbursed funds were used for allowable costs and allowed activities in accordance with the terms of the federal award(s). This exposes the Institute to the risk of questioned costs, disallowed expenditures, required repayment to the funding agency, and potential findings of noncompliance in future audits. It also limits the Institute's ability to demonstrate accountability and stewardship over federal funds. Recommendation We recommend that the Institute strengthen internal controls over cash disbursements to ensure supporting documentation (invoices, receipts, approvals, and evidence of allowable activity) is obtained and retained for every transaction prior to disbursement. The Institute should implement a centralized, organized recordkeeping system (physical or electronic) for disbursement documentation, with clear responsibility assigned for maintenance and retrieval. The Institute should also provide training to relevant staff on documentation retention requirements under 2 CFR Part 200. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions Management agrees with the finding and recommendation. The Institute recognizes that complete and readily retrievable supporting documentation is necessary to demonstrate the allowability, allocability, and reasonableness of costs charged to all awards. Management will strengthen its cash disbursement and record-retention procedures to ensure invoices, receipts, approvals, contracts, and other applicable supporting documentation are maintained for each transaction. The Institute implemented a centralized electronic recordkeeping process for cash disbursement documentation and assigned responsibility for maintaining and retrieving supporting records. Documentation supporting the expenditure and applicable approvals are retained with the transaction records. Relevant staff have been instructed on documentation and record-retention requirements applicable to federal awards. Management will hold an annual training at the beginning of the new fiscal year available to all Institute employees.
Condition The Institute does not have a written procurement policy. Additionally, the Institute does not perform suspension and debarment verification (e.g., checking the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) or equivalent excluded parties list) prior to entering into contracts or agreements with vendors, contractors, or subrecipients. Criteria Organizations that receive federal funding are generally required, under 2 CFR § 200.318–200.327 (Uniform Guidance), to: • Maintain written procurement procedures that conform to applicable federal, state, and local laws; • Ensure procurement transactions are conducted in a manner providing full and open competition; • Verify that contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participating in federal programs, per 2 CFR § 200.214 and 2 CFR Part 180. Cause The Institute has not formalized its procurement practices in a written policy and staff is not currently required to check suspension and debarment status as part of the vendor selection or contracting process. Effect Without a written procurement policy, the Institute lacks a consistent, auditable standard for procurement decisions, increasing the risk of non-compliance, favoritism, or inconsistent practices across departments. The absence of suspension and debarment checks creates risk that the Institute could enter into agreements with parties who are legally excluded from receiving federal funds, potentially resulting in disallowed costs, reputational harm, or loss of funding. Recommendation The Institute should develop and formally adopt a written procurement policy that addresses methods of procurement, competition requirements, documentation standards, and conflict-of-interest provisions consistent with 2 CFR § 200.318–200.327. The Institute should also implement a documented procedure requiring suspension and debarment verification (via SAM.gov or equivalent) for all vendors, contractors, and subrecipients prior to contract execution, and retain evidence of this check in procurement files. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions Management agrees with the finding and recommendation. The Institute is formalizing its procurement practices in a written procurement policy consistent with applicable Uniform Guidance requirements. The policy addresses procurement methods, competition, documentation, conflicts of interest, and suspension and debarment requirements for procurements in accordance with federal regulations. The Institute contracted with Visual Compliance to assist with verifying vendors against all available U.S. debarred and suspended lists before entering into covered contracts or agreements with vendors, contractors, or subrecipients. The Institute has developed and approved a Suspension and Debarment policy and staff are required to check suspension and debarment status as part of the vendor selection or contracting process. The Institute is developing a written procurement policy. Evidence of the verification will be retained with the applicable procurement or agreement documentation.