View of Responsible Officials: Management understands and agrees with the finding regarding inadequate documentation of payroll authorization and approval controls. Management acknowledges that while payroll processes were performed and reviewed, certain control activities—specifically the documenta...
View of Responsible Officials: Management understands and agrees with the finding regarding inadequate documentation of payroll authorization and approval controls. Management acknowledges that while payroll processes were performed and reviewed, certain control activities—specifically the documentation of employee pay rate approvals and payroll processing approvals—were not formally documented, resulting in the exceptions identified. The Center believes that the conditions noted are primarily related to the lack of formalized documentation procedures rather than a breakdown in the underlying payroll processes. Payroll activities, including the establishment of employee compensation and review of payroll outputs, were performed; however, documentation evidencing these activities was not consistently retained in accordance with Uniform Guidance requirements. Management is committed to strengthening internal controls to ensure full compliance with 2 CFR §200.303 and related federal requirements. As part of these efforts, the Center has begun: 1. Implementing enhanced controls, including the formalization of procedures requiring documented approval of employee salary and hourly rates. 2. Establish documented review and approval of each payroll cycle. 3. Management will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these controls and ensure that appropriate supporting documentation is consistently maintained going forward.