Corrective Action Plans

Management Comments and Corrective Action: Due to the growing need to adequately care for the minors at SWK’s shelters coupled with the limitations of access to vendors caused by COVID-19, SWK utilized existing vendor to minimize significant disruptions to operations. The Organization is aware they are operating under contracts that were procured in previous years that may not have all the records maintained. Reprocuring all of these contracts at once would potentially cause disruptions in operations due to the products/services related to those vendors playing an important role in the Organization’s day-to-day operations. In April 2021, the Organization hired new procurement leadership and invested in Full Time Employees (FTEs) to develop a robust procurement department. Due to this procurement revamp, Procurement adopted a hybrid model, and Desktop Protocols were established to provide universal procedures to fulfill policy. Protocols instruct staff on obtaining three quotes and provide tools for selecting the vendor. In addition, quality protocols and tools are currently in development to verify a random sample of procurement transactions and files. The Organization still has several active contracts procured under the old policies that they are working on reprocuring as these contracts’ renewal dates arise, if not earlier. Proposed Implementation Date of Corrective Action: In process and to be completed by December 31, 2025. Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Steven Beckman, CFO

Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund – Assistance Listing No. 21.027 Recommendation: We recommend the County carefully review federal procurement requirements for proper documentation needed. The County should consider use of a Federal procurement checklist. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: Any new vendors selected for the SLFRF program will be reviewed for suspension or debarment by the Auditor’s office in SAM.gov. Auditor’s office has discussed the process of procurement documentation of all SLFRF program vendors with administrative personnel. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Eric Black, Chief Deputy Auditor. Planned completion date for corrective action plan: November 30, 2024

Mexico Water District agrees with this finding. The Conflict-of-Interest Policy was voted on and adopted on September 9, 2024, and each Trustee signed an acceptance form.

Reference: 2023-003 Corrective Action: The City will work on updating the procurement policy to include clearer expectations. Responsible Person: Kristopher Hanus Frederickson, Mayor; Patrick Reagan, City Administrator; Wendi Bixby, Finance Director/Treasurer Anticipated Completion Date: 12/31/2025

Contact Person – Scott Froemming Corrective Action Plan – Meeker Cooperative will create and implement a procurement policy that complies with state and local regulations as well as 2 CFR Part 200.317 through 200.327. Completion Date – October 31, 2024

Management will create a formal, written procurement policy. Management will also review the noncompetitive procurement procedures and will document how and why our vendor(s) meets these requirements, if applicable.

Views of Responsible Officials and Action Taken: We agree with the finding and recommendation and have implemented a verification step in our vendor approval and onboarding process which requires all vendors to be run through the SAM website and debarment search. We also require an annual verification to be performed for all vendors.

Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Acton Plan: Debbie Nelson County Auditor. Condition We noted during testing procurement, suspension, and debarment that the County doesn't have a procurement policy that follows Uniform Guidance. We also noted during testing for suspension and debarment that 2 of our 2 vendors tested were not reviewed to ensure they were not suspended or disbarred from federal funds. Corrective Action Plan We agree. A procurement policy is being drafted for approval by the Grand Forks County Commission. Anticipated Completion Date Fiscal Year 2024

We value your guidance and are committed to enhancing our compliance with the Uniform Guidance. In response, we will: 1. Documentation Procedures: We will implement procedures to properly document procurement activities. This will help us maintain consistency and ensure compliance with the Uniform Guidance. 2. Monitoring and Accountability: Additionally, we will establish a system to regularly monitor our compliance with these policies and procedures. This will enable us to quickly address any issues that may arise. The Finance Department will be responsible for implementing these changes and will have everything ready before the end of 2024. We are dedicated to making these improvements and truly value your support as we work through this process. Personnel responsible: Eduardo Cedeno, Director of Finance Anticipated completion date: December 31, 2024

We understand how crucial it is to have strong policies and procedures in place. Here’s how we plan to move forward: 1. Review of Existing Policies and Procedures: We’re currently taking a close look at our existing policies and procedures to ensure they align with the Uniform Guidance. This will help us identify any gaps and make necessary updates so that we’re fully compliant. 2. Development of New Policies: Alongside this review, we will create clear and comprehensive written policies in key areas, such as: • Cash Management: Setting up procedures that comply with 2 CFR 200.305 to ensure timely payments. eCFR :: 2 CFR 200.305 -- Federal payment. • Allowability of Costs: Crafting guidelines that follow Subpart E—Cost Principles, so we can confidently determine which expenses are allowable. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/chapter-7/subchapter-E/part-731/subpart-731.7/section-731.770. • Conflict of Interest: Establishing standards of conduct that address potential conflicts and promote transparency. • Equipment and Real Property Management: Developing policies for managing equipment acquired under federal awards in line with 2 CFR 200.313(b). eCFR :: 2 CFR 200.313 -- Equipment. • Procurement Procedures: Creating clear procurement guidelines that align with 2 CFR 200.318 through 200.326 to ensure fairness and oversight. eCFR :: 2 CFR 200.318 -- General procurement standards. 3. Training and Communication: The Finance Department will be responsible for training all staff involved in managing federal awards. Training sessions will ensure that everyone understands the requirements and their roles in maintaining compliance. This training will be completed by December 31, 2024. Personnel responsible: Eduardo Cedeno, Director of Finance Anticipated completion date: December 31, 2024

Management will develop, adopt and implement a procurement policy for federal purchases that aligns with the requirement of the 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance. This process will include steps within the interview and application process to ensure contractors and subrecipients are eligible (not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded) to enter into an agreement, contract, or subaward with the City. The process will also include steps to ensure all necessary language, such as the Buy America Build America Provisions are included in the final contracts.

Corrective action the auditee plans to take in response to the finding: (If the auditee does not concur with the finding, the auditee must list the reasons for disagreement). Procurement The City of Grandview will update our procurement policies to comply with federal procurement requirements. The procurement policy update will include other required procedures for procuring transactions, such as contracting with small and minority business owners, women’s business enterprise and labor surplus area firms, domestic preferences, recovered materials, contract cost or price analysis and more. Going forward, the City will establish internal administrative controls to ensure that city staff receive the proper training and are aware of all procurement policies and guidelines. Suspension and Debarment The City of Grandview will establish internal controls on contract proposals exceeding $25,000, must be reviewed to ensure that contractors are not suspended or debarred. The City will verify this by adding a clause or condition into the contract that states the contractor is not suspended or debarred. The City will verify this before entering into a contract or purchasing goods and services, and it will maintain documentation demonstrating compliance with federal requirements.

Management of the Town will work to adopt a formal procurement policy that is in compliance with Federal Uniform Guidance and State requirement. The Town will also assign a federal procurement leader that will help determine requirements for federal versus nonfederal awards as well as ensuring the Town's new procurement policy is followed.

Management of the City will work to adopt a formal procurement policy that is in compliance with Federal Uniform Guidance and State requirements. The City will also assign a federal procurement leader that will help determine requirements for federal versus nonfederal awards as well as ensuring the City’s new procurement policy is followed.

Finding 2023-003: Procurement The auditors noted the following areas for improvement: ● The SDA did not perform timely debarment or suspension checks for some contractors hired. ● The SDA could not justify the rationale for selection of 2 awarded contracts as part of the BGS request for qualification process. ● Note: The auditors provided a suggested recommendation to update all 1099 contract language to include reference to the specific 2 CFR 200 Appendix II reference. The auditors recommend the following: 1. Management should adhere to written procurement policies and maintain sufficient documentation, including justification memos and debarment/suspension verification, to support federally funded procurement decisions. SDA Response The SDA accepts the above findings with notes on those findings, and would like to add the following information for context: • Stronger implementation and compliance efforts are required from Management to ensure the adopted procurement procedures are followed. SDA Corrective Actions The SDA is implementing a new checklist tool to bolster compliance. This checklist will help the Director of Finance and Administration identify and correct any missing compliance well in advance of the next audit. In addition, Management is implementing a new quarterly review process to assess both compliance and financial accounts. The new quarterly review process will ensure documentation is maintained and accounted for each transaction, particularly for restricted grants, to minimize any post-close adjustments. The combination of both the new checklist tool and review process will support continued timeliness and eliminate this finding in future audits. The Director of Finance and Administration will also meet with all business line leads to provide additional training and support on the procurement process, including requesting additional information for all active contracts for 2024. Lastly, Management will immediately update 1099 contract agreements to include specific CFR language in 1099 as suggested by the auditors.

Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Compliance and Internal Control over Compliance Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Defense Federal Program Name: Conservation and Rehabilitation of Natural Resources on Military Installations Assistance Listing Number: 12.005 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: H79TI083313 - 2020 Award Period: September 28, 2020, through September 27, 2025 Criteria or specific requirement: 2 CFR 200.320 requires non-federal entities to have and use documented procurement procedures. 2 CFR 200.318(i) states that "the non-Federal entity must maintain record sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price". In addition, 2 CFR 200.320(a)(2)(i) states that "... If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity". Furthermore, 2 CFR 200.320(b) states that "When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal financial assistance award exceeds the SAT, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are required. Formal procurement methods require following documented procedures. Formal procurement methods also require public advertising unless a non-competitive procurement can be used in accordance with § 200.319 or paragraph (c) of this section.". Condition: During our testing, it was noted that the Organization was not performing suspension and debarment checks prior to entering into vendor contracts to ensure the vendor was not listed in the suspended or debarred database maintained by the General Services Administration. In addition, the Organization does not have an established procurement policy nor procedures in place at the time of the audit in compliance with Uniform Guidance. Questioned costs: None. Context: For procurement, a sample of 8 was made from a population of 30 procurement transactions charged to the major program that exceeded $3,000 (the Organization's procurement policy after 2023 and below the minimum micropurchase threshold before it was increased by the FAR to $10,000 for those with a written established policy). Of the 8 sampled procurement selections, three did not retain an adequate number of price comparisons prior to exercising the procurement, four did not follow the formal procurement methods for proposals when required, and all lacked evidence of controls over procurement considerations. For suspension and debarment, a sample of 3 was made from a population of 3 (entire population) suspension and debarment transactions charged to the major program. Of the 3 sampled, all were not checked for suspension or debarment prior to entering into the transaction. Cause: Prior to completing the prior year’s audit, staff were not aware of the specific compliance requirements and procedures for procurement, suspension, and debarment status. Effect: Purchases may occur that do not follow the procurement, suspension and debarment standards as required by Uniform Guidance, and contracts to vendors that had been suspended or debarred could be awarded and not detected. Repeat Finding: The finding is a repeat of a finding in the immediately prior year. Prior year finding number was 2022-002. Recommendation: We recommend the Organization ensure its current process to review potential contractors for suspension and debarment is taking place prior to entering into transactions with such entities. The Organization has already taken steps to address considerations around procurement by implementing a Procurement Approval form. CLA recommends the use of this form, including signature, and emphasizes the importance of retaining adequate price rate quotations, RFP documentation, sole-source evidence, and price analyses in accordance with their established thresholds. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: Previous corrective actions were completed in April 2024 upon receipt of our FY 2022 Audit from CLA. We believe these corrective actions would have captured most, if not all, of the findings if they were in place for the entire FY23 period. That said we have further reviewed and expanded our internal controls around procurement, suspension, and debarment, including the process for reviewing potential contractors for suspension and debarment. Specifically, we have added language in all agreement templates to ensure we are in accordance with Uniform Guidance. As noted, we have also added a procurement approval form and a standardized process for approval signature, quotes, sole source evidence and price analyses. As part of that effort, we have also updated threshold amounts for micro-purchase, small purchase, and procurement standards to be consistent with FAR and we are providing additional training to staff. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Gary Slater Planned completion date for corrective action plan: 10/1/2024

2023-002 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds — Assistance Listing No. 21.027 Recommendation: Procurements should follow the required methods per Uniform Guidance and document the full procurement history. Procurement procedures should be designed, implemented, and written consistent with Uniform Guidance. Personnel responsible for procurement should be trained on Uniform Guidance requirements and Centro Hispano's written procurement procedures. Action Taken: Centro Hispano drafted and approved an Accounting Policies and Procedures manual in September 2024 which conforms with Uniform Guidance requirements.

Corrective Action Planned: We will review the Uniform Guidance Standards and update the procedures needed to be in full accordance. Name(s) of Contact Person(s) Responsible for Corrective Action: Lynette Bacchus will make the changes and John Pinto and Lawrence Boord will approve. Anticipated Completion Date: October 31, 2024.

In responding to the findings of the audit regarding the absence of a documented procurement policy that aligns with federal statutes and procurement requirements as outlined in 2 CFR Part 200, Sigma Beta Xi, Inc. acknowledges the criticality of this oversight. We understand the importance of having formal, documented policies in place to guide our procurement processes, ensuring they are transparent, equitable, and in full compliance with federal regulations. The absence of such documentation represents a missed opportunity for our organization to institutionalize best practices and safeguard the integrity of our procurement activities. Corrective Actions and Commitments: Please let it be known prior to completion of our 2023 audit we were still in the process of finalizing our 2022 audit. Therefore, it was not a matter of willful intention in not being compliant with the Federal mandated guidance policy for Procurement and Suspension and Debarment, but a matter of timing. Research of our vendors was in the process for 2023, but documentation of the research was not being recorded. To address this finding and prevent future occurrences, Sigma Beta Xi, Inc. has taken the following steps: 1. Policy Development: We are in the process of developing a comprehensive procurement policy that will be fully documented and accessible. This policy will outline the procedures for all procurement activities, ensuring they are consistent with the requirements set forth in 2 CFR sections 200.318 through 200.326. It will reflect applicable state and local laws and regulations, as well as conform to applicable federal statutes and procurement requirements. 2. Stakeholder Engagement: Recognizing the importance of stakeholder buy-in, we will involve key personnel from various departments in the development of the procurement policy. This collaborative approach ensures the policy is comprehensive, practical, and adheres to the diverse needs of our organization while maintaining compliance with federal regulations. 3. Training and Implementation: Upon completion and approval of the procurement policy, we will conduct training sessions for all relevant staff. These sessions will cover the details of the policy, emphasizing the importance of compliance with federal statutes and the procurement requirements identified in 2 CFR Part 200. This will ensure that all team members are knowledgeable about the policy and understand their roles and responsibilities within the procurement process. 4. Monitoring and Compliance: We will establish mechanisms for monitoring compliance with the new procurement policy. This includes regular audits of procurement activities and ongoing reviews of the policy to ensure it remains current with federal regulations and best practices. 5. Documentation and Transparency: All procurement activities, especially those exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, will be thoroughly documented, including the rationale for the procurement method used, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. This documentation will ensure transparency and accountability in our procurement processes. Sigma Beta Xi, Inc. is committed to rectifying this deficiency by not only developing and implementing a documented procurement policy but also by fostering a culture of compliance and continuous improvement. We view the audit findings as an opportunity to enhance our operational effectiveness and ensure that our procurement practices fully support our mission to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing. Our dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all our operations is unwavering, as we continue to empower future professional leaders in every community we serve.

FINDING 2023-002 (Auditor Assigned Reference Number) Finding Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: The Town's policies related to SLFRF suspension and debarment requirement did not include checking the EPLS for vendor suspension and debarment. All three covered transactions tested did not have documentation provided to show the vendor was checked for suspension and debarment. Additionally, the Town did not have a formalized procurement policy outlining its processes and procedures with regards to the procurement of goods and services using federal grant funds. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Matt Sumner Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 317-732-4532, msumner@whitestown.in.gov Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: We will be more diligent in finding out if our grants are federal and what requirements they have for us to follow. We will check applicable vendors for suspension and debarment and implement a control/review over those searches. Anticipated Completion Date: November 1, 2024

The Organization will document a procurement policy to ensure it fully complies with the Uniform Guidance requirements.

Management agrees with the assessment and will work to develop a procurement policy.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. recognizes the importance of implementing a procurement process in accordance with 2 CFR 200.318(a). The International Team (with feedback from the Finance Team), will adopt an updated procurement process with procedures to address various methods of procurement and ensure all vendors entered a covered transaction are not debarred, suspended,or otherwise excluded. The procurement policy was updated; however, it did not take effect until the 2024 fiscal year due to the finalization of the 2022 audit, which occurred near the end of the 2023

Written procurement procedures have been written for the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation to ensure that procurements will be processed in conformity with 2 CFR 200.317 to 327. These procedures will be followed for procurements related to grants awarded to the entity. The dollar amount of the grant will determine the process to follow to be in compliance. Implementation of these procedures will begin as of the date of this writing.

FINDING 2023-003 Finding Subject: COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY - PROCUREMENT AND SUSPENSION AND DEBARMENT. Summary of Finding: There were deficiencies in the internal control system of the City resulting in noncompliance with the grant’s procurement and suspension and debarment requirements. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Ashley Huffman Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 765-521-6803 nccityclerk@gmail.com Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The City did not follow its policy for Federal Grant Disbursements. The Clerk Treasurer's office will ensure compliance with the Procurement requirement. The City has implemented maintaining contract files with the Deputy Clerk Treasurer reviewing to ensure they contain documentation of the history of the procurement, including the rationale for the method of procurement and selection of the vendor. Anticipated completion date: September 1, 2024