Corrective Action Plans

FINDING 2024-003 Finding Subject: Education Stabilization - Reporting Summary of Finding: The School Corporation had not designed, nor implemented, a system of internal controls to ensure that the annual Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Data Collection reports (Reports) were complete and accurately submitted. The Reports were prepared by one employee without a documented oversight, review, or approval process in place to prevent, or detect and correct, errors. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Trina Huff Contact Phone Number and Email Address: (812) 689-4114, thuff@jaccendel.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding Description of Corrective Action Plan: Moving forward treasurer will provide even more information to the reviewer specifically pertaining to the findings and any other pertinent information for that person to have a better idea of what they are looking for and will keep documentation of the review being done and signed off on. Anticipated Completion Date: This will be corrected with the next round of ESSER reporting due January 2025.

Cash Management Management agrees with the finding and the auditor's recommendation. There was confusion at the time of this agreement as the nature of the work was in line with providing institutional services rather than a federal grant agreement. This led to a misunderstanding of cash management requirements due to the nature of the award. Mass General Brigham (MGB) has removed the $215K of questioned costs from the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The funding will be returned to Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, Inc. in January 2025. Additionally, management will review the limited instances where departments have been previously approved to request federal cash. This review is to confirm that an exception to the standard practice of managing this through the central Research Finance team is appropriate. Based on results of this review, to be completed by March 2025, management will determine criteria and prior approval requirements for departments to request federal cash if MGB concludes this practice will continue on a limited exception basis. The review will be conducted with oversight by the MGB Vice President of Research Management and Research Finance and the MGB Research Controller.

To Whom it may concern: This document serves as the response to the 2023-2024 Financial Audit on behalf of BELIEVE Schools, Inc. We’ve identified and addressed the comments that were included in the Uniform Guidance Major Program Findings. Please review the corrective action items in response to the Audit Results and Comments: Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER Grant): The school was unable to provide construction contracts to allow auditors to verify that the required Davis-Bacon Act wording was included. ● The Principal, Angel Jackson-Anderson, and Dean of Operations, Kayla Marshall, will ensure that the proper contracts are received and filed for all services conducted under ESSER grants. Child Nutrition: The school did not maintain tally sheets to support the number of meals served. ● The Dean of Operations, Kayla Marshall, will ensure that the proper physical files (tally sheets) are maintained and filed monthly, both in digital and paper form. The principal will review these files monthly to ensure documents are not lost or misplaced. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to contact me the school principal, Angel Jackson-Anderson, Aanderson@believeschools.org. Many thanks, Angel Jackson-Anderson Principal, BELIEVE Circle City High School Kayla Marshall Dean of Operations, BELIEVE Circle City High School www.believeschools.org @believeschoolsindy admin@believeschools.org 317-296-1954 Angel Jackson-Anderson 11/07/2024 02:25PM UTC

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief – Assistance Listing No. 84.425D, 84.425U Recommendation: Auditor recommends the District review its grant reporting processes and implement internal controls to help ensure that there is adequate segregation of duties in regards to grant reporting including special reports and that all supporting documentation is maintained with the filed copy of the report. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action taken in response to finding: We continue to look for ways to segregate duties and will improve on the review process for grants but with the current financial situation, additional staff cannot be added. Name(s) of the contact person(s) responsible for corrective action: Lisa Miller Planned completion date for corrective action plan: Ongoing.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Program Name: Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Federal Assistance Listing Number: 93.994 Significant Deficiency, Nonmaterial Noncompliance - Reporting Finding 2024-006 Criteria or Specific Requirement: Per Section 200.303 of the Uniform Grant Guidance, a nonfederal 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. Per 2 CFR 200.334 the recipient must retain all Federal award records for three years from the date of submission of their final financial report. Condition: During the audit we tested 13 reports and noted the following: a) There were four (4) instances out of 13 reports tested where the submitted reports were unable to be provided, including the date of submission for the reports. b) There were 10 instances out of 13 reports tested where the County was unable to provide evidence the report was reviewed prior to submission. Questioned Costs: None. Effect: By not having the required documentation and underlying support, the County is not able to demonstrate compliance with the applicable requirements. Cause: The County did not have a formal policy to ensure documentation was retained to evidence review and submission of all reports. Recommendation: The County should consider creating a formalized policy to require all submitted reports and underlying data are retained in accordance with the Uniform Grant Guidance requirements. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is implementing procedures to correct this which is further discussed in the Corrective Action Plan. Corrective Action Plan: See Corrective Action Plan prepared by the County. The Health Department will create and adopt a policy to ensure that federal award reports and data are retained in accordance with Uniform Guidance. The Health Department will also collaborate with NCDHHS to develop a procedure to address circumstances when the required report consists of answering a NCDHHS survey or form that does not have “save” or “download” capability, making it difficult to retain the required documentation. In addition, the Health Department will develop a standard operating procedure whereby program managers document that they have reviewed federal award reports prior to submission. While review of grant reports is common, the Health Department did not have adequate documentation to demonstrate completion of this step. Completion Date: April 30, 2025 Responsible Person(s): Jana Harrison, Business Operations Director

Management agrees with the finding and will implement procedures to ensure reimbursement request documentation and supporting schedules are retained in a centralized location and readily accessible for future monitoring and audit purposes. Anticipated Completion Date: September 30, 2026.

Corrective Action Taken: 1. Formalized record retention policies: A formal record retention policy specific to federal grant programs was implemented to ensure full compliance with 2 CFR 200.334. This policy applies regardless of whether documentation is stored internally or by third-party systems. Any documentation downloaded or transferred from third-party systems will be subject to a review process to verify completeness and accuracy before being finalized for County retention. The County shall also take steps to ensure that information downloads and exports from third-party systems represent complete and accurate records. 2. Auditing timing advocacy and preparedness: The County will continue to maintain timely documentation and preparedness for audits and will also advocate for timely initiation and completion of future audits. Significant delays in the audit process, though no fault of the County, as observed during the FY 2023 audit, substantially impacted the County's ability to access necessary documentation and demonstrate compliance. Although the County made every effort to retain records in accordance with federal requirements, the timing of the audit fieldwork occurred well after the program had concluded in May 2023. Had the audit been conducted in a timely manner, full access to the third-party platform used for program administration would have been available, along with supporting documentation. However, by the time the audit took place, the program had been closed for over 18 months, and access to the external software system had lapsed in accordance with the expiration of the service agreement. 3. Internal audit readiness reviews: Beginning with FY2025, the County conducts internal audit readiness reviews shortly after fiscal year-end to ensure all documentation for closed federal programs is centralized, archived, and accessible for future audit purposes, even if conducted years later. Implementation date of corrective action: October 24, 2025 Person Responsible for corrective action: Charles Nickerson, Senior Director of Finance

Strengthened record retention practices to ensure documentation of internal control activities is preserved in accordance with 2 CFR 200.334 (three years from submission of final expenditure report) by February 28, 2026. Implemented procedures to maintain institutional knowledge during employee turnover, including documented policies, cross-training, centralized recordkeeping, and formal transition protocols by March 31, 2026. Extended retention periods for documents supporting high-risk federal programs or key internal control activities beyond minimum requirements by April 30, 2026. Established a centralized electronic filing system with version control and backup procedures for all federal award documentation by May 31, 2026. Created detailed internal control documentation templates and ensure all control activities are evidenced in writing by June 30, 2026.

VIEWS OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS In response to the single audit finding we will take the following actions. We will establish internal controls that provide certainty, effective monitoring data validation and accountability for those employees who approved expenditures. We will prepare written process in accordance with both state and federal regulations. We will prepare written process in accordance with both state and federal regulations. We will require relevant staff (Staff interacting with procurement, expenditures approval) a comprehensive training program on the requirements of CFR 200. IMPLEMENTATION DATE September 30, 2026 RESPONSIBLE PERSON Ivan Rentas, President

Planned Corrective Action: We concur with the finding. Management has issued guidance to obtain at least two quotes when practicable. Procurement procedures are being reviewed to strengthen competition, and staff will retain date-stamped SAM.gov screenshots to document suspension and debarment checks before awards. Proposed Completion Date: On-going Name and Contact of Responsible Person: Sherilynn Madraisau Director Bureau of Public Health & Human Services Contact: 680-488-2552 Email: Sherilynn.madraisau@palauhealth.org Gail Rengiil Director Bureau of National Treasury Ministry of Finance Contact:680-767-2561 Email: gailr@palaugov.org

Planned Corrective Action: We concur with the finding. Management has issued guidance to obtain at least two quotes when racticable. Procurement procedures are being reviewed to strengthen competition, and staff will retain date-stamped SAM.gov screenshots to document suspension and debarment checks before awards. Proposed Completion Date: On-going Name and Contact of Responsible Person: Sherilynn Madraisau Director Bureau of Public Health & Human Services Contact: 680-488-2552 Email: Sherilynn.madraisau@palauhealth.org Gail Rengiil Director Bureau of National Treasury Ministry of Finance Contact:680-767-2561 Email: gailr@palaugov.org

Planned Corrective Action: We concur with the finding. Management has issued guidance to obtain at least two quotes when practicable. Procurement procedures are being reviewed to strengthen competition, and staff will retain date-stamped SAM.gov screenshots to document suspension and debarment checks before awards. Proposed Completion Date: On-going Name and Contact of Responsible Person: Ida R. Kilcullen Director Bureau of Curriculum & Instruction Ministry of Education Contact: 680-488-2547 Email: ikilcullen@palauschools.org Gail Rengiil Director Bureau of National Treasury Ministry of Finance Contact:680-767-2561 Email: gailr@palaugov.org

Planned Corrective Action: We concur with the finding. Management has issued guidance to obtain at least two quotes when practicable. Procurement procedures are being reviewed to strengthen competition, and staff will retain date-stamped SAM.gov screenshots to document suspension and debarment checks before awards. Proposed Completion Date: On-going Name and Contact of Responsible Person: Gail Rengiil Director Bureau of National Treasury Ministry of Finance Contact:680-767-2561 Email: gailr@palaugov.org

FINDING 2023-010 Finding Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Reporting Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Ahnaf Tahmid & Marlaina Johns Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 574-393-6000, atahmid@sbcsc.k12.in.us, mjohns2@sbcsc.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the findings Description of Corrective Action Plan: Required IDOE templates (JotForm) are completed using AS400 budget detail reports and Position Control data, with revisions submitted during the September window to correct classifications and remove ineligible set-aside amounts. Adjustments were made to align ESSER I reporting and to avoid timing discrepancies by using budget detail rather than summary reports. The completed report will be reviewed for accuracy and approved prior to submission. Beginning in fall 2023, the reimbursement process was updated to include all required supporting documentation, such as transaction detail and summary reports. Each request is also reviewed and signed by the supervisor to document approval. On a recurring basis, the Director of Federal Grants generates the detailed expenditure report and budget summary. The detailed report is filtered to capture only the transactions occurring since the previous reimbursement request, making new expenditures easy to identify. These amounts are added to the cumulative reimbursement totals, which are then compared to the total disbursements shown on the summary report to ensure they align. Once the totals match, the reimbursement request is reviewed by the Chief Financial Officer and submitted to the awarding agency. Completion Date 6/30/25

FINDING 2023-009 Finding Subject: COVID-19 - Education Stabilization Fund - Allowable Costs/Costs Principles Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Ahnaf Tahmid & Marlaina Johns Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 574-393-6000, atahmid@sbcsc.k12.in.us, mjohns2@sbcsc.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the findings Description of Corrective Action Plan: Payroll Human Resources worked with Regional Data Services to identify the cause of the issue and made corrections to prevent the data being lost on the administrative side moving forward. This involved updates to software stores and archives. The Director of Federal Grants is responsible for ensuring that each grant fiscal officer reviews and signs the Payroll (Distribution) Certification Report. This report lists all individuals paid from the grant fund, the amount paid per paycheck, and the complete fund number. Fiscal officers are required to review the information and provide their signature to confirm its accuracy. The reports are then distributed to the fiscal officers for each grant. Each fiscal officer reviews the listed payments to confirm that the employees charged to the fund were appropriately paid from that grant and that the amounts are accurate. The fiscal officer signs the report to certify its accuracy or documents any discrepancies that require correction. After the report is signed, the Finance Department retains it for future audit purposes. Vendor Contracts All contracts and MOUs follow a controlled approval process to ensure proper oversight and legal compliance. Once drafted, each agreement is submitted for review, and the Legal Department evaluates any document requiring an Opinion of Counsel or involving a waiver of the Corporation’s or School Board’s legal rights. Legal also maintains electronic copies of all finalized agreements. Contracts may only be approved by the Superintendent or the School Board, and MOUs must first be reviewed and approved by the Superintendent before going to the Board. After all required reviews and approvals are completed, the agreement is formally executed and electronically filed by the Legal Department. All required documentation specified in the contract will be retained, along with all related vendor invoices. Correction Date October 5, 2023 payroll and December 2024 vendor

FINDING 2023-006 Finding Subject: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Reporting Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Ahnaf Tahmid & Marlaina Johns Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 574-393-6000, atahmid@sbcsc.k12.in.us, mjohns2@sbcsc.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the findings Description of Corrective Action Plan: Beginning in fall 2023, reimbursement requests have included all required supporting documentation, such as transaction detail and summary reports. Each request is also reviewed and signed by the supervisor to document approval. On a regular basis, the Director of Federal Grants will generate the detailed expenditure report and budget summary. The detailed report will be filtered to capture only the transactions occurring since the previous reimbursement request, making it easy to identify new expenditures. These amounts will be added to the cumulative reimbursement totals. The updated total will then be compared to the total disbursements shown on the summary report to ensure they align. Once the totals match, the reimbursement request will be reviewed by the Chief Financial Officer and subsequently submitted to the awarding agency. Correction Date 06/30/2025

FINDING 2023-004 Finding Subject: Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies - Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Ahnaf Tahmid & Marlaina Johns Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 574-393-6000, atahmid@sbcsc.k12.in.us, mjohns2@sbcsc.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding Description of Corrective Action Plan: Human Resources worked with Regional Data Services to identify the cause of the issue and made corrections to prevent the data being lost on the administrative side moving forward. This involved updates to software stores and archives. Corrected Date 06/30/2025

The Organization hired a new grant and partnership specialist. This specialist attaches all relevant support for expenditure to the internal monthly grant reporting and ensures that all expenditures are fully supported by appropriate detail. This detail is on a shared drive with finance and is reviewed by the vice president of finance.

Recommendation: We recommend the City enhance its internal control by implementing policies and procedures to track wage rate requirements compliance, and ensure that all certified payrolls and supporting wage-rate documentation are retained. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding. The City of Adelanto experienced higher than expected staff turnover in the finance department during the timeframe noted in this audit, which caused a backlog in audit preparation and submission, along with certain financial controls implementation interruption. At the time of this audit publishing, Management believes that implementation of such procedures is in compliance with the noted recommendation. Persons Responsible for Corrective Action: City Finance Staff (various) City Department Heads applying for grant funding (various) City Project Managers (various) Anticipated Completion Date for Corrective Action: Corrective action has been immediately implemented in response to the auditors’ recommendation. As financial reporting is still in the process of becoming current, the City anticipates finding to be removed in future fiscal years.

Recommendation: We recommended the City establish internal control procedures to ensure that all reimbursement requests are reviewed and approved by an authorized official prior to submission. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding. The City of Adelanto experienced higher than expected staff turnover in the finance department during the timeframe noted in this audit, which caused a backlog in audit preparation and submission, along with certain financial controls implementation interruption. At the time of this audit publishing, Management believes that implementation of such procedures is in compliance with the noted recommendation. Persons Responsible for Corrective Action: City Finance Staff (various) City Department Heads applying for grant funding (various) Anticipated Completion Date for Corrective Action: Corrective action has been immediately implemented in response to the auditors’ recommendation. As financial reporting is still in the process of becoming current, the City anticipates finding to be removed in future fiscal years.

Finding Reference Number: 2023-005 Description of Finding: Unable to provide supporting documentation for one expense sample. Statement of Concurrence or Nonconcurrence: The California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce (CalAsian) agrees with the finding. Corrective Action: CalAsian acknowledges that this finding is a deficiency in its procedures. The Director of Finance is reviewing the Chamber’s record retention policies and internal controls to ensure that they are in compliance with 2 CFR § 200.334, and will recommend and implement improvements as needed. Staff responsible for federal grants will receive training on documentation and retention requirements. Name of Contact Person: Ryan Fong, Director of Finance, 916-446-7883, rfong@calasiancc.org Pat Fong Kushida, President & CEO, 916-446-7883, patfongkushida@calasiancc.org Projected Completion Date: September 2025

Finding Number 2023-059 Subject Heading (Financial) or AL no. and program name (Federal) AL #84.425 – EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND (ESF - AL #84.425D; 84.425R; 84.425U) Planned Corrective Action Beginning with FY23, the ESSER Performance Report (formerly known as the ESSER Annual Reporting) data from LEAs has been collected in our Grants Management System (GMS). This has increased the accuracy of data reported annually to USDE. Anticipated Completion Date March-2024 Responsible Contact Person Tammy Smith

Finding Number 2023-102 Subject Heading (Financial) or AL no. and program name (Federal) ALN: 21.027 Federal Program name: Coronavirus State And Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Planned Corrective Action Management Response The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services – Grants Management Office (OMES-GMO), in coordination with the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), acknowledges the importance of maintaining effective internal controls and complying with federal record retention requirements, as outlined in 2 CFR § 200.303 and 2 CFR § 200.334. OMES-GMO and OSDH concur that improvements to the earlier implemented processes would have served to strengthen protocols designed to garner greater assurances for reimbursed expenditures. In the case identified, ongoing partnership with OMES-GMO resulted in OSDH proactively initiating an internal review, identifying the ineligible expenditures, and taking corrective steps to partially offset the unallowable amount. Subsequently, OSDH Finance has enhanced its internal reimbursement review procedures. As of 2023, all invoices and supporting documentation submitted by subrecipients are subject to a dual-layered review and approval by both OSDH Finance and OMES-GMO prior to reimbursement. This advancement in oversight provides additional controls to reasonably assure that agency expenditures are consistent with approved project scopes, allowable under federal cost principles, and fully documented. Additionally, current staff have received targeted training, and OSDH has implemented a formal onboarding process to ensure that all new staff are trained in federal grant compliance, documentation standards, and internal control requirements. Corrective Actions • Strengthened Review and Approval Process: All subrecipient reimbursements are now reviewed and approved in layers by both OSDH Finance and OMES-GMO staff and leadership prior to payment. This ensures supporting documentation is complete, expenditures are allowable, and spending aligns with the terms of the award. • Ongoing Staff Training and Onboarding: All existing staff participate in continued training on federal cost principles, subrecipient monitoring, and documentation standards. A structured onboarding program is now in place to ensure consistent compliance knowledge across all new hires. • Monitoring and Recoupment Protocols: Post-award monitoring procedures have been updated to support early detection of ineligible expenditures. OSDH will ensure prompt recoupment or reallocation actions are taken, when necessary, in accordance with federal guidelines. These corrective actions demonstrate OMESGMO’s and OSDH’s ongoing commitment to effective stewardship of federal funds, compliance with grant regulations, and continuous improvement of internal controls. Anticipated Completion Date 5/1/2025 Responsible Contact Person OMES: Parker Wise OSDH: Diane Brown, Danielle Smith, Tracey Douglas

Finding Number 2023-092 Subject Heading (Financial) or AL no. and program name (Federal) ALN: 21.019 Federal Program name: Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) Planned Corrective Action Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) disagrees with the report did include the demographic section, which is a required reporting element. Per the email titled 2025.03.24 Reporting download Issue OIG, page 7 of the pdf request verification the demographic data was received. On page 6 of the attachments a response states that the data for Q1, Q2 and Q3 2023 had been received. Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) acknowledges the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Office’s (SAI) findings that OMES did not implement the proper internal controls and oversight of the ERA Program during FY2023. However, OMES has taken steps to correct these findings and follow the recommendations set forth by SAI. Beginning with FY2025, OMES has taken the following measures: • Oversight and management of the ERA program has been transferred to the OMES Grant Management Office (OMES-GMO) which has staff with several years of grant experience. OMES-GMO has recently hired additional staff, and the two staff members dedicated to the management of the ERA program have 20+ years of combined federal grant specific experience. • To ensure that the subrecipient agreement includes all the required terms under the ERA Program and that the agreement does not expire, OMES-GMO and the Communities of Foundation of Oklahoma (CFO) have recently executed a Subrecipient Grant Agreement Amendment that details the responsibilities of OMES to monitor CFO and the duties and processes that CFO must follow in regard to ERA Program, including detailed cash management policies. See Attached – Grant Agreement Amendment. • OMES-GMO required the return of the remaining ERA2 Program funds from CFO to ensure proper oversight and review of ERA expenditures is performed. • OMES-GMO has a multi-level system of internal controls for grant management and oversight that includes routine monitoring, desk review, and site visits for all projects and associated project/administrative expenditures to ensure allowability, accuracy, and assist in the detection of fraud. For example, OMES-GMO’s process for disbursing funds to a subrecipient requires a written request from the subrecipient with supporting documentation, then OMES-GMO assigns a staff lead and secondary grant analyst to perform a primary and secondary review for compliance and to require additional supporting documentation if needed to approve the request. Once those reviews are completed and approved by the OMES- GMO staff, the Director of the OMES-GMO must approve the request before it is sent to the OMES Finance Division, who will then verify the calculated amount(s) before completing the disbursement to the subrecipient. These internal controls and policies have been implemented for the management and oversight of the ERA Program and provide a multi-layer review that will prevent fraud and risk factors applicable to the ERA program. Additionally, the OMES- GMO staff assigned to the ERA program have the training and knowledge to ensure compliance with the Federal grant requirements. • Depending on the level of risk, OMES-GMO conducts monthly, bi-weekly or weekly meetings with each subrecipient to monitor the progress of projects and address any issues or changes that might impact the project. For the ERA Program, OMES-GMO conducts bi-weekly monitoring meetings with CFO and is currently reviewing documentation provided by CFO to ensure all current ERA projects are eligible under the ERA guidelines and that CFO is exercising the proper oversight over their subrecipients. • OMES-GMO will continue with their current ERA monitoring steps and internal controls and will work with CFO to ensure ERA program funds are spent in accordance with ERA program guidelines and state and federal regulations. Anticipated Completion Date Ongoing throughout the life of the grant Responsible Contact Person Brandy Manek

Finding Number 2023-089 Subject Heading (Financial) or AL no. and program name (Federal) ALN: 21.019 Federal Program name: Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) Planned Corrective Action While documenting controls over subrecipient administrative expenditures for the ERA 1 and ERA 2 grants, we noted that OMES did not require the subrecipients to submit supporting documentation for administrative expenditures charged to the programs. Further, we determined one of the subrecipients, Communities Foundation of Oklahoma (CFO), did not have sufficient internal controls over administrative expenditures to ensure they were for allowable costs and activities. Community Foundation of Oklahoma 1. For 15 of 17, or 88.24%, of credit cards tested, the included at least one expenditure for unallowable costs. These costs also included gift cards. ($53,248.41 questioned costs) • We disagree with the finding and questioned costs as the amount for all mentioned questioned costs has been returned to the ERA program. CFO has also strengthened their internal controls and understanding to more accurately identify appropriate expenses to allocate to ERA Admin funds in the future. See attached Internal Controls. 2. For $28,661 of allowable credit card administrative expenditures, the expense was attributable to multiple jurisdictions and only 90.33% of the cost should have been charged to the State of Oklahoma; however, CFO was unable to support the proper allocation was completed and that 100% of the cost was not charged to the State. We determined we would question 9.67% of the allowable expenditures ($2,771.52 questioned costs), since the State paid for expenditures that were the responsibility of other jurisdictions. Note: all credit card transactions were ‘multi’ jurisdictions; however, the unallowable costs are questioned in the first bullet. • See response to 2023-028 - Second Condition and Context. 3. For 2 of 48, or 4.17%, of claims tested, the invoice was not itemized, and we were unable to determine if the administrative costs were allowable. ($32,589.33 questioned costs) • We disagree with the finding. Itemized invoices have been attached in Attachment “OneDrive_1_4_22-2025.zip” 4. For 3 of 48, or 6.25%, of claims tested, the costs were for services to non-profit Shelterwell, which is an organization that was formed by the Executive Director of Community Cares Partners (CCP) with CCP team members after CCP stopped accepting ERA applications. Shelterwell works with tenants and landlords to provide education and mediation between tenants and landlords but is not legally part of Communities Foundation of Oklahoma (CFO)/CCP and does not directly provide rental assistance. Therefore, all payments to Shelterwell do not directly support the administration of the ERA program and are not allowable administrative costs. ($3,847.90 questioned costs) • We partially agree in that the expenses listed for Shelterwell were incorrectly allocated to the Admin account. These expenses should have been expensed from their ERA2 Housing Stability grants. CFO has strengthened our internal controls and understanding to more accurately code and identify expenses, so they are expensed to the correct fund in the future. We partially disagree that the payments made to Shelterwell are unallowable. According to the 2024 ERA Compliance Supplement and FAQ 23, 10% of the funds under ERA1 and ERA2 may be used for housing stability services. The 2024 Compliance Supplement in describing Administrative Expenses, states, "Under ERA 1, a grantee may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for direct and indirect administrative costs and may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for housing stability services. Under ERA 2, a grantee may use up to 15 percent of the total award amount for direct and indirect administrative costs and may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for housing stability services ..." This is also repeated in FAQ23. According to both 2024 Compliance Supplement and FAQ23, housing stability services include but are not limited to: eviction prevention and eviction diversion programs; mediation between landlords and tenants; housing counseling; fair housing counseling; housing navigators or promotors that help households access programs or find housing; case management related to housing stability; housing-related services for survivors of domestic abuse or human trafficking; legal services or attorney’s fees related to eviction proceedings and maintaining housing stability; and specialized services for individuals with disabilities or seniors that support their ability to access or maintain housing. Additionally, under FAQ 21, grantees may use ERA payments to make subawards to other entities, including nonprofit organizations and local governments, to administer ERA programs on behalf of the grantees. Therefore, payments to Shelterwell are allowable expenses b/c these non-profits provided services that fell under the allowable uses for Housing Stability Services and CFO was able to make a subaward to these non- profits in accordance with FAQ 21. 5. For 3 of 48, or 6.25%, of claims tested, the costs were for services for non-profit SidexSide (formerly LastMile) also created by CFO/CCP, which is an organization that provides job skills training and connects employers with participants seeking employment. SidexSide is not legally part of CFO/CCP and does not directly provide rental assistance; therefore, payments made to SidexSide do not directly support the administration of ERA program and are not allowable administrative costs. ($8,824.00 questioned costs) • We partially agree in that the expenses listed for SidexSide were incorrectly allocated to the Admin account. These expenses should have been expensed from their ERA2 Housing Stability grants. CFO has strengthened our internal controls and understanding to more accurately code and identify expenses, so they are expensed to the correct fund in the future. We partially disagree that the payments made to SidexSide are unallowable. According to the 2024 ERA Compliance Supplement and FAQ 23, 10% of the funds under ERA1 and ERA2 may be used for housing stability services. The 2024 Compliance Supplement in describing Administrative Expenses, states, "Under ERA 1, a grantee may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for direct and indirect administrative costs and may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for housing stability services. Under ERA 2, a grantee may use up to 15 percent of the total award amount for direct and indirect administrative costs and may use up to 10 percent of the total award amount for housing stability services ..." This is also repeated in FAQ23. According to both 2024 Compliance Supplement and FAQ23, housing stability services include but are not limited to: eviction prevention and eviction diversion programs; mediation between landlords and tenants; housing counseling; fair housing counseling; housing navigators or promotors that help households access programs or find housing; case management related to housing stability; housing-related services for survivors of domestic abuse or human trafficking; legal services or attorney’s fees related to eviction proceedings and maintaining housing stability; and specialized services for individuals with disabilities or seniors that support their ability to access or maintain housing. Additionally, under FAQ 21, grantees may use ERA payments to make subawards to other entities, including non-profit organizations and local governments, to administer ERA programs on behalf of the grantees. Therefore, payments to SidexSide are allowable expenses b/c these non-profits provided services that fell under the allowable uses for Housing Stability Services and CFO was able to make a subaward to these non- profits in accordance with FAQ 21. See attached NON CC 3-SidexSide.program tie to housing stability. 6. For 4 of 48, or 8.33%, of claims tested, the costs were unallowable and included items such as trainings unrelated to ERA, gift cards, alcohol, and food. ($1,549.76 questioned costs) • We agree and the funds were returned. See Attachment “NON CC 4 Refund” 7. For 1 of 48, or 2.08%, of claims tested, the costs were for the Afghan Legal Network project which partnered with CFO to provide ERA funds to Afghanistan refugees; SAI determined these costs are unallowable as the refugees were not Oklahoma residents, and not eligible for assistance. Therefore, administrative costs related to this project were also unallowable. ($498.00 questioned costs) • The expense listed for ALN was incorrectly allocated to the Admin account. This expense should have been expensed from their ERA2 Housing Stability grants. CFO has strengthened our internal controls and understanding to more accurately code and identify expenses, so they are expensed to the correct fund in the future. See also the response to Finding 2023-027. 8. For 1 of 48, or 2.08%, of claims tested, the cost was unrelated to ERA and unallowable. CFO/CCP has refunded the expense using private funds after SAI determined it was unallowable. ($250.00 questioned costs) • We acknowledge that CFO has refunded this expense while the FY23 audit was in process. 9. For 27 of 48, or 56.25%, of claims tested, the cost was allowable; however, the expense was attributable to multiple jurisdictions and only 90.33% of the cost should have been charged to the State. However, CFO/CCP was unable to support the proper allocation was completed and that 100% of the cost was not charged to the State. We question 9.67% of the allowable expenditures ($16,527.61 questioned costs) • See the response to Finding 2023-028 – Second Condition and Context. Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) acknowledges the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Office’s (SAI) findings that OMES did not implement the proper internal controls and oversight of the ERA Program during FY2023. However, OMES has taken steps to correct these findings and follow the recommendations set forth by SAI. Beginning with FY2025, OMES has taken the following measures: • Oversight and management of the ERA program has been transferred to the OMES Grant Management Office (OMES-GMO) which has staff with several years of grant experience. OMES-GMO has recently hired additional staff, and the two staff members dedicated to the management of the ERA program have 20+ years of combined federal grant specific experience. • To ensure that the subrecipient agreement includes all the required terms under the ERA Program and that the agreement does not expire, OMES-GMO and the Communities of Foundation of Oklahoma (CFO) have recently executed a Subrecipient Grant Agreement Amendment that details the responsibilities of OMES to monitor CFO and the duties and processes that CFO must follow in regard to ERA Program, including detailed cash management policies. See Attached – Grant Agreement Amendment. • OMES-GMO required the return of the remaining ERA2 Program funds from CFO to ensure proper oversight and review of ERA expenditures is performed. • OMES-GMO has a multi-level system of internal controls for grant management and oversight that includes routine monitoring, desk review, and site visits for all projects and associated project/administrative expenditures to ensure allowability, accuracy, and assist in the detection of fraud. For example, OMES-GMO’s process for disbursing funds to a subrecipient requires a written request from the subrecipient with supporting documentation, then OMES-GMO assigns a staff lead and secondary grant analyst to perform a primary and secondary review for compliance and to require additional supporting documentation if needed to approve the request. Once those reviews are completed and approved by the OMES-GMO staff, the Director of the OMES-GMO must approve the request before it is sent to the OMES Finance Division, who will then verify the calculated amount(s) before completing the disbursement to the subrecipient. These internal controls and policies have been implemented for the management and oversight of the ERA Program and provide a multilayer review that will prevent fraud and risk factors applicable to the ERA program. Additionally, the OMES-GMO staff assigned to the ERA program have the training and knowledge to ensure compliance with the Federal grant requirements. • Depending on the level of risk, OMES-GMO conducts monthly, bi-weekly or weekly meetings with each subrecipient to monitor the progress of projects and address any issues or changes that might impact the project. For the ERA Program, OMES-GMO conducts bi-weekly monitoring meetings with CFO and is currently reviewing documentation provided by CFO to ensure all current ERA projects are eligible under the ERA guidelines and that CFO is exercising the proper oversight over their subrecipients. • OMES-GMO will continue with their current ERA monitoring steps and internal controls and will work with CFO to ensure ERA program funds are spent in accordance with ERA program guidelines and state and federal regulations. Anticipated Completion Date Ongoing throughout the life of the grant Responsible Contact Person Brandy Manek