(A) CDHS agrees to enhance internal controls over monthly P-EBT reporting to better ensure accuracy. P-EBT is a new program derived from pandemic funding. Being a new program with a lack of federal guidance at implementation, and urgency to get the funds disbursed program staff had to learn about th...
(A) CDHS agrees to enhance internal controls over monthly P-EBT reporting to better ensure accuracy. P-EBT is a new program derived from pandemic funding. Being a new program with a lack of federal guidance at implementation, and urgency to get the funds disbursed program staff had to learn about the nuances of the program and the reporting requirements as it was being implemented. During implementation we recognized that there are some inherent differences with P-EBT from other benefit programs which caused processes to have to be adjusted slightly. Additionally, timing of federal report filing for the P-EBT program is not in synch with our other processes and associated federal reporting requirements and deadlines. This makes it impossible to ensure reconciliation procedures are performed before filing occurs, which is one of our typical internal controls. As a compensating internal control CDHS will ensure that supervisory review processes are performed over P-EBT reporting, and that P-EBT reporting is reconciled to other sources (CBMS and CFMS) as soon as possible after reporting is available. If changes are discovered CDHS will make adjustments to filed P-EBT reports as needed based on reconciliation findings, and communicate changes to necessary parties. (B) CDHS will work to ensure better coordination between program activities and the accounting section relating to federal reporting changes. Accounting will iterate the importance of timely informing the accounting staff when changes are made to program filed federal reports. This message will be delivered in periodic fiscal meetings and identified on the closing calendar. The P-EBT program will ensure that corrections are communicated to accounting on any updates completed on the FNS-292-B report upon discovery, and no later than 30 days after the reporting period. (C) CDHS will ensure that review and approval processes are occurring as designed at various points in the process leading up to entry into CORE. As part of the Requisition (RQS) approval process program and accounting staff independently approve that the correct direct or subrecipient object code is used. These approved RQS transactions are then transitioned into encumbrance documents that drive which object code future expenditures will be booked to. For CCDF transactions related to this finding, both the OEC and Accounting teams inadvertently approved an incorrect object code in 4 RQS's. Staffing shortages coupled with a large increase in workload related to pandemic funding contributed to this oversight. To correct OEC and Accounting will train new staff, periodically familiarize themselves with the appropriate object codes, and perform quality assurance review over object codes before applying approval in CORE. The K1 is compiled from balances derived from expenditure data recorded in CORE. The compilation of the K1 relies on the fact that expenditure balances are accurate, and that prior reviews and approvals of individual transactions have occurred as designed. The K1 currently goes through various levels of review focusing on balance level validation coupled with analytical procedures. To enhance the review process, CDHS will ensure analytical procedures include line level expenditure comparison at the direct and subrecipient levels.