2 CFR § 400 gives regulatory effect to the Department of Agriculture for 2 CFR § 200.303(a) which provides that the non-Federal 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. The Board of Health has established procedures to approve timesheets by requiring the employee and department supervisor to sign the timesheets. For 2024, the Board of Health failed to approve 11% and 8% of payroll disbursements tested over the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases federal programs, respectively. Failure to follow the approved procedures could result in the occurrence of unallowable payroll transactions. The Board of Health should ensure that both the employee and department supervisor sign the timesheets. These approvals should be maintained for audit.
2 CFR § 400 gives regulatory effect to the Department of Agriculture for 2 C.F.R § 200.303(a) which provides that the non-Federal 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. 7 CFR § 246.7(c) states to qualify for the program, infants, children, and pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women must: (i)Reside within the jurisdiction of the State (except for Indian State agencies). Indian State agencies may establish a similar requirement. All State agencies may determine a service area for any local agency, and may require that an applicant reside within the service area. However, the State agency may not use length of residency as an eligibility requirement. (ii) Meet the income criteria specified in paragraph (d) of this section. (iii) Meet the nutritional risk criteria specified in paragraph (e) of this section. 7 CFR § 246.7(d) states the State agency shall establish, and provide local agencies with, income guidelines, definitions, and procedures to be used in determining an applicant's income eligibility for the Program. 7 CFR § 246.7(d)(1) states the State agency may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under section 9 of the National School Lunch Act for reduced-price school meals or identical to State or local guidelines for free or reduced-price health care. However, in conforming Program income guidelines to health care guidelines, the State agency shall not establish Program guidelines which exceed the guidelines for reduced-price school meals or are less than 100 percent of the revised poverty income guidelines issued annually by the Department of Health and Human Services. Program applicants who meet the requirements established by paragraph (d)(2)(vi)(A) of this section shall not be subject to the income limits established by State agencies under this paragraph. Due to the lack of controls over the eligibility application process, of the eligibility applications tested for fiscal year 2024, 6.7% were not signed by the applicant or WIC personnel to indicate review of application and agreement with the eligibility determination nor did they contain the information necessary to determine WIC income-based eligibility, including household size or indication of the measurement period of paycheck stubs presented during the application appointment (monthly, bi-weekly, twice a month, weekly). Lack of controls in place by reviewing and signing applications could result in benefits provided to ineligible participants. The Board of Health WIC personnel should implement additional control practices for the review and approval for WIC eligibility for participants. In addition, WIC personnel ensure all supporting documentation has been obtained in order to determine participant eligibility.
2 CFR § 400 gives regulatory effect to the Department of Agriculture for 2 C.F.R § 200.303(a) which provides that the non-Federal 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. 7 CFR § 246.7(c) states to qualify for the program, infants, children, and pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women must: (i)Reside within the jurisdiction of the State (except for Indian State agencies). Indian State agencies may establish a similar requirement. All State agencies may determine a service area for any local agency, and may require that an applicant reside within the service area. However, the State agency may not use length of residency as an eligibility requirement. (ii) Meet the income criteria specified in paragraph (d) of this section. (iii) Meet the nutritional risk criteria specified in paragraph (e) of this section. 7 CFR § 246.7(d) states the State agency shall establish, and provide local agencies with, income guidelines, definitions, and procedures to be used in determining an applicant's income eligibility for the Program. 7 CFR § 246.7(d)(1) states the State agency may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under section 9 of the National School Lunch Act for reduced-price school meals or identical to State or local guidelines for free or reduced-price health care. However, in conforming Program income guidelines to health care guidelines, the State agency shall not establish Program guidelines which exceed the guidelines for reduced-price school meals or are less than 100 percent of the revised poverty income guidelines issued annually by the Department of Health and Human Services. Program applicants who meet the requirements established by paragraph (d)(2)(vi)(A) of this section shall not be subject to the income limits established by State agencies under this paragraph. Due to the lack of controls over the eligibility application process, of the eligibility applications tested for fiscal year 2024, 6.7% were not signed by the applicant or WIC personnel to indicate review of application and agreement with the eligibility determination nor did they contain the information necessary to determine WIC income-based eligibility, including household size or indication of the measurement period of paycheck stubs presented during the application appointment (monthly, bi-weekly, twice a month, weekly). Lack of controls in place by reviewing and signing applications could result in benefits provided to ineligible participants. The Board of Health WIC personnel should implement additional control practices for the review and approval for WIC eligibility for participants. In addition, WIC personnel ensure all supporting documentation has been obtained in order to determine participant eligibility.
Internal control deficiency and noncompliance over procurement and suspension and debarment. Identification of the federal program: Assistance Listing Number 21.027: • COVID-19 – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds • U.S. Department of the Treasury • Federal award identification number – Not Applicable • Federal award year – March 3, 2021 to December 1, 2024 • Pass-through entity – State of Georgia Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation): Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.303 Internal controls. The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.318 General procurement standards (a) the non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non-Federal entity’s documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in 200.317 through 200.327; (b) non-Federal entities must maintain oversight to ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts or purchase orders; (c) (1) the non-Federal entity must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.318 General procurement standards (i) the non-Federal entity must maintain records 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. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.319 Competition (a) All procurement transactions for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the standards of this section and 200.320. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.320 Methods of procurement to be followed. The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award: (a) (2) Small purchases – (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. 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; (b) Formal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal financial assistance award exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, 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. The following formal methods of procurement are used for procurement of property or services above the simplified acquisition threshold or a value below the simplified acquisition threshold the non-Federal entity determines to be appropriate – (1) Sealed bids. A procurement method in which bids are publicly solicited and a firm fixed-price contract (lump sum or unit price) is awarded to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming with all the material terms and conditions of the invitation for bids, is the lowest in price; (2) Proposals. A procurement method in which either a fixed price or cost-reimbursement type contract is awarded. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.320 Methods of procurement to be followed. (c) Noncompetitive procurement. There are specific circumstances in which noncompetitive procurement can be used. Noncompetitive procurement can only be awarded if one or more of the following circumstances apply: (1) The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold; (2) The item is available only from a single source; (3) The public exigency or emergency for the requirement will not permit a delay resulting from publicizing a competitive solicitation; (4) The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity expressly authorizes a noncompetitive procurement in response to a written request from the non-Federal entity; or (5) After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.324 Contract cost and price. (a) The non-Federal entity must perform a cost or price analysis in connection with every procurement action in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold including contract modifications. The method and degree of analysis is dependent on the facts surrounding the particular procurement situation, but as a starting point, the non-Federal entity must make independent estimates before receiving bids or proposals. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart C 200.214 Suspension and debarment. Non-Federal entities are subject to the non-procurement debarment and suspension regulations that restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter I, Part 180, Subpart C 180.300 What must I do before I enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier? When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) checking SAM Exclusions; (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Condition: During our testing over procurement, we observed management did not have documented procurement procedures that conformed to the procurement standards identified in 2 CFR section 200.318 to 200.327 and written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. Management did not have internal controls in place over small purchase procurements to ensure price or rate quotations were obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources, formal procurements to ensure sealed bids or proposals were obtained through public advertising, and completion of a cost or price analysis in connection with all procurement actions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold. Management did not maintain records for procurements to document the history of procurement, including the rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. In addition, during our testing over suspension and debarment, we observed management did not have documented suspension and debarment procedures and did not have internal controls in place to ensure vendors were searched for suspension and debarment at the time of vendor selection. Cause: Management did not have internal controls in place over the compliance requirements as stated in the criteria or specific requirement section above. Effect or potential effect: Procurements were not supported by internal controls and could potentially include unreasonable prices or rates. In addition, if a search for suspension and debarment is not conducted, the entity could contract with vendors that are suspended or debarred. Questioned costs: $917,218 – Assistance Listing Number 21.027 – Federal award identification number – Not Applicable Questioned costs were computed as the entire population of procurement transactions subject to small purchase, formal procurement, and suspension and debarment compliance requirements. Questioned costs means an amount, expended or received from a Federal award, that (1) is noncompliant or suspected noncompliant with Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award or (2) at the time of the audit, lacked adequate documentation to support compliance. Context: During our testing over procurements, we obtained a listing of expenditures that included $917,218 of procurement transactions subject to small purchase, formal procurement, and suspension and debarment compliance requirements. We observed management did not have internal controls in place to ensure the compliance requirements as stated in the criteria or specific requirement section above were performed. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No. Recommendation: Management should create documented procurement procedures that conform to the procurement standards identified in 2 CFR section 200.318 through 200.327 and written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. Management should develop and implement internal controls over small purchase procurements to ensure price or rate quotations are obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources, formal procurements to ensure sealed bids or proposals are obtained through public advertising, and completion of a cost or price analysis in connection with all procurement actions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold. Management should maintain records for procurements to document the history of procurement, including the rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. Management should create documented suspension and debarment procedures and develop and implement internal controls to ensure vendors were searched for suspension and debarment at the time of vendor selection. Management should review the procurements identified as questioned costs to identify if any improper payments were made to the entity. Views of responsible officials: We agree with the finding that internal controls were not sufficient to maintain compliance with federal procurement standards under Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.318 to 200.327 for a non-federal entity. However, the funds were expended for the intended purpose of the federal award. The Company is committed to implementing internal controls to ensure procurement related to federal awards follow 2 CFR section 200.318 to 200.327. The Company will update the procurement policy to ensure it complies with the requirements of 2 CFR section 200.318 through 200.327, that includes the written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest, governing the actions of its employees who select, award and administer procurement contracts. This policy will include procedures to ensure proper procurement for small purchases to ensure sufficient price quotations are obtained from the required number of qualified sources, proper sealed bids or proposals are obtained through public advertising, an appropriate cost or price analysis is performed for procurement actions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, documentation is retained, and proper oversight is exercised to demonstrate compliance with 2 CFR section 200.318 through 200.327. While the Company did not perform a check of each vendor against the SAM Exclusions prior to selecting a vendor, the Company has procedures in place to ensure the vendors are approved by Corporate purchasing and in good standing, which limits the risk of conflict of interest between employees and vendors, and contracting with a vendor who is suspended or debarred from federal related contracting. Further, the Company confirmed the vendors that were contracted with were not included on the SAM Exclusions listing.
Internal control deficiency and noncompliance over cash management related to advance payments. Identification of the federal program: Assistance Listing Number 84.116Z: • Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education • U.S. Department of Education • Federal award identification number – P116Z230323 • Federal award year – June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2026 Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation): Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.303 Internal controls. The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.305(b) Federal payment. (b) Payments for recipients and subrecipients other than States. For recipients and subrecipients other than States, payment methods must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the Federal agency or the pass-through entity and the disbursement of funds by the recipient or subrecipient regardless of whether the payment is made by electronic funds transfer or by other means. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.305(b) Federal payment. (b) (1) Advance payments to a recipient or subrecipient must be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed with actual, immediate cash requirements of the recipient or subrecipient in carrying out the purpose of the approved program or project. The timing and amount of advance payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the recipient or subrecipient for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. Condition: During our testing over cash management, we observed management used the advance method for cash management; however, the entity did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury and disbursement by the entity. Management submitted and received an advance method payment for the full amount of the federal award in June of 2024. However, there were expenditures incurred between July and December 2024 which were incurred after the advance method payment was completed. Therefore, management did not implement procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury and disbursement by the entity. Cause: Management did not have internal controls in place over the compliance requirement as stated in the criteria or specific requirement section above. Effect or potential effect: Advance payments were not supported by internal controls and management did not minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury and disbursement by the entity. This can potentially result in interest earned on Federal funds. Questioned costs: $981,704 – Assistance Listing Number 84.116Z – Federal award identification number – P116Z230323 Questioned costs were computed as the expenditures incurred between July and December 2024 which were after the advance method payment was completed in June 2024. Questioned costs means an amount, expended or received from a Federal award, that (1) is noncompliant or suspected noncompliant with Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award or (2) at the time of the audit, lacked adequate documentation to support compliance. Context: During our testing over cash management, we observed management submitted and received an advance method payment for the full amount of the federal award in June of 2024. However, there were $981,704 expenditures incurred between July and December 2024 which were incurred after the advance method payment was completed. Therefore, management did not implement procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury and disbursement by the entity. We were unable to quantify the interest earned on Federal funds. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No. Recommendation: Management should develop and implement internal controls over advance method payments to ensure the entity minimizes the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury and disbursement by the entity or switch to the reimbursement method. Management should review the advance method payment identified as questioned costs to identify if any improper payments were made to the entity. Views of responsible officials: The Company acknowledges non-compliance with 2 CFR § 200.305 that the entity must minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury or the pass-through entity and the disbursement of funds by the recipient or subrecipient. However, the questioned costs that were transferred in advance were ultimately deemed reasonable because they were disbursed during the grant period for allowable costs as part of the federal contract awarded. The Company will ensure a proper understanding of the compliance requirements for all federal contracts prior to requesting funds and will ensure funds transferred are compliant with the requirement that the Company minimize the time elapsed from the time of transfer and the disbursement of funds in accordance with the grant terms.
Internal control deficiency and noncompliance over procurement and suspension and debarment. Identification of the federal program: Assistance Listing Number 84.116Z: • Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education • U.S. Department of Education • Federal award identification number – P116Z230323 • Federal award year – June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2026 Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory or other citation): Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.303 Internal controls. The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.318 General procurement standards (a) the non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non-Federal entity’s documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in 200.317 through 200.327; (b) non-Federal entities must maintain oversight to ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts or purchase orders; (c) (1) the non-Federal entity must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.318 General procurement standards (i) the non-Federal entity must maintain records 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. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.319 Competition (a) All procurement transactions for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the standards of this section and 200.320. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.320 Methods of procurement to be followed. The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award: (a) (2) Small purchases – (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. 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. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.320 Methods of procurement to be followed. (c) Noncompetitive procurement. There are specific circumstances in which noncompetitive procurement can be used. Noncompetitive procurement can only be awarded if one or more of the following circumstances apply: (1) The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold; (2) The item is available only from a single source; (3) The public exigency or emergency for the requirement will not permit a delay resulting from publicizing a competitive solicitation; (4) The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity expressly authorizes a noncompetitive procurement in response to a written request from the non-Federal entity; or (5) After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart C 200.214 Suspension and debarment. Non-Federal entities are subject to the non-procurement debarment and suspension regulations that restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter I, Part 180, Subpart C 180.300 What must I do before I enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier? When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) checking SAM Exclusions; (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Condition: During our testing over procurement, we observed management did not have documented procurement procedures that conformed to the procurement standards identified in 2 CFR section 200.318 to 200.327 and written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. Management did not have internal controls in place over small purchase procurements to ensure price or rate quotations were obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. Management did not maintain records for procurements to document the history of procurement, including the rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. In addition, during our testing over suspension and debarment, we observed management did not have documented suspension and debarment procedures and did not have internal controls in place to ensure vendors were searched for suspension and debarment at the time of vendor selection. Cause: Management did not have internal controls in place over the compliance requirements as stated in the criteria or specific requirement section above. Effect or potential effect: Procurements were not supported by internal controls and could potentially include unreasonable prices or rates. In addition, if a search for suspension and debarment is not conducted, the entity could contract with vendors that are suspended or debarred. Questioned costs: $153,169 – Assistance Listing Number 84.116Z – Federal award identification number – P116Z230323 Questioned costs were computed as the entire population of procurement transactions subject to small purchase and suspension and debarment compliance requirements. Questioned costs means an amount, expended or received from a Federal award, that (1) is noncompliant or suspected noncompliant with Federal statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of the Federal award or (2) at the time of the audit, lacked adequate documentation to support compliance. Context: During our testing over procurements, we obtained a listing of expenditures that included $153,169 of procurement transactions subject to small purchase and suspension and debarment compliance requirements. We observed management did not have internal controls in place to ensure the compliance requirements as stated in the criteria or specific requirement section above were performed. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No. Recommendation: Management should create documented procurement procedures that conform to the procurement standards identified in 2 CFR section 200.318 through 200.327 and written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the actions of its employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts. Management should develop and implement internal controls over small purchase procurements to ensure price or rate quotations are obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. Management should maintain records for procurements to document the history of procurement, including the rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. Management should create documented suspension and debarment procedures and develop and implement internal controls to ensure vendors were searched for suspension and debarment at the time of vendor selection. Management should review the procurements identified as questioned costs to identify if any improper payments were made to the entity. Views of responsible officials: We agree with the finding that internal controls were not sufficient to maintain compliance with federal procurement standards under Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200, Subpart D, 200.318 to 200.327 for a non-federal entity. However, the funds were expended for the intended purpose of the federal award. The Company is committed to implementing internal controls to ensure procurement related to federal awards follow 2 CFR section 200.318 to 200.327. The Company will update the procurement policy to ensure it complies with the requirements of 2 CFR section 200.318 through 200.327, that includes the written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest, governing the actions of its employees who select, award and administer procurement contracts. This policy will include procedures to ensure proper procurement for small purchases to ensure sufficient price quotations are obtained from the required number of qualified sources, proper sealed bids or proposals are obtained through public advertising, an appropriate cost or price analysis is performed for procurement actions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, documentation is retained, and proper oversight is exercised to demonstrate compliance with 2 CFR section 200.318 through 200.327. While the Company did not perform a check of each vendor against the SAM Exclusions prior to selecting a vendor, the Company has procedures in place to ensure the vendors are approved by Corporate purchasing and in good standing, which limits the risk of conflict of interest between employees and vendors, and contracting with a vendor who is suspended or debarred from federal related contracting. Further, the Company confirmed the vendors that were contracted with were not included on the SAM Exclusions listing.
U.S. Department of the Treasury Passed Through the Nevada Housing Division, City of Reno COVID‐19: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, Assistance Listing #21.027 Reporting Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance Grant Award Number: SLFRP0309, SLFRP2634. Criteria: Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) section 200.303 provides that non-federal entities must establish and maintain effective internal control 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. Condition: There was no evidence of review and approval (segregation of duties) between the preparer and reviewer of the quarterly financial reports and inaccurate information was reported to the federal awarding agency. Cause: The Foundation did not have internal controls to ensure proper review and approval (segregation of duties) between the preparer and reviewer of the quarterly financial reports. Effect: Inaccurate information could be reported to the federal awarding agency. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context/sampling: Two quarterly financial reports out of a population of four was selected for testing. Report Finding from Prior Year: Yes, 2023-004 Recommendation: We recommend the Foundation enhance the internal controls to ensure quarterly financial reports are reviewed and approved and accurate information is included in the reports. Views of Responsible Officials: The Foundation agrees with this finding; see corrective action plan.
U.S. Department of the Treasury Passed Through the Nevada Housing Division, City of Reno COVID‐19: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, Assistance Listing #21.027 Reporting Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance Grant Award Number: SLFRP0309, SLFRP2634. Criteria: Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) section 200.303 provides that non-federal entities must establish and maintain effective internal control 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. Condition: There was no evidence of review and approval (segregation of duties) between the preparer and reviewer of the quarterly financial reports and inaccurate information was reported to the federal awarding agency. Cause: The Foundation did not have internal controls to ensure proper review and approval (segregation of duties) between the preparer and reviewer of the quarterly financial reports. Effect: Inaccurate information could be reported to the federal awarding agency. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context/sampling: Two quarterly financial reports out of a population of four was selected for testing. Report Finding from Prior Year: Yes, 2023-004 Recommendation: We recommend the Foundation enhance the internal controls to ensure quarterly financial reports are reviewed and approved and accurate information is included in the reports. Views of Responsible Officials: The Foundation agrees with this finding; see corrective action plan.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): Account ID 20-1982-0-1-806 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 13 GIBSON COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The County elected to receive the standard revenue loss allowance, allowing it to claim a total COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocation of $6,537,866 as revenue loss to use for government services. As such, all SLFRF program funds expended from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, were under the revenue loss eligible use category. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) determined that there are no subawards under this eligible use category, and that recipients' use of revenue loss funds would not give rise to subrecipient relationships as there is no federal program or purpose to carry out in the case of the revenue loss portion of the award. Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annually Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the Treasury. The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based on the type of recipient and the recipient's population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The County submitted the required annual P&E reports during the audit period, which were obtained from the County Auditor's office. Although one employee prepared the P&E report and another reviewed the entries, the system of internal controls was not effective in preventing, detecting and correcting, errors. The data submitted included amounts which were not supported by the County's records. Errors identified included the following: • The 2024 Annual P&E report current expenditures were overstated by $170,815. • The 2024 Annual P&E report current obligations were overstated by $170,815. • The 2024 Annual P&E report cumulative obligations were overstated by $101,490. • The 2024 Annual P&E report cumulative expenditures were overstated by $99,325. The County did not adequately track expenditures annually as required, despite the P&E report breaking down expenditures by project, which would have allowed for accurate tracking. Instead, the County's ledger did not have adjustments or corrections that were included in the P&E report, resulting in the inability to verify the accuracy of the annual report filed during the audit period. The lack of effective internal controls and noncompliance was a systemic issue throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 14 GIBSON COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance, page 10, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds, . . ." Cause The Deputy County Auditor reported that, due to persistent error messages in the submission system, the financial figures were modified to enable successful submission. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. In addition, not meeting the SLFRF reporting requirements, by reporting erroneous data, increases the likelihood that the public and the Treasury will not have access to transparent and accurate information regarding expenditures of federal awards. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the management of the County establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures over the preparation and review of federal reports to ensure appropriate reviews, approval, and oversight take place. Additionally, management should develop policies and procedures to ensure that the County provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for all reports. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: Airport Improvement Program - Equipment and Real Property Management Federal Agency: Department of Transportation Federal Program: Airport Improvement Program Assistance Listings Number: 20.106 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): AIP 3-18-0059-040-2023 Compliance Requirement: Equipment and Real Property Management Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 13 DELAWARE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context The Authority had not properly designed a system of internal controls in order to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement. A property record or capital asset listing is required to be maintained for all equipment purchased with the Airport Improvement Program grant award to ensure adequate safeguards are in place to prevent loss or damage of items. The Authority used federal funds to purchase a snow broom costing $300,551. The equipment was included in the capital asset listing of the Authority; however, it did not include the proper identifying information. The Authority's capital asset listing did not include the following required information: The use and condition of the property. The percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.313(d) states in part: "Management requirements. Procedures for managing equipment (including replacement equipment), whether acquired in whole or in part under a Federal award, until disposition takes place will, as a minimum, meet the following requirements: (1) Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the FAIN), who holds title, the acquisition date, and cost of the property, percentage of Federal participation in the project costs for the Federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sale price of the property. (2) A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records at least once every two years. (3) A control system must be developed to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. Any loss, damage, or theft must be investigated. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 14 DELAWARE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (4) Adequate maintenance procedures must be developed to keep the property in good condition. . . ." Cause The Authority was unaware of the requirements to track the percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired and the use and condition of the property. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, capital assets purchased with federal dollars were not properly added to the Authority's capital asset listing. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the Authority. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the Authority establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure capital asset records include all the necessary information. We also recommended the Authority ensure they have a proper understanding of all grant requirements. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-002 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY2023 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context An effective internal control system was not in place at the City to ensure compliance with the requirements related to the grant agreement and the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) award funds, recipients are required to verify that such beneficiaries are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Two vendors were selected for testing that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from SLFRF funds during the audit period was identified, totaling $166,579. For one of the two vendors, the City did not verify the suspension and debarment status prior to payment. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 CITY OF MARION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318(a) states: "The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non- Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the ELPS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The City's management had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the grant agreement and the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. The City did not obtain evidence of one vendor's verification for suspension and debarment, since it is up to the individual departments to complete that verification. Effect The failure to establish an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. As a result, adequate documentation was not retained for suspension and debarment. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 CITY OF MARION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Recommendation We recommended that management of the City establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure all required documentation related to suspension and debarment is maintained. We also recommended that the City perform suspension and debarment procedures on all vendors with purchases above $25,000 and ensure that documentation is maintained to show the verification was performed. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY2023 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annually Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The City was classified as a city with a population below 250,000 residents that was allocated less than $10 million in COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds funding. As such, the P&E report, covering the period April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by April 30, 2024. The subsequent annual reports are to cover one year from April 1 to March 31 and must be submitted to the Treasury by April 30 of each year. The City submitted the P&E report by April 30, 2024, as required, and there was more than one employee involved in the process of submission; however, internal controls were not effective to prevent, or detect and correct, errors. The data submitted included amounts that were not supported by the City's records and amounts that should not have been included. Errors identified included the following: Total Cumulative Obligations were overstated by $452,808. Current Period Obligations were overstated by $1,819,927. Current Period Expenditures and Total Cumulative Expenditures were overstated by $1,400,000. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance was a systemic issue throughout the audit period. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 CITY OF MARION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Compliance and Reporting Guidance, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, page 13, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary or her delegate, as applicable, periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds . . ." Cause The City included the total amount appropriated to each of the projects that were overstated on the report and did not only include the amounts that were obligated as of the end date of the report. Also, the City included transfers to other funds in cumulative and current expenditures, but the funds were not expended as of the end of the report date. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As such, the City did not accurately report current period obligations and cumulative obligations when filing the P&E report for the period April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal regulations and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 19 CITY OF MARION SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Recommendation We recommended that management of the City design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight of federal reports are taking place. We also recommended the development of policies and procedures to ensure the City provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for the P&E report. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 2024 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 13 CITY OF ATTICA SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context Nonfederal entities and contractors are subject to nonprocurement debarment and suspension regulations. These regulations restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or are ineligible for participation in federal assistance programs or activities. Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods or services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. Verification is to be done by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Due to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's determination that the revenue loss eligible use category does not give rise to subawards, the City was only required to comply with suspension and debarment requirements related to covered transactions. The City had not designed or implemented adequate policies and procedures to ensure that applicable vendors and contractors (vendors) who received federal funds in excess of $25,000 were not suspended or debarred from participating in federal award programs. Covered transactions in the amount of $661,128 were made during the audit period to four vendors. There was no evidence of a verification that any of these vendors were not suspended or debarred. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.214 states: "Non-Federal entities are subject to the non-procurement debarment and suspension regulations implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, 2 CFR part 180. The regulations in 2 CFR part 180 restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities." 31 CFR 19.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 14 CITY OF ATTICA SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) (a) Checking the EPLS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The City did not have policies and procedures in place to verify that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into any covered transactions. The Clerk-Treasurer indicated that the City relied on its engineering firm to verify suspension and debarment status of vendors; however, documentation of verification was not provided to or verified by the City. Effect The lack of an effective internal control system enabled material noncompliance to occur and remain undetected. Noncompliance could have led to contracting with vendors who were suspended or debarred from receiving federal grant funds. Additionally, noncompliance with the grant agreement and the compliance requirement could have resulted in the loss of future federal funds to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended the City's management strengthen its system of internal controls and adopt required procurement policies, which would include procedures for verifying vendors' suspension and debarment status prior to entering into the transaction and/or contract if the single or aggregate transactions are expected to exceed $25,000 per fiscal year. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY 2024 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 13 WABASH COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annually Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon the type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The County was classified as a metropolitan county with a population below 250,000 residents that received an allocation of less than $10 million in COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). As such, the initial P&E report, covering the period from March 3, 2021 to March 31, 2022, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by April 30, 2022. The subsequent annual reports are to cover one calendar year and must be submitted to the Treasury by April 30 each year. The County submitted the P&E report that covered the period from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, by April 30, 2024, as required; however, there was no evidence provided for audit to support there was a review or oversight process implemented to prevent, or detect and correct, errors on the prepared and submitted P&E report. As a result, the submitted P&E report included the following errors: The total cumulative expenditures of the entire program up to the report date of March 31, 2024, were reported as $2,028,663, which was underreported by $574,410; the actual total cumulative expenditures to be reported were identified as $2,603,073. The total cumulative obligations of the entire program up to the report date of March 31, 2024, were reported as $6,020,610, which was overreported by $1,604,688; the actual total cumulative obligations to be reported were identified as $4,415,922. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Compliance and Reporting Guidance, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, page 13, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 14 WABASH COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary . . . periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures, was designed but not implemented by management of the County to prevent and detect errors on the P&E report prior to submission. The County reported amounts for total cumulative expenditures and total cumulative obligations that did not agree with the County's records. The report submitted was not reviewed by a second person to identify this error prior to submission. Effect Without the proper implementation of a system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As such, the County reported amounts for total cumulative expenditures and total cumulative obligations that did not agree with the County's records when filing the P&E report for the period April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the County implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that would provide segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight of federal reports are taking place. We also recommended the development of policies and procedures to ensure the County provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for the P&E report. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-002 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): IN0184 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with the COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting a certification from that person or entity, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person or entity. The City did not have any policies or procedures in place related to the SLFRF suspension and debarment requirements. A population of three covered transactions totaling $2,056,140 that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from SLFRF funds were identified. All three covered transactions were selected for testing. For each of the three transactions, the City did not verify the vendors' suspension, debarment, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal funds prior to payment. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 31 CFR 19.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the EPLS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The City had initially started checking vendors for suspension and debarment in years prior, but the official had heard somewhere it wasn't required and, therefore, stopped checking the System for Award Management (SAM) Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). They did not include the language in any of the covered transactions or obtain a certification. Therefore, the City was unable to provide documentation to demonstrate they had properly verified that contractors were neither suspended nor debarred or otherwise excluded or disqualified from participating in federal assistance programs or activities. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the City cannot ensure that contractors paid with federal funds are eligible to participate in federal programs. Any program funds the City used to pay contractors that have been suspended or debarred would be unallowable, and the funding agency could potentially recover them. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the City design and implement a system of internal controls to ensure that all contractors that are paid $25,000 or more, all or in part with federal funds, are not suspended or debarred from participating in federal programs before entering into contracts. Views of Responsible Officials For views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): IN0184 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annually Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The City was classified as a metropolitan city with a population below 250,000 residents that received an allocation of less than $10 million in COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). As such, the initial P&E report, covering the period from March 3, 2021 to March 31, 2022, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by April 30, 2022. The subsequent annual reports are to cover one calendar year and must be submitted to the Treasury by April 30 each year. The City submitted one P&E report during the audit period; however, the report was submitted without a documented review or oversight process in place to prevent, or detect and correct, errors. As a result, errors in reporting were identified. For one of the projects within the report, one claim included in the current period and cumulative expenditures was paid after the period covered (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024) by this report. This caused the current period and the cumulative expenditures to be overstated in the amount of $18,860. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance, page 10, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds, . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls over the P&E report was not implemented by the management of the City to ensure that complete and accurate information related to the SLFRF awards was provided to the Treasury. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, including policies and procedures that provide segregation of duties and additional oversight as needed, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As such, errors, as identified in the Condition and Context, occurred, and inaccurate information was provided to the Treasury. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. In addition, not meeting the SLFRF reporting requirements increases the likelihood that the public will not have access to transparent and accurate information regarding expenditures of federal awards. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the City design and implement a proper system of internal controls that would provide for segregation of duties to ensure appropriate reviews, approvals, and oversight are taking place. Additionally, management should develop policies and procedures to ensure that the City abstracts and reports on the correct time frame for each report submitted to provide the Treasury with complete and accurate information. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-002 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): CY 2024 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-001. Condition and Context Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annually Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon the type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contract for the appropriate reporting period. The County was classified as a metropolitan county with a population below 250,000 residents that received an allocation of more than $10 million in COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) funding. As such, the initial P&E report, covering three calendar quarters from March 3, 2021 to December 31, 2021, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by January 31, 2022. The subsequent quarterly reports are to cover one calendar quarter and must be submitted to the Treasury by the last day of the month following the end of the period covered. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16 HOWARD COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) One employee at the County prepared the quarterly reports, and the County Auditor reviewed the reports; however, the internal control was not effective and did not detect and allow correction of material misstatements prior to submission. Two of the four quarterly reports submitted during the audit period were selected for testing. For the two reports tested, all activity for the reporting period was not included, information submitted was not supported by the County's records, and the reports were not fairly presented. The errors identified on the quarterly reports included the following: Quarter 4 Project and Expenditure Report (October 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023) Total Cumulative Obligations were understated by $331,303 Total Cumulative Expenditures were understated by $331,303 Current Period Obligations were understated by $155 Current Period Expenditures were understated by $20,856 Quarter 3 Project and Expenditure Report (July 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024) Total Cumulative Obligations were overstated by $15,138 Total Cumulative Expenditures were understated by $15,118 Current Period Obligations were understated by $294,973 Current Period Expenditures were understated by $9,685 The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 17 HOWARD COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance, page 10, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds, . . ." Cause Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the County's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. The errors were due to all expenditures not being included in the reports and report entry errors such as typos. These errors were due to not all expenditures being included in the P&E reports ran for the time frame and not having a correct understanding of what was to be included in the reports. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls over reporting, the County could not ensure that the reports submitted were accurate. In addition, not meeting the SLFRF reporting requirements increases the likelihood that the public will not have access to transparent and accurate information regarding expenditures of federal awards. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the County design and implement a proper system of internal controls, including policies and procedures, to ensure that the County provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for the P&E report. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 2024 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-005. Condition and Context Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with COVID-19 - State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Upon inquiring of the County to determine its policies and procedures related to suspension and debarment requirements, the County stated procedures were not in place to ensure vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into covered transactions. One covered transaction totaling $1,003,538 paid with SLFRF grant funds was identified during the audit period. The identified transaction was examined to determine if the County verified the suspension and debarment status of the vendor prior to payment. Upon review, the County had not performed procedures to ensure the vendor was not suspended or debarred, or otherwise excluded or disqualified, from participation in federal assistance programs or activities at any time during the audit period. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.214 states: "Non-federal entities are subject to the non-procurement debarment and suspension regulations implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, 2 CFR part 180. The regulations in 2 CFR part 180 restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities." 31 CFR 19.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the EPLS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The management of the County did not develop a system of internal controls to ensure that policies and procedures were in place and followed, related to suspension and debarment. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the County cannot ensure the vendor paid was eligible to participate in federal programs. Any program funds the County used to pay vendors that have been suspended or debarred would be unallowable, and the funding agency could potentially recover them. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal regulations and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the County establish a system of internal controls to ensure that all vendors that are paid $25,000 or more, all or in part with federal funds, are not suspended or debarred from participating in federal programs before entering into any covered transactions. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-002 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): SWIF 221154-TEMPUR WATER Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Finance Authority Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-001. Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods or services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. Verification is to be done by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Due to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's determination that the revenue loss eligible use category does not give rise to subawards, the County was only required to comply with suspension and debarment requirements related to covered transactions. Covered transactions in the amount of $3,600,147 were made during the audit period to two vendors. For one of the two vendors, the County did not check the ELPS, collect a certification from the vendor, or add a clause in a contract with the vendor. Although the County established Ordinance 2023-11 dated August 14, 2023, requiring all public works contracts to contain a suspension and debarment clause, the contract with the vendor was entered into prior to the establishment of the ordinance. The contract was not amended nor was one of the other two methods for verification of the suspension and debarment status of the vendor performed. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.214 states: "Recipients and subrecipients are subject to the nonprocurement debarment and suspension regulations implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, as well as 2 CFR part 180. The regulations in 2 CFR part 180 restrict making Federal awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from receiving or participating in Federal awards." 31 CFR 19.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the EPLS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A new policy was adopted to ensure compliance with suspension and debarment requirements after the County's 2023 audit. The new policy was not implemented for all applicable contracts entered into prior to the policy's enactment, and the alternative methods of verification were not performed to ensure compliance with suspension and debarment requirements. Effect Without proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the County was unable to verify whether contractors and subrecipients were not suspended, debarred, or excluded. Any program funds the County used to pay contractors that have been suspended or debarred would be unallowable, and the funding agency could potentially recover them. Furthermore, noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the County establish a proper system of internal controls to ensure that the current policy in place was properly implemented for all beneficiaries that are paid $25,000 or more, all or in part with federal funds, to ensure they are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from participating in federal programs. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): SLFRP0752 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-002. Condition and Context Recipients are required to submit quarterly or annual Project and Expenditure (P&E) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The County was classified as a county with a population below 250,000 residents that received an allocation of less than $10 million in COVID-19 - State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). As such, the P&E report, covering the period from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by April 30, 2024. The County submitted the P&E report by April 30, 2024, as required. Although one employee prepared the P&E report and another reviewed the entries, the system of internal controls was not effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, errors. The County omitted expenditures that should have been reported and conversely reported expenditures that were erroneously charged to the grant fund but later moved to the correct fund. Additionally, the County reported obligations that were based on amounts budgeted for planned projects. Obligations are defined by a commitment to expend funds based on entering into contracts, subawards, or similar transactions that require payment. An allocation of funds in a budget or an intention to enter into a contract does not constitute an obligation. The errors identified included the following: Current obligations were understated by $1,723,673. Current expenditures were overstated by $29,960. Cumulative obligations were overstated by $1,385,504. Cumulative expenditures were understated by $12,000. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary or her delegate, as applicable, periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds, . . ." Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance, page 10, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." Cause Although a system of internal controls over the P&E report which included segregation of duties was designed by management, it did not ensure that the County provided the Treasury with complete and accurate information related to the SLFRF awards. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the County's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the P&E report submitted to the Treasury misstated obligations and expenditures. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. In addition, not meeting the SLFRF reporting requirements increases the likelihood that the public will not have access to transparent and accurate information regarding expenditures of federal awards. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the management of the County establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures over the preparation and review of federal reports to ensure appropriate reviews, approval, and oversight take place. Additionally, management should develop policies and procedures to ensure that the County provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for all reports. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
Internal Controls over Suspension and Debarment Requirements Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistance Listing Number: 14.251 Federal Program Name: Economic Development Initiative, Community Project Funding, and Miscellaneous grants Criteria: Under 2 CFR 200.303(a), the non-federal entity must establish and maintain effective internal control over compliance with the requirements of federal awards. Condition: Documentation of internal controls over compliance with suspension and debarment requirements at the time of procurement could not be located for covered transactions. Cause and Context: The Organization had begun planning the Landmark Building project before the major federal award agreements were finalized and, as such, had not implemented specific suspension and debarment procedures at that time. The Organization has since performed suspension and debarment verifications for all vendors with covered transactions charged to major federal award programs. Effect: Inadequate internal controls over suspension and debarment requirements may result in the Organization incurring disallowed costs from prohibited vendors. Recommendation: We recommend that management retains documentation of suspension and debarment verifications for all vendors with whom the Organization has covered transactions. Views of Responsible Officials: There is no disagreement with the finding.
FINDING 2024-001 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): CY 2024 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 13 CITY OF BUTLER SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with the COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000 and all subawards. The verification is to be done by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting a certification from that person or entity, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person or entity. Two covered transactions paid from SLFRF award funds during the audit period were identified and tested. One of the covered transactions, totaling $288,887, did not include the appropriate provisions in the contract, nor did the City require a certification or check the SAM EPLS to ensure the entity was not suspended or debarred prior to making payment. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 31 CFR 19.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the EPLS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause Management of the City did not have a formalized suspension and debarment policy to ensure procedures related to suspension and debarment requirements were in place and followed. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 14 CITY OF BUTLER SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the City could not ensure the vendors paid with federal funds were eligible to participate in federal programs. Any program funds the City used to pay vendors that have been suspended or debarred would be unallowable, and the funding agency could potentially recover them. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the management of the City develop written policies and procedures to ensure its compliance with requirements related to suspension and debarment. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
FINDING 2024-002 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): CY 2024 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Finding: Material Weakness Repeat Finding This is a similar finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-001. Condition and Context Recipients are required to quarterly or annually submit Project and Expenditure reports (P&E) to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The reporting periods, as well as the respective due dates, are based upon type of recipient and its population, as well as the recipient's allocation amount. Information to be reported includes projects funded, expenditures, and contracts for the appropriate reporting period. The City was classified as a metropolitan city with a population below 250,000 residents that received an allocation of less the $10 million in COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). As such, the initial P&E report covering April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, was required to be submitted to the Treasury by April 30, 2024. The City submitted the annual P&E report during the audit period. However, there were no documented internal controls in place that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance related to the reporting requirements. The report was prepared and submitted by one employee without an oversight, review, or approval process to ensure accuracy and completeness. The lack of internal controls was a systemic issue throughout the audit period. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 15 CITY OF BUTLER SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed and implemented by management of the City to ensure that P&E reports were prepared by one individual and reviewed by another individual before submission to the Treasury. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, errors could occur and remain undetected. As such, the City cannot ensure that the reports submitted are materially accurate and correct. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the City establish a system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures over the preparation and review of federal reports to ensure appropriate reviews, approval, and oversight are taking place. Additionally, management should develop policies and procedures to ensure that the City provides the Treasury with complete and accurate information for all reports. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 16
2024-001: Activities Allowed or Unallowed & Allowable Costs/Cost Principles - Material Weakness in Internal Control and Material Noncompliance Repeat of Prior Audit Finding 2023-001 Federal Program: Trans-National Crime Federal Agency: U.S. Department of State - Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Federal Assistance Listing Number: 19.705 Federal Award Year: December 31, 2024 Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303(a) of the Uniform Guidance requires all non-Federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards. In addition, 2 CFR sections 200.405 and 200.403(g) require federal awards be expended only for allowable activities and be adequately documented, respectively. Condition/Context: The Corporation was unable to provide a signed contract or reconciliation to evidence allowability of the expenditures or documentation of review and approval for the following: • For 5 out of 40 selections, no evidence of approval of signed contract could be provided (control). • For 6 out of 40 selections, no evidence of signed contract or reconciliation support could be provided (compliance). This was not a statistically valid sample. Questioned Costs: Questioned costs were approximately $19,428. Cause: The Corporation did not retain/could not retrieve the signed contract or due to poor document retention. Effect: The Corporation has not complied with the specific requirements for activities allowed or unallowed and allowable costs/cost principles as described in the Uniform Guidance. Unallowable costs may have been charged to the federal program. Recommendation: We recommend that the Corporation review its process and implement procedures that would allow management to properly maintain all required documentation on its federal expenditures. Views of Responsible Officials: The Corporation has sustained and built upon the improvements achieved in 2023, maintaining a reduced occurrence of the findings noted in prior audits. The HR solution, Rippling, implemented in 2024, continues to be an integral part of ensuring that all agreements and rate changes are accurately tracked and fully documented. This system has strengthened the Corporation’s document retention practices and supported ongoing compliance with federal regulations. The rollout of Rippling’s timesheet module was completed for all of the Corporation’s South American entities, Central America, UK, France, Gabon and Senegal. The Corporation continued roll out into 2025 and completed that for all remaining entities including Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Saudia Arabia, Central and South Africa.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.306) non-federal entities must meet matching, level of effort, and earmarking requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that non-federal match contributions and earmarking calculations were properly tracked, documented, and verified. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of match contributions and earmarking calculations. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable matching and earmarking requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures for tracking and documenting matching contributions and earmarking calculations. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.575 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: CCDF Cluster Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entities: Iowa County Department of Social Services, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services, Dane County Department of Human Services, Supporting Families Together Association, Inc., and 4C-for Children, Inc. Pass-through Entities Identifying Numbers: 2024-04, 87242, 437002-G16-0000756-R05-02, and 437002- G16-0000756-R06-02 Award Periods: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, and January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Criteria or Specific Requirement: In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart D (§200.328) non-federal entities must meet reporting requirements, including proper documentation and monitoring to demonstrate compliance. The Uniform Guidance requires that controls be in place to ensure that these compliance requirements are consistently met per §200.303. Condition: The entity did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure that financial reporting was complete and accurate. Financial reports were prepared by a single individual without documented review or approval. Cause: There are an absence of formal policies and procedures, insufficient training of staff responsible for compliance, and a lack of segregation of duties related to review and approval of financial reports. Effect or Potential Effect: There is an increased risk that the entity may not be in compliance with applicable reporting requirements. Recommendation: We recommend that the entity implement formal written policies and procedures to establish segregation of duties where reports are reviewed and approved by someone independent of their preparation. These procedures should include regular reconciliations, management review, and appropriate documentation retention. Additionally, staff should be trained on federal compliance requirements, and responsibilities should be clearly assigned to ensure adequate segregation of duties. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding and is considering options to implement the recommendations.
Criteria: Federal and state grant agreements typically require recipients to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting. These include accurate and timely submission of required reports; proper documentation and retention of supporting records and review and approval processes to ensure compliance and accuracy. These requirements are also consistent with principles outline in Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), particularly sections 200.303 (Internal Controls) and 200.328 (Monitoring and Reporting Program Performance). Condition: The Association’s controls were not effective to ensure it was reporting expenditures related to excess meal costs. This internal control deficiency is considered to be a significant deficiency. Context: Our procedures included examining cash disbursements and related invoices for allowable costs. Cause: The Association included 100% of costs related to the nutrition program. In prior years, the Association recorded nutrition reimbursement revenue received from the State as a reduction in expense. When creating reimbursement requests from the Head Start program, only the excess meal costs were included. The Association changed its accounting practice in 2024 and recorded State meal reimbursement as revenue. However, they did not change how they prepared reimbursement requests from Head Start. As a result, 100% of meal costs were included in reimbursement requests. The Association reconciled this program with the final claim for 2024, which was prepared in 2025. Therefore, there are no questioned costs, as only the excess cost of meals was charged to the program. Effect: Weak internal controls over grant drawdowns and reporting increase the risk of reimbursement for unallowable costs; inaccurate performance reporting and potential loss of funding or reputational damage. Recommendation: The Association establish controls that allow for accurate reporting of expenditures when requesting reimbursement from grantors. View of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with this audit finding.
Finding 2024-001 - Activities Allowed or Unallowed & Allowable Costs/Cost Principles (Internal Control over Compliance/Compliance) ALN No.: 93.696 - Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grants Award Year: January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 Federal Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services Pass Through Entity: Not applicable Criteria: 2 CFR Part 200.303(a) of the Uniform Guidance requires all non-Federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal awards. In addition, 2 CFR section 200.405 requires federal awards be expended only for allowable activities. Condition/Context: South Shore made a clerical error in calculating allocated payroll amount claimed for one selection tested out of 60 selections leading to an error of $108. The sampling method was nonstatistical sampling. Cause: There was no proper review and oversight over the individual preparing the monthly claims for reimbursement. Effect: South Shore has not complied with the specific requirements for activities allowed or unallowed and allowable costs/cost principles as described in the Uniform Guidance. Unallowable costs were charged to the federal program. Questioned Costs: None. Recommendation: South Shore should enhance its internal control processes related to preparation and review of the monthly claim for reimbursement.
2024-001 Inadequate Controls over Grant Reimbursement Requests Condition—Costs for certain concrete poles used in the pole replacement program were submitted for reimbursement on multiple invoices, resulting in duplicate reimbursement claims of $440,570. Criteria—In submitting the accounting records to the grantor, the City is required to certify that reported costs were incurred in performance of eligible work. Internal controls that ensure reported costs are eligible and accurate should adhere to Part 2 CFR Section 200.303 of the Uniform Guidance. Cause—The deficiency appears to result from the use of two different methods to identify eligible costs (costs from invoices received directly from a vendor and costs applied to project work orders) without an appropriate reconciliation between the two methods. Effect—The lack of reconciliation of eligible costs allowed the duplicated costs claims to go undetected. Recommendation—We recommend that management review control procedures to ensure expenses included in grant reports are identified by the use of a single methodology and reconciled to accounting records. When multiple methodologies are utilized, a reconciliation to all other invoices should also be performed.
Federal Program/Award Identification: 11.307 COVID-19 Economic Adjustment Assistance – Economic Development Cluster Federal Award Project Number: 01-79-15100 Federal Award Project Year: 2019 Name of Federal Agency: United States Department of Commerce Name of the Applicable Pass-Through Entity: N/A Criteria: Per the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200.303), non-federal entities must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award to provide reasonable assurance that they are managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. The Organization is required to comply with all terms and conditions of the grant agreement with the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Award granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA). Per 13 CFR section 307.11(a)(1)(ii), the Organization’s standard loan documentation must include evidence demonstrating that credit is not otherwise available on terms and conditions that permit the completion or successful operation of the activity to be finance. Condition: We noted that the Organization’s Loan Committee did not include in its loan documentation evidence demonstrating that credit was not otherwise available on terms and conditions that permit the completion or successful operation of the activity being financed. Cause: The EDA temporarily waived the requirement to collect evidence demonstrating that credit was not otherwise available. The Organization believed the requirement related to the evaluation of other available credit was waived, but this waiver expired on June 30, 2022. Effect or Potential Effect: Loan recipients could have been approved that had access to other credit, making them ineligible to be granted an RLF under the grant agreement. Loan documentation does not meet the requirements of 13 CFR section 307.11(a)(1)(ii). Questioned Costs: None Context: UHY selected and tested 4 of 8 EDA RLFs outstanding as of December 31, 2024. None of the loans selected for testing had documentation evidencing that credit was not otherwise available on terms and conditions that permit the completion or successful operation of the activity being financed. Recommendation: The loan committee should implement a checklist of all required loan documentation. The checklist should be reviewed by a member of management prior to execution of the loan agreement. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: See “Management’s Response and Corrective Action” plan section.
Federal Program/Award Identification: 11.307 COVID-19 Economic Adjustment Assistance – Economic Development Cluster Federal Award Project Number: 01-79-15100 Federal Award Project Year: 2019 Name of Federal Agency: United States Department of Commerce Name of the Applicable Pass-Through Entity: N/A Criteria: The Organization is required to comply with all terms and conditions of the grant agreement with the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Award granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA). 2 CFR 200.303(a) requires that a non-federal 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 statues, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. According to the “Specific Award Conditions” document provided by the EDA to the Organization, the Organization must submit the “Federal Financial Report (form SF-425) on a semiannual basis during the period of performance of the Award. The Report must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the midpoint and end of the fiscal year. Condition: We noted that management did not submit form SF-425 for the reporting period December 31, 2024, within the thirty-day requirement specified in the “Specific Award Conditions” document. Cause: The Organization did not have an effective internal control in place to ensure the semiannual SF-425 report was submitted by the due date. Effect or Potential Effect: The Organization did not comply with reporting due dates. Questioned Costs: None Context: UHY tested the two semiannual SF-425 reports submitted for reporting periods within 2024. One of the two were not submitted within the 30-day requirement. In addition, UHY tested submission of two “RLF Financial Report” (ED-209) reports, which were required to be submitted semi-annually, and found they were submitted within the 30-day requirement. Recommendation: We recommend the Organization design and implement an internal control to ensure reports are submitted by the required due dates. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: See “Management’s Response and Corrective Action” plan section.
2024-002 Finding – Federal Award Type: Subrecipient Monitoring – Non-Compliance and Significant Deficiency in Internal Control Over Compliance. AL Number: 10.163 Market Protection and PromotionCriteria / Requirement: 2 CFR section 200.303 requires that non-federal entities receiving federal awards establish and maintain internal control over the federal awards that provides reasonable assurance that the non-federal entity is managing the federal awards in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal awards. In accordance with 2 CFR section 200.332, a pass-through entity must clearly identify to the subrecipient the award as a subaward by providing the required federal information related to the award, all requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the federal award is used in accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and the provisions of contracts and grants agreements. The pass-through entity must evaluate risk of non-compliance of each subrecipient, monitoring the subrecipient and ensuring accountability of for-profit subrecipients. Condition / Context: Oregon Tilth passed through $1,593,444 in funding to subrecipients under Assistance Listing 10.163. During our audit, we noted that Oregon Tilth did have documented written procedures or controls in place to ensure compliance with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) subrecipient monitoring requirements. It was noted that within subaward contracts, required federal contract information was provided. Further, subrecipients are being evaluated for risk of non-compliance, prior to engaging in a subcontract. While monitoring has improved, as Oregon Tilth is having regular meetings to ensure tasks are being completed timely and providing technical assistance when needed, it was noted that in the sample of five subrecipients, three subrecipient was subject to 2 CFR Subpart F and the audit for this entity was not obtained. Per 2 CFR 200.332(d)(2) & (3), an entity must ensure that the subrecipient takes timely and appropriate action on all deficiencies pertaining to the Federal award provided to the subrecipient from the pass-through entity detected through audits, highlighting the status of action planned or taken to address Single Audit Finding related to the subaward. They must also issue a management decision for applicable audit findings. Further, per 2 CFR 200.332(g), pass-through entities must verify that a subrecipient is audited as required by 2 CFR 200 subpart F. Oregon Tilth did have the subrecipient answer a questionnaire that included a question asking if the subrecipient was subject to 2 CFR 200 subpart F, however they did not obtain the audit or verify in any other way that the client was audited as required by 2 CFR 200 subpart F. Cause: Procedures were in place to ensure that Oregon Tilth is maintaining proper subrecipient monitoring for each federal subrecipient, however the procedures were not fully compliant with 2 CFR 200.332. Effect: Failure to maintain sufficient subrecipient monitoring may result in the wrongful use of federal funds and non‐compliance with the provisions of applicable requirements of the federal award. Questioned Costs: None. Recommendation: The Organization should establish written policies and procedures regarding the contracting and monitoring of subrecipients that are in line with Uniform Guidance requirements, as well as establish organizational controls to ensure that such policies and procedures are being followed. Management’s Response: Management concurs with the finding and will implement effective internal controls to ensure that subrecipient monitoring is properly done and documented appropriately.
Department of Homeland Security, State of South Dakota Office of Emergency Management, Federal Financial Assistance Listing #97.039, DR‐4469‐0015 & DR‐4469‐0016, 2024 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Activities Allowed or Unallowed, Allowable Costs/Cost Principles, Period of Performance, and Cash Management Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) states that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. Condition: Material expenditures were claimed for reimbursement with no documented formal review and approval. Cause: The Association did not have formal documented review and approval over bar‐code material charge‐outs that were claimed for reimbursement and correction entries for unused materials returned to inventory. Effect: Without a formal documentation of review of expenses, demonstrating the expenditures comply with federal regulations is difficult. Questioned Costs: No questioned costs over $25,000. Context/Sampling: Nonstatistical sampling was used for activities allowed or unallowed, allowable costs/cost principles and period of performance. Sample size was 60 transactions which accounted for $1,965,908 out of $2,435,532 of federal program expenditures of which $1,114,700 was submitted for reimbursement. For cash management, sampling was not used due to a single submission for reimbursement. Repeat Finding form Prior Year: No Recommendation: We recommend the Association review the process for documenting the review and approval over material charge‐outs and correction entries for unused materials returned to inventory prior to the amounts being submitted for reimbursement. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.
Department of Homeland Security, State of South Dakota Office of Emergency Management, Federal Financial Assistance Listing #97.039, DR‐4469‐0015 & DR‐4469‐0016, 2024 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Reporting Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance and Noncompliance Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303(a) states that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. Condition: In two of three quarterly performance reports tested, we noted the Association improperly overstated expenditures incurred to date. Cause: The Association’s independent review process over the quarterly performance reports did not identify the overstatement. Effect: Lack of compliance with designed internal controls over reporting could result in the Association reporting incorrect or incomplete information. Questioned Costs: None reported. Context/Sampling: A nonstatistical sample of 3 reports out of 8 quarterly performance reports. Repeat Finding form Prior Year: No Recommendation: We recommend the Association review internal control procedures over reporting to ensure reported amounts agree to supporting documentation and also that supporting documentation is retained. Views of Responsible Officials: Management agrees with the finding.
FINDING 2024-003 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): FY2024 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-003. Condition and Context Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with the COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (e.g., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000 and all subawards. The verification is to be done by checking the SAM exclusions list, collecting of a certification from that person or entity, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person or entity. The County had not performed procedures to ensure the vendors were not suspended or debarred or otherwise excluded or disqualified from participation in federal assistance programs or activities during the audit period on all of the four vendors determined to have covered transactions, totaling $1,200,692, that were paid with SLFRF funds. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 18 WHITE COUNTY SCHEDULE OF FINDINGS AND QUESTIONED COSTS (Continued) Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: a) 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. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking SAM Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The County's management did not foresee instances when the County's contract template was not utilized. Effect The failure to properly implement effective internal controls enabled noncompliance to go undetected. Furthermore, noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the County. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the County's management properly implement and strengthen the policies and procedures to ensure its compliance with requirements related to suspension and debarment. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.
2024-002 Documentation Retention – Tenant File (Internal Control) Information on universe and population size The universe consisted of all Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) files for tenants certified and re-certified by the Authority for the fiscal year. The total population was 182. Sample size information A non‑statistical sample of 19 tenant files were selected for testing. One error was identified. Identification as a repeat finding This is not a repeat finding. Criteria 2 CFR §200.303(c) requires non-Federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal controls over Federal awards that provide reasonable assurance of compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and program requirements. HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program guidance (HUD Handbook 7420.7, Chapter 5) includes that maintaining complete tenant files, including form HUD-50058, executed leases, income verification, rent determinations, inspection documentation, and related support, is a key control. Statement of condition During our review of 19 tenant files, one file had missing required documents. The required documents that were not included consisted of the executed lease, rent determinations, and inspection documentation. Although alternative documentation confirmed the tenant’s eligibility in the program, the absence of the required original supporting records demonstrates that the controls over document retention and safeguarding were not operating effectively. Cause The PHA lacks a formalized record‑retention control that prevents accidental deletion or destruction of tenant files and does not perform a supervisory review to verify that all electronic and hard‑copy records are archived before files are purged. Effect Absent proper documentation, the PHA cannot fully demonstrate tenant eligibility, increasing the risk of ineligible assistance payments and regulatory noncompliance. Because the issue was isolated to a single tenant file, the likelihood of material noncompliance is remote; however, it represents a significant deficiency. Auditor non-compliance code S – Internal Control Deficiencies Questioned costs None Views of responsible officials Management concurs with the finding and is in the process of implementing an electronic document‑management system with automated backup and periodic supervisory reviews to prevent future occurrences. Context This was an isolated instance of noncompliance, affecting 1 of 19 tenant files tested. No systemic issues were noted in the other files reviewed. Recommendation We recommend that the Authority design and implement a record‑retention policy and require supervisory review prior to any file purging to ensure all required documentation is retained.Finding resolution status Unresolved Information on universe and population size The universe consisted of all Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) files for tenants certified and re-certified by the Authority for the fiscal year. The total population was 182. Sample size information A non‑statistical sample of 19 tenant files were selected for testing. One error was identified. Identification as a repeat finding This is not a repeat finding. Criteria 2 CFR §200.303(c) requires non-Federal entities to establish and maintain effective internal controls over Federal awards that provide reasonable assurance of compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and program requirements. HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program guidance (HUD Handbook 7420.7, Chapter 5) includes that maintaining complete tenant files, including form HUD-50058, executed leases, income verification, rent determinations, inspection documentation, and related support, is a key control. Statement of condition During our review of 19 tenant files, one file had missing required documents. The required documents that were not included consisted of the executed lease, rent determinations, and inspection documentation. Although alternative documentation confirmed the tenant’s eligibility in the program, the absence of the required original supporting records demonstrates that the controls over document retention and safeguarding were not operating effectively. Cause The PHA lacks a formalized record‑retention control that prevents accidental deletion or destruction of tenant files and does not perform a supervisory review to verify that all electronic and hard‑copy records are archived before files are purged. Effect Absent proper documentation, the PHA cannot fully demonstrate tenant eligibility, increasing the risk of ineligible assistance payments and regulatory noncompliance. Because the issue was isolated to a single tenant file, the likelihood of material noncompliance is remote; however, it represents a significant deficiency. Auditor non-compliance code S – Internal Control Deficiencies Questioned costs None Views of responsible officials Management concurs with the finding and is in the process of implementing an electronic document‑management system with automated backup and periodic supervisory reviews to prevent future occurrences. Context This was an isolated instance of noncompliance, affecting 1 of 19 tenant files tested. No systemic issues were noted in the other files reviewed. Recommendation We recommend that the Authority design and implement a record‑retention policy and require supervisory review prior to any file purging to ensure all required documentation is retained.