Finding Text
Finding 2024-001 – ReportingInformation of the federal program:Federal Grantor: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)Assistance Listing No.: 93.391, COVID-19 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (STLT) Health Department Response to Public Health or Healthcare CrisisPass-Through Grantor: Chicago Department of Public HealthFederal Grantor: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)Assistance Listing No.: 93.323, COVID-19 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious DiseasesPass-Through Grantor: Chicago Department of Public HealthCriteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory, or other citation):Section 200.303 of the Uniform Guidance states the following regarding internal control: “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).”The Uniform Guidance 2 CFR section 200.510 states, “(b) Schedule of expenditures of Federal awards. The auditee must also prepare a schedule of expenditures of federal awards (SEFA) for the period covered by the auditee’s financial statements which must include the total Federal awards expended as determined in accordance with §200.502 Basis for determining Federal awards expended.”Condition:Certain expenditures related to the COVID-19 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (STLT) Health Department Response to Public Health or Healthcare Crisis and the COVID-19 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases were overstated by $347,352 and $164,120, respectively, on the preliminary schedule of expenditures of federal awards (the Schedule) provided by management due to the inappropriate classification of costs within the general ledger; the final Schedule was corrected.Cause:Endeavor’s internal controls over the preparation of the Schedule were not sufficient to properly accumulate and accurately report all expenditures of federal awards.Effect or Potential Effect:Inaccurate or improper reporting of expenditures results in a misstated Schedule and can also potentially result in insufficient testing of the major programs or improper identification of major programs for audit purposes.Questioned costs:None.Context:Endeavor reported expenditures of $872,758 on the preliminary SEFA, but on the final SEFA reported $525,406 related to the COVID-19 Activities to Support State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (STLT) Health Department Response to Public Health or Healthcare Crisis. Endeavor reported expenditures of $1,233,464 on the preliminary SEFA, but on the final SEFA reported $1,069,344 related to the COVID-19 Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases.Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable:This is a repeat finding of 2023-001.Recommendation:Management should implement internal controls to ensure amounts are appropriately accumulated and reported on the Schedule and all federal expenditures are appropriately identified and reported on the Schedule.Views of responsible officials:Management acknowledges the findings related to SEFA reporting. The issue arose from miscommunication in determining which expenditures should be reported for the programs in question. We recognize the importance of accurate and complete reporting. We will enhance our review and communication processes to ensure clarity between program managers and the finance team when identifying reportable expenditures. We have already taken steps to address this issue by:• Creating a new policy and procedure for SEFA reporting and establishing clear guidance and documentation for expenses that should be included in the SEFA.• Implementing an expanded review process to ensure accuracy prior to submission.