Finding 1161093 (2024-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-10-21

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Internal controls over employee compensation for federal grants are inadequate, leading to discrepancies between payroll records and amounts charged.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR Section 200.303(a) and 200.430(i) is not being met, risking unallowable costs being charged to federal programs.
  • Recommended Follow-up: Implement policies and procedures to ensure accurate documentation and approval of compensation distribution across federal awards.

Finding Text

2024-001 – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds – ALN No. 21.027 - Distribution of Compensation – Internal Controls over Allowable Costs and Activities (Significant Deficiency) Grant No. X50-8-018 Passed through Office of the Governor, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Grant Period: October 1, 2023-September 30, 2025 Criteria: Under 2 CFR Section 200.303(a), non‐federal entities must establish and maintain effective internal controls to provide reasonable assurance that the entity is managing the federal awards in compliance with statues, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Additionally, under 2 CFR Section 200.430(i) compensation records must support the distribution of the employee’s compensation among specific activities or costs objectives if the employee works on more than one Federal award and compensation of employees used in meeting cost sharing or matching requirements on Federal awards must be supported in the same manner. Condition: For specific payroll costs selected, the compensation records supporting the distribution of employees’ compensation to the federal award did not equal the amounts charged to the federal grant. Effect: The lack of controls to ensure the correct amounts are charged to the federal program based on the time and effort of the personnel could result in charging unallowable costs to the federal program. Cause: The Foundation calculated the amounts charged to the federal grant based on the budgeted percentage of time for each employee rather than the actual hours per the compensation records. Known Questioned Costs: $273 Likely Questioned Costs: $3,122 Perspective: This finding represents a systematic problem. Of the twenty-five transactions tested, five had errors. The sample was not statistically valid. Repeat Finding: No Recommendation: We recommend the Association establish policies and procedures to ensure that compensation is properly documented and distributed between Federal awards and properly approved.

Corrective Action Plan

Grantee Response and Corrective Action Plan: AVLF concurs with the recommendation. The Organization will take the following corrective actions: 1. Remit corrected timesheets to the Agency for information purposes. 2. Revise the organization’s policy to include review and reconciliation of SER’s and timesheets prior to submission to the Agency. Responsible Parties: Jason Levister, Controller Date to be Completed: October 2025

Categories

Questioned Costs Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $476,664
16.575 CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE $190,967
16.524 LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS $171,146
14.537 EVICTION PROTECTION GRANT PROGRAM $98,456
16.588 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN FORMULA GRANTS $41,168