Finding 1163530 (2024-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
L
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-12-05

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: MOFGA submitted required reports late, including the Federal Financial Report and Final Project Financial Report.
  • Impacted Requirements: Timely submission of reports is mandated by federal guidelines for the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Grant.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: MOFGA should improve reporting controls to ensure deadlines are monitored and met.

Finding Text

2024-002: Reporting – Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Grant Federal Program: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Grant Assistance Listing No.: 10.311 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pass-Through Entity: None Federal Award Identification Number: 2022-49400-38205 Repeat Finding: This is not a repeat finding Criteria – MOFGA is required to review and submit certain annual reports as part of its administration of the beginning farmers and ranchers development grant program. Condition – MOFGA filed certain reports after the required reporting deadlines, including the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) and Final Project Financial Report. Questioned costs – None. Cause – Management oversight on due date of required reports. Effect or potential effect – Reports are not submitted in accordance with federal guidelines and amounts within those reports may not be accurate. Context – Our sample of reports was a statistically valid sample. Recommendation – MOFGA should enhance controls over reporting to ensure that due dates are monitored and adhered to. Views of responsible officials – Management’s response is included in “Management’s Views and Corrective Action Plan” included at the end of this report.

Corrective Action Plan

Federal Program: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Grant Assistance Listing No.: 10.311 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pass-Through Entity: None Federal Award Identification Number: 2022-49400-38205 Repeat Finding: This is not a repeat finding Criteria – MOFGA is required to review and submit certain annual reports as part of its administration of the beginning farmers and ranchers development grant program. Condition – MOFGA filed certain reports after the required reporting deadlines, including the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) and Final Project Financial Report. Questioned costs – None. Cause – Management oversight on due date of required reports. Effect or potential effect – Reports are not submitted in accordance with federal guidelines and amounts within those reports may not be accurate. Context – Our sample of reports was a statistically valid sample. Recommendation – MOFGA should enhance controls over reporting to ensure that due dates are monitored and adhered to. Corrective Actions Taken or Planned – Our Grant writer keeps a running list of deadlines and uses that on a daily basis for checking what is upcoming that needs to be submitted. She also enters the information into Virtuous, our CRM, for tracking purposes. Finally, she uses her calendar to schedule in grant and report deadlines. Responsible Parties – Angela Haiss, Director of Operations Anticipated Completion Date – December 31, 2025

Categories

Reporting

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1163531 2024-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1163532 2024-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1163533 2024-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1163534 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
10.311 BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM $203,078
10.163 MARKET PROTECTION AND PROMOTION $103,722
10.188 Organic Market Development Grant Program $69,038
10.937 Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities $49,408
10.175 FARMERS MARKET AND LOCAL FOOD PROMOTION PROGRAM (B) $41,063
10.520 AGRICULTURE RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM $21,517
10.176 DAIRY BUSINESS INNOVATION INITIATIVES (B) $20,095
10.902 SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION $19,901
10.331 FOOD INSECURITY NUTRITION INCENTIVE GRANTS PROGRAM $16,845
10.310 AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (AFRI) $13,331
10.215 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION $11,353
10.525 FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM (B) $9,000
10.181 AMS - PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND SAFETY GRANTS PROGRAM/ AMS - FARMWORKER AND MEATPACKING WORKER RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM $9,000
10.675 URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM $6,630
10.460 RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS $6,387
10.170 SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM - FARM BILL $1,534