Finding 1206574 (2024-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2026-04-14
Audit: 398631
Organization: Town of Natick, Massachusetts (MA)
Auditor: CBIZ CPAS PC

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Town lacks formal written policies and procedures for managing federal awards, violating Uniform Guidance requirements.
  • Impacted Requirements: Key areas needing documentation include cash management, allowable costs, employee travel, procurement, conflicts of interest, and subrecipient monitoring.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement written policies and procedures to ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance and improve internal controls.

Finding Text

2024-003 Document Policies and Procedures Over Federal Awards Cluster/Program: All federal programs Type of Finding Compliance – Other Matters Internal Control over Compliance – Significant Deficiency Condition: The Town has not formalized written policies and procedures related to federal awards required under the Uniform Guidance. Criteria: OMB’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (UG) requirements stipulate that federal award recipients must document their policies and procedures over certain aspects of financial and program management. Specifically, written policies are required for the following: • Cash management • Determination of allowable costs • Employee travel • Procurement • Conflicts of interest • Subrecipient monitoring and management Cause: The Town has not developed written formal documentation of internal controls to encompass all required areas per the Uniform Guidance. Effect: The Town is not in compliance with the requirements of the Uniform Guidance as it relates to the requirement to have documented policies and procedures pertaining to the management of federal awards. No questioned costs are reported as this requirement is procedural in nature. Recommendation: Written policies and procedures should be implemented in accordance with the Uniform Guidance. Views of Responsible Official: Management’s corrective action plan is included at the end of this report after the Schedule of Prior Year Findings.

Corrective Action Plan

2024-003 Document Policies and Procedures Over Federal Awards Cluster/Program: All federal programs Type of Finding Compliance – Other Matters Internal Control over Compliance – Significant Deficiency Condition: The Town has not formalized written policies and procedures related to federal awards required under the Uniform Guidance. Criteria: OMB’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (UG) requirements stipulate that federal award recipients must document their policies and procedures over certain aspects of financial and program management. Specifically, written policies are required for the following: • Cash management • Determination of allowable costs • Employee travel • Procurement • Conflicts of interest • Subrecipient monitoring and management Cause: The Town has not developed written formal documentation of internal controls to encompass all required areas per the Uniform Guidance. Effect: The Town is not in compliance with the requirements of the Uniform Guidance as it relates to the requirement to have documented policies and procedures pertaining to the management of federal awards. No questioned costs are reported as this requirement is procedural in nature. Recommendation: Written policies and procedures should be implemented in accordance with the Uniform Guidance. Views of Responsible Official: The reconciliations of retirement board accounts were handled through a third party prior to January 2024. There have been delays in obtaining the files from the third party. With the hiring of the new director in January 2024, the reconciliations are now performed in the Retirement office, by the retirement staff. We anticipate that the records will be available upon request in the future.

Categories

Subrecipient Monitoring Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Procurement, Suspension & Debarment Cash Management Significant Deficiency

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1206539 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206540 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206541 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206542 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206543 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206544 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206545 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206546 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206547 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206548 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206549 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206550 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206551 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206552 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206553 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206554 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206555 2024-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206556 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206557 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206558 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206559 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206560 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206561 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206562 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206563 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206564 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206565 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206566 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206567 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206568 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206569 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206570 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206571 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206572 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1206573 2024-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $3.50M
10.555 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM $640,218
84.010 TITLE I GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES $220,042
16.710 PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERSHIP AND COMMUNITY POLICING GRANTS $148,183
10.553 SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM $144,140
97.044 ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT $111,836
93.069 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS $99,035
84.027 SPECIAL EDUCATION GRANTS TO STATES $37,096
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $24,964
16.004 LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE NARCOTICS AND DANGEROUS DRUGS TRAINING $21,337
93.421 STRENGTHENING PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS AND SERVICES THROUGH NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE AND PROTECT THE NATION’S HEALTH $15,665
84.424 STUDENT SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAM $14,772
84.425 COVID-19 EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND $11,217
81.086 CONSERVATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT $10,880
97.042 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS $9,260
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION STATE GRANTS (FORMERLY IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS) $5,459
16.607 BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM $5,450
93.103 FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH $4,058
84.173 SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL GRANTS $2,280
84.365 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION STATE GRANTS $2,222
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $637