Finding Text
Finding No. 2025-001 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Federal Program Title: VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families Federal Assistance Listing Number: 64.033 Compliance Requirement: Activities allowed or unallowed Statement of condition During the year, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs performed a review of program expenditures. During their review, it was noted certain expenditures were inaccurately charged to the program and other expenditures lack sufficient supporting documentation. As a result, we determined the Organization’s controls in place over activities allowed and unallowed and allowable costs were not adequately designed and implemented. Criteria The Organization is required to have internal controls and procedures in place in order to support all expenditures made or each federal program. Expenses must be eligible per the Organization's approved federal program budget and within budget limitations. Cause The Organization made a change in policy during the audit year that impacted expenditures charged to the approved program budget. Management also did not have sufficient documentation to support certain expenditures made under the federal program. Effect The Organization’s failure to follow the programs approved budget requirements listed in the federal program guide increases the risk of inaccurate, unallowable, or wrongly allocated expenses charged to the federal program, which may result in questioned costs and potential reduction or loss of future funding due to non-compliance. Recommendation We recommend that management re-evaluate its policies and procedures to ensure an appropriate member of management is in place to review all expenditures charged to federal awards, as well obtaining the approval of the federal agency when changes are made that would impact funding and or amounts charged to the federal program. Identification of repeat finding The finding is not a repeat finding. Questioned costs N/A Finding resolution status Resolved Reporting views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions The Organization acknowledges the finding and concurs that the conditions represent areas in need to strengthening to reduce the risk of inaccurate, unallowable, or wrongly allocated expenses charged to the federal program and improve its controls and procedures to ensure that documentation is complete, accurate, and all expenditures are with the federal program guidelines. Management is committed to enhancing and strengthening its controls over compliance and has added additional approvals and oversight when charging expenses to federal programs.