Finding 1216505 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-06-03
Audit: 402998
Organization: Wild Salmon Center (OR)
Auditor: MCDONALD JACOBS

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: There are significant deficiencies in the review and approval process for costs charged to government grants.
  • Impacted Requirements: Supporting documentation and approval for costs, especially for credit card charges and time sheets, were not consistently maintained.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement stricter reviews for all charged amounts and ensure all time sheets are approved before submission.

Finding Text

Finding # 2025-002 Type: Significant deficiency over allowable costs Assisting Listing Number: 11.463 Federal Agency: Department of Commerce Name of Federal Program: Habitat Conservation Requirement: Costs charged to government grants should have supporting documentation and appropriate review and approval of the amounts charged. Condition: The audit identified several instances where the review and approval control did not operate as intended. Context: Four out of twenty-one invoices tested included immaterial unallowable amounts (3) or could not be substantiated (1). In addition, time sheets for three people out of ten were missing approvals. This appeared to be isolated to August. Cause: The controls as designed did not identify costs that should not have been charged and documented approvals for time sheets were not retained. Effect: Unallowable or inaccurate costs could be charged to grants. Questioned Costs: None. Recommendation: There should be a more rigorous review of all amounts charged to contracts, particularly those involving credit card charges. In addition, there should be a documented control to make sure all time sheets are approved before submission.

Corrective Action Plan

Wild Salmon Center management will require all program staff with federal grant responsibilities or with credit card expense and timesheet approval responsibilities to attend an internal training session which will include training regarding what documentation and approvals are required under government grant guidelines. The Financial Controller will conduct a review of credit card expenses before charging expenses to a government grant and will review that all timesheets have been approved before submission.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Significant Deficiency

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1216503 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216504 2025-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216506 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216507 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216508 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216509 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216510 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216511 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
11.463 HABITAT CONSERVATION $1.75M
10.684 INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY PROGRAMS $140,973
11.473 OFFICE FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT $139,171
11.472 UNALLIED SCIENCE PROGRAM $116,584
11.438 PACIFIC COAST SALMON RECOVERY_PACIFIC SALMON TREATY PROGRAM $112,067
10.683 NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION $69,238
10.729 INFLATION REDUCTION ACT - NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM $50,144