Finding Text
Finding No. 2023-004 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture AL Program: 10.555 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Federal Award No.: 217NMNM3N1174, 227NMNM3N1174, 237NMNM3N1174 Area: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Questioned Costs: $725,425 Criteria: In accordance with 2 CFR Section 200.317, when conducting procurement transactions under a Federal award, a State must follow the same policies and procedures it uses for procurements with non-Federal funds. PSS Procurement Rules and Regulations requires the following: 1. § 60-40-205 Competitive Sealed Bidding: • Public Notice - Adequate public notice of the invitation for bids shall be given a reasonable time prior to the date set forth for the opening of bids. Publication of notice shall be on the Public School website over a continuous period of four weeks shall be deemed to be adequate notice; and • Bid Acceptance and Bid Evaluation - Bids shall be unconditionally accepted without alteration or correction, except as authorized in the chapter. Bids shall be evaluated based on the requirements set forth in the invitation for bids, which may include criteria as necessary to reasonably permit a determination as to the acceptability of the bid for the particular purpose intended. 2. § 60-40-225 Competitive Sealed Proposals: • Condition for Use - When the Commissioner of Education determines in writing upon the advise of the legal counsel that the use of a competitive sealed bidding is either not practical or not advantageous to the Public School System, a contract may be entered into by competitive sealed proposals; • Public Notice - Adequate public notice of the request for proposals shall be given in the same manner as provided for in competitive sealed bids; and • Award - Award shall be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is determined in writing to be most advantageous to the Public School System taking into consideration price and the evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals. The award cannot be made less than five business days after the issuance of a notice of intent to award pursuant to subsection (g). No other factors or criteria shall be used in the evaluation and the contract file shall contain the basis on which the award is made. 3. § 60-40-560 Authority to Debar or Suspend • After reasonable notice to the person involved and reasonable opportunity for the person to be heard under the Administrative Procedure Act [1 CMC §§ 9101, et seq.], the Commissioner of Education after consultation with the Public School System legal counsel, shall have authority to debar a person for cause from consideration for award of contracts; and • The debarment shall not be for a period of more than three years. The Commissioner of Education, after consultation with Public School System legal counsel, shall have authority to suspend a person from consideration for award of contracts if there is probable cause for debarment. The suspension shall not be for a period exceeding three months. 4. In accordance with 2 CFR §180.220 and §180.300, entities that enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier for a contract amount that is expected to equal or exceed $25,000, entities must verify that the person with whom they intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified by: (a) Checking SAM.gov Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Condition: 1. Of twenty-one expenditures tested, aggregating $711,947 of a total population of $17,350,718 in nonpayroll expenditures subject to procurement, the following were noted: a. For one (or 5%), the selected vendor for contract number 00182076-OC was the third lowest bidder, for which documentation of the selection justification, was not provided. b. For one (or 5%), for contract number 00182076-OC only two public announcements of the invitation for bids were provided. No questioned costs are presented as the amount is questioned at Condition 1a. 2. PSS does not verify whether a person or a vendor is not excluded or disqualified pursuant to 2 CFR §180.220 and §180.300, prior to entering into a covered transaction for an amount equal to or exceeds $25,000 with award funds. Cause: 1. Inadequate documentation and inadequate systematic filing of relevant documentation supporting program costs; and 2. Lack of monitoring control procedures to ensure verification as to whether a person or a vendor is not excluded or disqualified pursuant to 2 CFR §180.220 and §180.300 are performed, prior to entering into a covered transaction. Effect or potential effect: PSS is in noncompliance with applicable procurement and suspension and debarment regulations and questioned costs of $725,425 result for Conditions 1a and 2. Identification as Repeat Finding: Finding No. 2022-012 Recommendation: 1. Establish and maintain effective systematic filing of relevant documentation to support program costs and for easier retrieval; and 2. Establish and implement effective monitoring controls over the verification of excluded or disqualified persons or vendors pursuant to 2 CFR §180.220 and §180.300, prior to PSS entering into a covered transaction. Views of Auditee and Corrective Action Plan: PSS concurs with the findings. Refer to PSS’ Corrective Action Plan for additional information.