Finding 1223570 (2024-003)

Finding 2024-003 Internal Control and Compliance over Subrecipient Monitoring (Material Weakness) Information on the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number(s): 17.258, 17.259, 17.278 Federal Program Name: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Labor Pass-Through Entity: California Employment Development Department Federal Award Number and Award Year: AA211008/AA311008/AA411008/AA411009/AA411010 Criteria: Title 2 - Grants and Agreements. Subtitle A - Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements. Chapter II - Office of Management and Budget Guidance. Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements. Standards for Financial and Program Management. §200.303 Internal controls (2 CFR 200.303): The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Title 2: Grants and Agreements, Subtitle A - Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements, Chapter II - Office of Management and Budget Guidance, Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements, Subrecipient Monitoring and Management, §200.331 Requirements for pass-through entities (2 CFR 200.331): All pass-through entities must: (a) Ensure that every subaward is clearly identified to the subrecipient as a subaward and includes the following information at the time of the subaward and if any of these data elements change, include the changes in subsequent subaward modification. When some of this information is not available, the pass-through entity must provide the best information available to describe the Federal award and subaward. Required information includes: (1) Federal award identification i. Subrecipient name (which must match the name associated with its unique entity identifier); ii. Subrecipient's unique entity identifier; iii. Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN); iv. Federal Award Date (see the definition of Federal award date in § 200.1 of this part) of award to the recipient by the Federal agency; v. Subaward Period of Performance Start and End Date; vi. Subaward Budget Period Start and End Date; vii. Amount of Federal Funds Obligated by this action by the pass-through entity to the subrecipient; viii. Total Amount of Federal Funds Obligated to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity including the current financial obligation; ix. Total Amount of the Federal Award committed to the subrecipient by the pass-through entity; x. Federal award project description, as required to be responsive to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA); xi. Name of Federal awarding agency, pass-through entity, and contact information for awarding official of the Pass-through entity; xii. Assistance Listings number and Title; the pass-through entity must identify the dollar amount made available under each Federal award and the Assistance Listings Number at time of disbursement; xiii. Identification of whether the award is R&D; and xiv. Indirect cost rate for the Federal award (including if the de minimis rate is charged) per § 200.414.; (1) All requirements imposed by the pass-through entity on the subrecipient so that the Federal award is used in accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the Federal award; (2) Any additional requirements that the pass-through entity imposes on the subrecipient in order for the pass-through entity to meet its own responsibility to the Federal awarding agency including identification of any required financial and performance reports; Title 2: Grants and Agreements, Subtitle A - Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements, Chapter II - Office of Management and Budget Guidance, Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements, Subrecipient Monitoring and Management, §200.332 Requirements for pass-through entities (2 CFR 200.332): All pass-through entities must: (a) Evaluate each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which may include consideration of such factors as: (1) The subrecipient's prior experience with the same or similar subawards; (2) The results of previous audits including whether or not the subrecipient receives a Single Audit in accordance with Subpart F of this part, and the extent to which the same or similar subaward has been audited as a major program; (3) Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and (4) The extent and results of Federal awarding agency monitoring (e.g., if the subrecipient also receives Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency). Condition: During our testing of the Imperial County Workforce Development Office’s (ICWDO) provisions for subrecipient monitoring under the WIOA Cluster, we noted two (2) of the two (2) subrecipient selected for testing, there was no review or approval over the monitoring procedures performed by ICWDO monitoring staff. The entire population consisted of two (2) subrecipients. Also, the County did not document their evaluation of the subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance. The following information was not provided at the time of the subaward for two (2) of the two (2) subawards selected for testing: o Federal award identification number o Federal award date of award to recipient by the Federal agency o Name of federal awarding agency o Federal Financial Assistance Listing/CFDA Number o Identification of whether the award is research and development Cause: The County’s ICWDO department does not have a formal procedure in place for the department’s review and approval over the monitoring procedures performed by the department over its subrecipients. The ICWDO department did not ensure that the required award information and applicable requirements were communicated to the subrecipients and did not maintain documentation of their evaluation of each subrecipient’s risk of noncompliance. Effect: The County’s ICWDO department did not review and approve monitoring procedures performed over its subrecipients. Additionally, the ICWDO department did not maintain policies and procedures to align with the Subrecipient Monitoring requirements in 2 CFR 200.332 (a) and 200.332(b). Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: Yes. See Finding 2023-004. Questioned Costs: No questioned costs were identified. Recommendation: We recommend ICWDO implement policies and procedures in accordance with 2 CFR 200.331(a) 200.332(b) to ensure compliance with subrecipient monitoring requirements and that require the review and approval of the monitoring procedures performed over its subrecipients by a separate individual. View of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Action: See separate Corrective Action Plan.