Finding 1224598 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
N
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-07-24
Audit: 407848
Organization: Dakota County (MN)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The County lacks a documented review process to confirm that LCTS fiscal site contacts are properly trained.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations § 200.303, which mandates effective internal controls over federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The County should establish and document a formal control process to ensure all required training is completed and records are maintained.

Finding Text

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Name: Medical Assistance Assistance Listing Numbers: 93.778 Federal Award Identification Numbers and Years: 2505MN5ADM - 2025 Passed Through Entity: Minnesota Department of Human Services Pass Through Numbers: H55245048 Compliance Requirement: Special Provisions Award Period: 2025 Type of Finding: Material Weakness in Internal Control Over Compliance Criteria or specific requirement: Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations § 200.303 states that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the auditee is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. The County and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) have a contract surrounding the federal funds. This contract has several obligations and reporting requirements the County must follow including the requirement the county must work with its collaborative partners to ensure that the LCTS coordinators and staff sampled by the LCTS have completed training approved by the State in the LCTS. Condition: The County was unable to provide a documented formal review process to ensure that LCTS fiscal site contacts were trained on completing cost schedules. Questioned costs: None Context: The County did not provide the documentation of the review over the noted requirement. Cause: The County did not maintain a record of their review process. Also, there has been fewer resources provided in recent years from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to help meet the specific training requirements of LCTS fiscal site contacts completing cost schedule reports. Effect: There is no way to verify the review process was completed and completed timely. Repeat finding: 2024-003 Recommendation: We recommend that the County reviews its polices and controls to ensure there is a formally documented control that ensures all required training of LCTS fiscal site contacts is completed and the documentation of the completions of the training is retained. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the finding.

Corrective Action Plan

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Program Name: Medical Assistance Assistance Listing Numbers: 93.778 Federal Award Identification Numbers and Years: 2505MN5ADM – 2025 Passed Through Entity: Minnesota Department of Human Services Pass Through Number: H55255048 Compliance Requirement: Special Provisions Award Period: 2025 Recommendation: We recommend that the County reviews its polices and controls to ensure there is a formally documented control that ensures all required training of LCTS fiscal site contacts is completed and the documentation of the completions of the training is retained. Explanation of disagreement with audit finding: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Action planned in response to finding: The County will share the Minnesota DHS previously recorded “LCTS Fiscal & Cost Schedule” training video with all new Fiscal Site Contacts that prepare cost schedules. County staff will then follow-up with the new Fiscal Site Contacts with a brief quiz to ensure they watched the training video and know how to capture only applicable costs in the cost schedule reports. Then, the LCTS Training Verification Form will be completed, signed by the applicable parties, and emailed to the LCTS Project Manager at Minnesota DHS. The communications sharing the training video, responses to the brief quiz, and LCTS Training Verification Form will be maintained as documentation of the completion of the required trainings. Name of the contact person responsible for corrective action: Lucas Chase, Audit Manager Planned completion date for corrective action plan: December 31, 2026

Categories

Material Weakness Reporting Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Special Tests & Provisions

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1224594 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1224595 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1224596 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1224597 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1224599 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.778 GRANTS TO STATES FOR MEDICAID $18.05M
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $5.97M
93.558 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES $2.91M
93.563 CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES $2.15M
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $1.92M
93.870 MATERNAL, INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING GRANT $1.65M
10.557 WIC SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN $1.56M
10.561 STATE ADMINISTRATIVE MATCHING GRANTS FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $928,320
93.575 CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT $903,268
93.658 FOSTER CARE TITLE IV-E $758,616
97.067 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM $585,747
93.069 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS $340,698
93.967 CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMIA TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC HEALTH $328,726
14.267 CONTINUUM OF CARE PROGRAM $310,130
93.994 MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK GRANT TO THE STATES $304,690
17.278 WIOA DISLOCATED WORKER FORMULA GRANTS $288,278
14.239 HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM $284,035
97.042 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS $264,000
93.667 SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT $259,231
93.323 EPIDEMIOLOGY AND LABORATORY CAPACITY FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES (ELC) $221,859
14.231 EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT PROGRAM $184,888
17.258 WIOA ADULT PROGRAM $182,384
16.585 TREATMENT COURT DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM $145,235
95.001 HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS PROGRAM $125,237
93.116 PROJECT GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL PROGRAMS $100,000
20.205 HIGHWAY PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION $89,218
17.259 WIOA YOUTH ACTIVITIES $77,100
93.590 COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION GRANTS $68,017
93.556 MARYLEE ALLEN PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM $52,085
93.472 TITLE IV-E PREVENTION PROGRAM $50,181
16.579 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL FORMULA GRANT PROGRAM $48,000
93.659 ADOPTION ASSISTANCE $46,821
16.575 CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE $44,250
20.513 ENHANCED MOBILITY OF SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES $43,500
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $33,595
93.645 STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES CHILD WELFARE SERVICES PROGRAM $24,546
93.008 MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS SMALL GRANT PROGRAM $17,180
93.566 REFUGEE AND ENTRANT ASSISTANCE STATE/REPLACEMENT DESIGNEE ADMINISTERED PROGRAMS $14,871
93.674 JOHN H. CHAFEE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD $12,199
93.268 IMMUNIZATION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS $11,825
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $8,386
93.251 EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION $6,550
10.572 WIC FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM (FMNP) $5,600
20.608 MINIMUM PENALTIES FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED $4,434
93.070 ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE $1,838
10.578 WIC GRANTS TO STATES (WGS) $1,314
16.543 MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE $1,070