Finding 1229563 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-09-11
Audit: 410858
Organization: The Contingent (OR)
Auditor: MCDONALD JACOBS

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Payroll entries were approved before work was completed, leading to potential inaccuracies in federal grant charges.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with 2 CFR 200.430, which mandates accurate records for salary and wage charges to federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement corrective measures in the timekeeping system and train staff to ensure timely and accurate payroll approvals.

Finding Text

Finding # 2025-001 Type: Material weakness Type: Immaterial noncompliance Assistance Listing Number: Department of Health and Human Services 93.658 Foster Care Title IV-E Requirement: Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. Such records must meet the standards as specified in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E Cost Principles §200.430. Condition: Certain entries in the payroll system were entered, reviewed, and approved before the work had been performed. Context: Total payroll charged before the work was performed was approximately $18,200 of the $773,000 total federal expenditures for the year. Cause: The new time keeping system was not implemented correctly. Effect: Payroll costs charged to the grant may not be accurate. Questioned Costs: Approximately $18,200 (extrapolated $34,400) Recommendation: We recommend management use the time tracking system to track all and exact time worked on government grants and programs. In addition, management should ensure that the timecards submitted by staff are reviewed and approved timely after the work is performed. Management’s Response: Management will reconfigure the system to require after-the-fact entry of actual hours worked and to restrict advance entry and approval, reinforce supervisory review procedures to ensure timely and accurate approval of timecards, and provide training to employees and supervisors on federal timekeeping requirements under 2 CFR 200.430. These actions will strengthen internal controls and ensure payroll costs charged to federal awards accurately reflect work performed going forward.

Corrective Action Plan

Management will reconfigure the system to require after-the-fact entry of actual hours worked and to restrict advance entry and approval, reinforce supervisory review procedures to ensure timely and accurate approval of timecards, and provide training to employees and supervisors on federal timekeeping requirements under 2 CFR 200.430. These actions will strengthen internal controls and ensure payroll costs charged to federal awards accurately reflect work performed going forward.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Student Financial Aid Material Weakness

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.658 FOSTER CARE_TITLE IV-E $815,934
93.670 CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT DISCRETIONARY ACTIVITIES $609,840
17.258 WIA ADULT PROGRAM $10,636