Finding Text
THIS FINDING IS: New FINDING TYPE: Internal Control DEFICIENCY TYPE: Significant Deficiency Federal Program Name and Year: Child Nutrition Cluster - 2022 Project No.: 21 & 22-4210 & 4220 AL No.: 10.553 & 10.555 Passed Through: Illinois State Board of Education Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Education Criteria or specific requirement (including statutory, regulatory, or other citation): The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 2, part 180.220 states that non-Federal entities are prohibited from contracting with or making sub-awards under covered transactions to parties that are suspended or debarred. Condition: The District did not include the necessary suspension and debarment language required for Child Nutrition Cluster related contractors with bids in excess of $25,000. Upon further review, it was determined that the vendors were not suspended or debarred. Questioned Costs: None Context: The District did not include proper bidding documentation to verify that selected vendors were not suspended or debarred. Effect: Noncompliance with the federal award program's suspension and debarment compliance requirements could occur and not be detected and corrected timely. Cause: Proper bidding documentation is not in place to verify if vendors contracted in excess of $25,000 related to the Child Nutrition Cluster program are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business. Recommendation: Procedures need to be implemented to ensure all vendors contracted with have the required suspension and debarment language will be included in the initial bidding documentation, prior to procuring their services. Management's response: There is no disagreement with this finding and procedures will be implemented to ensure all vendors contracted with have not been suspended or debarred or otherwise excluded from doing business, prior to procuring their services. Bidding documentation will include required suspension and debarment language.