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Finding No. 2022-004 Allowable Costs/Cost Principles for Payroll Federal Program ALN 93.556 Promoting Safe and Stable Families Name of Federal Agency U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pass-through Entity The Families and Children Administration of the Department of Family of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Category Significant deficiency of internal controls over compliance Criteria Section 200.405 of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) indicates that a cost is allocable to a particular federal award if the goods or services involved are chargeable or assignable to that federal award or cost objective in accordance with relative benefits received. This standard is met, among other things, if the cost charged is incurred specifically for the federal award. Also, under cost principles established by 2 CFR Section 200.430, charges to federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed. These records must be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable and properly allocated and be incorporated into the official records of the non-Federal entity. Condition found For the period that covers October 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022, two employees approved time and attendance reports did not agree with what was reflected within the payroll system and therefore petitioned to the federal program. Time charged to the federal program was not based on actual hours. Cause Resignation of the personnel in charge of reconciling expenses to amounts charged to expense and billed to the program and a significant delay in replacing the personnel to continue the process of reconciliation on a timely basis. Effect The amount charged to the federal program and paid to the employees exceeded compensation contracted with the employees. If the compensation costs allocated to the grant cannot be supported in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, the granting agency could determine that these costs are not allowable. Such condition may cause the federal grantor to issue warnings and/or impose penalties to the University. Questioned cost Known questioned cost amounts to $1,934. Context As part of our compliance tests with allowable costs and cost principles, we selected forty-three (43) expense transactions of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program amounting to $760,673, of which ten (10) items amounting to $51,998 were related to payroll paid under the program. Our test disclosed two (2) instances where the employee's hours worked on the program differed from the amount charged for the period examined. Amount petitioned to the program for the period under evaluation between the two employees amounted to $16,107. The actual amount per approved time sheets amounted to $14,173, leaving a difference of $1,934 between the two employees. The payroll population for the test amounted to $930,169. The projected difference amounts to $34,596 when known questioned costs of $1,934 (3.72% of the payroll sample) are projected to total payroll and benefits expended for the program. Identification of a repeat finding This is a repeat finding from the inmediate previous audit, finding no. 2021-007. Recommendation The University's program staff and management should ensure that the amounts charged to the federal award and disbursed to the employees are accurate and under the correct contract rates. Monthly reconciliation of all expenses, including of salaries charged to program versus actual hours incurred must be timely performed. Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions The University?s management agrees with this finding. Please refer to the corrective action plan on pages 58-61.