Finding 395030 (2023-004)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-04-29
Audit: 304969

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The organization failed to comply with allowable cost documentation requirements, leading to questioned costs of $10,790.
  • Impacted Requirements: Costs must be reasonable, necessary, properly documented, and approved as per 45 CFR 1630.
  • Recommended Follow-up: Strengthen disbursement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with documentation and approval requirements.

Finding Text

Finding 2023-004 – Allowable Costs (Material Weakness and Non-compliance) Information on the Federal Program: Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant, Award No. 09.610020 Criteria: 45 CFR 1630 requires that costs are incurred, reasonable and necessary, allocable to the grant, adequately documented, and consistent with accounting policies and procedures. Condition/Context: We selected 50 disbursements for testing. Of those 50, 25 were for payroll and 25 were non-payroll disbursements. Of the 25 payroll items, 2 employees did not have an approved pay rate. Of the 25 non-payroll disbursements, 2 did not have proper supporting documentation such as an invoice and 8 were not properly approved for payment. Cause: Expenses allocated to the LSC grant were not properly supported and approved. Effect: The Organization did not comply with allowable cost documentation requirements. Questioned costs: $10,790 Recommendation: We recommend the Organization strengthen its policies and procedures surrounding the disbursement process to ensure the Organization is in compliance with all required documentation and disclosure requirements.Views of Responsible Officials: See Management’s View and Corrective Action Plan included at the end of the report.

Corrective Action Plan

This finding is related to activities in our Legal Services Basic Field Grant. In reviewing the testing for this finding, the majority of the exceptions were related to either finding #2 above or were related to the process in place prior to May 2023. Again, in May 2023 FRLS added an electronic transaction approval process via teams, that documents approvals for all our AP, AR and other transactions initiated by our accounting staff. These are reviewed and approved by the CFO before being posted into the GL. The CFO will undertake a review of this process to ensure that we are in compliance with allowable cost documentation requirements. This review will be completed within the next 90 days.

Categories

Questioned Costs Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Material Weakness

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 395031 2023-005
    Material Weakness
  • 395032 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 395033 2023-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 395034 2023-008
    Significant Deficiency
  • 395035 2023-009
    - Repeat
  • 971472 2023-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 971473 2023-005
    Material Weakness
  • 971474 2023-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 971475 2023-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 971476 2023-008
    Significant Deficiency
  • 971477 2023-009
    - Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
09.020 Legal Services Corporation $7.18M
16.575 Crime Victim Assistance $1.52M
21.008 Low Income Taxpayer Clinics $142,805
21.023 Emergency Rental Assistance Program $85,587
12.599 Congressionally Directed Assistance $62,378
14.231 Emergency Solutions Grant Program $47,405
14.218 Community Development Block Grants/entitlement Grants $13,052
93.052 National Family Caregiver Support, Title Iii, Part E $5,859
93.044 Special Programs for the Aging_title Iii, Part B_grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers $1,473