Finding Text
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Program Title: Consolidated Health Centers
Assistance Listing Number: 93.224 and 93.527
Award Period: January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023
Type of Finding: Compliance and Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance
Criteria or specific requirement: § 200.320 Methods of procurement to be followed: The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the approved procurement methods used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award.
Condition: The Organization did not have documentation of multiple quotes for certain capital purchases as stated under their procurement policy.
Questioned costs: None
Cause: In certain circumstances the Organization utilizes a supply chain vendor for equipment and supply acquisitions, however the documentation around multiple quotes was not received and maintained.
Effect: The Organization may inadvertently select vendors without regard to fair competition and cost analysis.
Recommendation: Management should adhere to or revise the Organization’s existing procurement policy and implement a system of processes and internal controls to ensure that the appropriate level of documentation is maintained based on the procurement methodology selected for a transaction of contract.
Views of responsible officials and planned corrective actions: There is no disagreement with the audit finding. Management identified that subsequent to the conclusion of the 2022 audit in May of 2023 procedures were implemented to the procurement process to assure adherence with the Organization’s policy on a go forward basis. The expenditures in question tested for 2023 were spent in the first quarter of 2023 prior to the procedure improvements and therefore caused the repeat finding.