Finding Text
Criteria:
Reporting requirements are identified in Part III, Grant Management Terms and Conditions, of the award agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration. The Grantee will submit one completed progress report quarterly (totaling four annually) in the form/format provided by FRA. Additionally, the Grantee will submit the Federal Financial Report (Standard Form 425) on the same schedule as the required quarterly progress report. Finally, the Grantee will comply with the provisions of the Federal Funding Transparency and Accountability Act of 2006.
Condition/Context:
During our testing of internal controls over reporting, we noted the quarterly progress report and federal financial reports are prepared by the Project Grant Administrator, however there was no separate reviewer. Additionally, for the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, the submission is no later than the last day of the month following the month in which the subaward/subaward amendment obligation was made. The award was obligated in May 2021; however, the submission did not occur until November 2023, therefore it did not occur timely.
Effect:
As there was no secondary review of quarterly reports, errors in reporting could go undetected.
Cause:
Management had not established a proper system of internal control over grant reporting to prevent and detect errors in reporting.
Identification as a Repeat Finding:
N/A
Recommendation:
We recommend that the quarterly reporting be prepared and reviewed by two separate individuals for proper segregation of duties. Additionally, we recommend that the Authority track reporting requirements and deadlines to ensure timely submission.
Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions:
Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.