Finding 524684 (2024-002)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-02-27

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Internal controls for cost compliance are lacking, as 43 out of 77 transactions did not match the cost allocation plan.
  • Impacted Requirements: Section 200 of the Code of Federal Regulations mandates accurate cost allocation for all grant transactions.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should verify that amounts charged to grants align with the approved cost allocation percentages.

Finding Text

Criteria: Section 200 of the Code of Federal Regulations requires recipients to implement robust internal controls to ensure compliance with cost principles for all transactions charged to the grant. Condition: During allowable cost testing for federal grants, for 43 out of 77 transactions tested, the amount charged to the grant did not agree to the cost allocation plan. Cause: Funding percentages in the accounting system did not match the cost allocation plan. Effect: The cumulative effect of the exceptions noted during testing resulted in the grants being undercharged by the Organization. Questioned Costs: None Recommendation: Management should ensure amount charged to the grants agree to the approved percentage per the cost allocation plan.

Corrective Action Plan

Management Response: The variance from the cost allocation is related to rounding errors as a result of the sum of the allocation percentages adding up to slightly over 100 percent. This is due to rounding errors when utilizing formula functions within Microsoft Excel. Additionally, when applying the allocation percentages to a shared expenses, the resulting amounts do not always add up to the exact amount of the expenses. Typically, the resulting cautions produce an error within less than $5 and/or less than 1% of the total expense. TXAEYC staff manually adjust the allocated expenses to add up to the total expense. To remedy this from happening in the future, if any rounding issues produce a difference in the total expenses allocated, the difference will be allocated to the organization’s operating expense class rather than a class associated with a government grant. The following language will be added to the TXAEYC Accounting Manual: “Allocations percentages should be rounded to two decimal places (example 3.21%). If the total of percentages does not fully equal 100 percent, the difference should be added to the allocation percentage assigned to TXAEYC operating expenses. If the sum exceeds 100 percent, an equal amount should be attempted to be subtracted from each class associated with a government grant and added to the allocation percentage assigned to TXAEYC operating expenses. When applying the indirect cost allocations, if the total of the allocations when summed do not equal the total expense amount, the difference should be added to the allocations to TXAEYC operating expenses.” Parties Responsible and Timeline Updates to the Accounting Manual will be approved by TXAEYC’s Finance Committee and Governing board by April 30, 2025.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 524683 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 524685 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 524686 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 524687 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 524688 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 524689 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 524690 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101125 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101126 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101127 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101128 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101129 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101130 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101131 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 1101132 2024-002
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
84.371 Comprehensive Literacy Development $887,595
93.575 Child Care and Development Block Grant $662,283
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $62,058