Finding 564409 (2024-001)

Significant Deficiency Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2025-06-11
Audit: 358517
Auditor: Sterle & CO LTD

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: There is a significant deficiency due to a lack of segregation of duties in financial processes.
  • Impacted Requirements: Effective control systems require division of accounting duties to prevent errors or fraud.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: The governing board should enhance oversight, and management must ensure proper supervision of accounting functions.

Finding Text

Lack of segregation of duties - Significant Deficiency Condition: Lack of segregation of duties over financial processes. Criteria: For an effective control system, division of accounting duties should exeist to prevent errors or misappropriations from going undetected in the course of employees performing their assigned duties. Context: The lack of segregation of duties exists within the Center as a whole over its accounting and reporting functions. This is a common cirucumstance in nonprofit organizations of simliar size. Effect: Errors or misappropriations could occur and go undetected for a period of time. Questioned Costs: Not applicable Cause: Limited number of staff available to appropriately divide duties. Recommendation: The Center's governing board shoud be cognizant of the issue and provide appropriate oversight. Management should provide reasonable oversight to accounting functions including accounts payable disbursements, reconciliations, and reporting including jounal entry preparation. Views of Responsible Officials and Corrective Actions: The Center agrees with the recommendations.

Corrective Action Plan

The Center agrees with the recommendations. The Center recognizes this deficiency due to the size of the financial department and limited resources to adequately divide duties or hire enough additional staff to completely segregate duties. The Center hired an account payable staff to the team in December 2021 to assist with work load and help create better division of duties. The Center also hired a part time employee from August 2023-2024 to assist wtih financial preparation. In may 2024 Northland hired an additional part-time employee to assist with billing data analysis. A new part-time accountant was hired in February 2025 to assist with accounting and financial functions. This is an ongoing process.

Categories

Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Reporting Significant Deficiency

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1140851 2024-001
    Significant Deficiency Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.696 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grants $1.04M