Finding 615349 (2022-002)

Material Weakness
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-07-25

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: CSC failed to comply with grant requirements, including background checks for personnel and proper documentation of expenses.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with 2 CFR 200.303 and 200.430 regarding internal controls and allowable costs.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: CSC should enhance background check processes, improve documentation for expenses, and strengthen internal controls to meet federal regulations.

Finding Text

Finding Number: Prior Year Finding Number:N/A Compliance Requirement:Allowable Costs/Cost Principles Program:CSLRF Pass through Entity: Office of Out of School Times Grant and Youth Outcomes and NAARC - Safe Passage Safe Blocks CFDA #:21.027 Award #:SY2021-22-SPSB-008-CSC: Award Year:10/01/2021-09/30/2022 Criteria: The Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR Section 200.303, Internal Controls, requires that non-federal entities receiving Federal awards (i.e., auditee management) establish and maintain internal control designed to reasonably ensure compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. In addition, 2 CFR 200.430 ? Factors Affecting Allowability of Costs - Except where otherwise authorized by statute, costs must meet the following general criteria in order to be allowable under Federal awards: (a)Be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and be allocable thereto under these principles.(b) Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in these principles or in the Federal award as to types or amount of cost items.(c) Be consistent with policies and procedures that apply uniformly to both federally financed and other activities of the non-Federal entity. (d) Be accorded consistent treatment. A cost may not be assigned to a federal award as a direct cost if any other incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances has been allocated to the Federal award as an indirect cost.(e) Be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), except, for state and local governments and Indian tribes only, as otherwise provided for in this part. (f) Not included as a cost or used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements of any other federally financed program in either the current or a prior period. (g)Be adequately documented. (h)Cost must be incurred during the approved budget period. The Federal awarding agency is authorized, at its discretion, to waive prior written approvals to carry forward unobligated balances to subsequent budget periods pursuant to ?200.308(e)(3). Condition: We sampled 40 payroll expense transactions and noted the following: ? 17 payroll transactions did not satisfy the prohibited felony background requirements as specified in the Safe Passage Safe Block grant agreement for personnel hired under this award. ? 14 payroll transactions from the Safe Passage Safe Block award did not show evidence of clearance by the D.C. Child and Family Services Child Protection Registry (CPR) and four (4) transactions did not show evidence of Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Background Check as a condition for employment. ? CSC received four (4) separate awards funded under this CFDA number. Two of the four awards were funded under the Safe Passage Safe Blocks program and CSC failed to provide the detail expenses of $212,866 to support federal revenues received from one of the grantors. Questioned Costs:$242,698 Context: This is a condition identified per review of CSC?s compliance with the specified requirements using a statistically valid sample. The known amount of the payroll transactions totaled $29,832 and the total of the pass-through award without detail expenses amounted to $212,866. Effect:CSC is not in compliance with the stated provisions of the grant awards. Failure to properly review and support expenses can result in noncompliance with laws and regulations along with loss of funding. Cause:CSC did not appear to have adequate policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance with the required stipulations regarding background and other checks and ensuring that expenses exist prior to funds being reimbursed. Recommendation:We recommend that CSC ensure that personnel hired under the grant meet all the background and other checks within the stipulated time frame outlined in the grant agreement. We recommend that CSC strengthen its processes with respect to setting up and charging expenditures between various grant awards. We also recommend that CSC improve internal controls to ensure adherence to Federal regulations related to the fiscal and administrative requirements for expending and accounting for expenses incurred and reported.

Categories

Questioned Costs Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 38904 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 38905 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 38906 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 38907 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 615346 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency
  • 615347 2022-002
    Material Weakness
  • 615348 2022-001
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.667 Social Services Block Grant $673,121
16.318 Children Exposed to Violence $251,686
21.027 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds $212,866
93.569 Community Services Block Grant $113,685
16.123 Community-Based Violence Prevention Program $81,281
84.425 Education Stabilization Fund $51,627
93.590 Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Grants $50,000