Finding 622627 (2022-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-01-29

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: There is a material weakness in internal controls over compliance, leading to potential disallowed costs for federal awards.
  • Impacted Requirements: Procedures for allowable costs and documentation standards under 2 CFR 200.303(a) and 2 CFR 200.430(i) were not effectively followed.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should review and enhance procedures for timecard tracking and federal grant expenditure oversight to ensure compliance.

Finding Text

2022-003 Department of Health and Human Services FFLA #93.087, 90CU0090, 9/30/2020 ? 9/29/2022; 90CU0095, 9/30/2018 ? 9/29/2023 Enhance Safety of Children Affected by Substance Abuse Activities Allowed and Allowable Costs Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance Criteria: The Center is required to have procedures in place to ensure that federal awards are expended only for allowable costs in accordance with Subpart E ? Cost Principles of the Uniform Guidance. Allowable costs are supported by appropriate documentation and correctly charged as to account, amount, and period. 2 CFR 200.303(a) establishes that the auditee must establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides assurance that the entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. 2 CFR 200.430(i) establishes the standards for documentation of personnel expenses including charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages. Charges must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed with the records meeting the following standards: a) Be supported by a system of internal control which provides reasonable assurance that the charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. b) Be incorporated into the office records of the non-Federal entity. c) Reasonably reflect the total activity for which the employee is compensated by the non-Federal entity, not exceeding 100% of compensated activities. d) Encompass both federally assisted and all other activities compensated by the non-Federal entity on an integrated basis, but may include the use of subsidiary records as defined in the non-Federal entity?s written policy. e) Comply with the established accounting policies and practices of the non-Federal entity. f) Support the distribution of the employee?s salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives. g) Budget estimates alone do not qualify as support for charges to Federal awards, but may be used for interim accounting purposes. Condition: In our sample of expenditures selected for testing, we noted the following items: a) ClickTime timecard, which tracks federal and nonfederal hours for employees, did not properly reflect the employees total federal and nonfederal hours being paid within the payroll register (3 instances). b) Calculation errors for expenses allocated to the grant (4 instances). Cause: Employees did not enter all nonfederal hours within the ClickTime system and the secondary review of the employee ClickTime timecards did not identify the missing hours. In addition, the secondary review of federal grant expenditure tracking spreadsheet did not identify the calculation errors. Effect: The Center?s controls did not detect or correct the errors identified, which results in a reasonable possibility that the Center could submit disallowed costs under the federal awards and would not be able to detect and correct noncompliance in a timely manner. Questioned Costs: None reported. The program was underallocated. Context: A total non-statistical sample of 60 nonpayroll and payroll transactions were tested which accounted for $116,557 out of $870,823 of federal payroll and nonpayroll direct program expenditures. Repeat Finding from Prior Year: Yes, prior year finding 2021-003 Recommendation: We recommend management review the procedures and control processes involving timecards and the federal grant expenditure tracking spreadsheet to ensure compliance with the federal grant. Views of Responsible Officials: Management is in agreement.

Categories

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

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 46185 2022-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 46186 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 46187 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 46188 2022-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 46189 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 46190 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 622628 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 622629 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 622630 2022-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 622631 2022-006
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 622632 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.829 Section 223 Demonstration Programs to Improve Community Mental Health Services $2.53M
93.087 Enhance Safety of Children Affected by Substance Abuse $1.11M
93.958 Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services $410,856
16.575 Crime Victim Assistance $256,793
93.912 Rural Health Care Services Outreach, Rural Health Network Development and Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement $205,789
59.008 Disaster Assistance Loans $150,000
93.243 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services_projects of Regional and National Significance $113,753
93.665 Emergency Grants to Address Mental and Substance Use Disorders During Covid-19 $55,631