FINDING 2022-002 Subject: Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of Transportation Federal Program: Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program Assistance Listings Number: 20.509 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 1804006O, 1803906O Pass-Through Entity: Indiana Department of Transportation Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context Procurement Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for property or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less for when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds. Micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. The City obtained price or rate quotes for all three vendors tested that were less than the simplified acquisition threshold of $150,000, but exceeded the $10,000 micro-purchase threshold. However, the City did not obtain a contract for one vendor as required by Indiana Code for purchases between $50,000 and $150,000. Suspension and Debarment Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with the Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program award funds (program funds), recipients are required to verify that such contracts and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to contracts for goods and services awarded under procurement and non-procurement transactions (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAMs Exclusions, collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Four covered transactions for goods or services that equaled or exceeded $25,000 paid from program funds during the audit period were identified. All four transactions, totaling $153,753, were examined to determine whether the City verified the suspension and debarment status of each vendor prior to payment. The City's procedures were as follows: ? The City Controller searches the SAM website for vendors the City has entered into a covered transaction with over $25,000 or more and prints out the results. ? The City Controller signs the results and the Transportation Director reviews and signs the results. ? In addition, a debarment and suspension certification from the prospective third-party contractor will be collected or a clause included in the third-party contract regarding disclosures, which are reviewed and approved by the City of Marion Board of Public Works and Safety. However, for three of the four transactions, the City did not follow its procedures as outlined and thus did not verify the vendors' suspension and debarment status prior to payment. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Indiana Code 5-22-8-3 states in part: "(a) This section applies only if the purchasing agent expects the purchase to be: (1) at least fifty thousand dollars ($50,000); and (2) not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000). . . . (d) If the purchasing agent receives a satisfactory quote, the purchasing agent shall award a contract to the lowest responsible and responsive offeror for each line or class of supplies required. . . ." 2 CFR 180.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking SAM Exclusions; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause A proper system of internal controls was not designed by management of the City. Embedded within a properly designed and implemented internal control system should be internal controls consisting of policies and procedures. Policies reflect the City's management statements of what should be done to effect internal controls, and procedures should consist of actions that would implement these policies. Effect Without the proper implementation of an effectively designed system of internal controls, the internal control system cannot be capable of effectively preventing, or detecting and correcting, material noncompliance. As a result, contracts were not entered into for purchases in excess of $50,000 but below $150,000, and vendors to whom payments equal to or in excess of $25,000 were not verified to be not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions or the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that management of the City establish a proper system of internal controls and develop policies and procedures to ensure that contracts are entered into when the value of the procurement is in excess of $50,000, and that contractors and subrecipients, as appropriate, are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded prior to entering into any contracts or subawards. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.