Finding 963401 (2023-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
B
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2023
Accepted
2024-03-28

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Organization lacks adequate documentation for payroll allocations, relying on estimates rather than actual time worked.
  • Impacted Requirements: This affects compliance with internal controls for federal awards, making it impossible to verify the accuracy and proper allocation of payroll expenses.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should enforce time tracking for employees on federal grants and improve internal controls to ensure payroll expenses are accurately allocated based on actual work performed.

Finding Text

CRITERIA: The Organization is required to implement a system of internal controls which provides reasonable assurance that charges to federal awards for personnel expenses are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. CONDITION: The Organization does not have adequate documentation to support payroll allocations. CONTEXT: During dual purpose tests of controls and compliance over payroll disbursements, we noted employees do not maintain time sheets to support their activities. Therefore, allocations to grants are based on estimates of time commitment instead of actual work performed. EFFECT: Payroll expenses based on actual work performed cannot be determined, and therefore, the accuracy and proper allocation of costs cannot be verified. CAUSE: The Organization received significant passthrough grants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a substantial increase in federal funding expended within a short period of time. The Organization had limited capacity to implement all requirements included in Uniform Guidance. RECOMMENDATION: We recommend that management require employees working on federal grants to track their time; allocate payroll expenses to federal grants based on actual time incurred; and establish a system of internal controls over payroll expenses to ensure that charges are accurate, allowable, and properly allocated. VIEWS OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS: The Organization concurs with the finding. Additional policies and procedures were implemented during the year ending June 30, 2024 to address this finding. REPEAT FINDING: This finding was reported in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs for the year ended June 30, 2022 as item 2022-01.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Internal Control / Segregation of Duties

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 386959 2023-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 386960 2023-001
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 963402 2023-001
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.575 Child Care and Development Block Grant $1.04M
93.558 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families $100,000
93.434 Every Student Succeeds Act/preschool Development Grants $67,414
93.994 Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States $37,156
93.110 Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs $14,393
93.421 Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services Through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation’s Health $7,825