Finding 969716 (2022-004)

Type of Finding: Significant Deficiency in Internal Control over Compliance and Compliance Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Defense Federal Program Name: Natural Resource Survey and Habitat Enhancement Assistance Listing Number: 12.005 Federal Award Identification Number and Year: H79TI083313 - 2020 Pass-Through Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District Pass-Through Number(s): W912DW-20-2-0003 Award Period: September 28, 2020, through September 27, 2025 Criteria or specific requirement: Per the award agreement for contract W912DW-20-2-0003, "Recipient shall submit to the Agreement Administrator (see paragraph 1.2.1) progress reports on a quarterly basis utilizing the form included in Attachment B of this agreement. Reports are due no later than 30 days following the end of each reporting period. A final performance progress report shall be submitted within 90 days after the expiration date of the award." Condition: During our testing, it was noted that 2 of the 3 performance reports tested were filed after the filing deadline. Questioned costs: None. Context: A sample of 5 reports were taking from the population of 8 required report forms. Of the 5 sampled, 2 were not filed timely. Cause: Late filing is due to a lack of administrative staff and consistent payroll issues, which made submitting the quarterly reports with the financial reports unable to be performed on time. Effect: The untimely filing of reports can present risks, such as outdated and unreliable information or the inability to detect potential fraud or irregularities. In addition, delayed reports can impede regulatory authorities' ability to monitor compliance, detect patterns or trends, and assess risks in a timely manner. Repeat Finding: No. Recommendation: CLA recommends for the Organization to place emphasis on stronger controls around the timely filing of required reports, such as retaining a monthly checklist of required reconciliations and reports. The Organization has also taken steps to increase administrative support by hiring two individuals into the financial team. Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.