Washington state governments

Reconnecting with our partners in accountability at WFOA 2022

Hello, WFOA 2022! The State Auditor's Office is excited to be reconnecting with our partners in government accountability at the first in-person WFOA annual conference in three years. We're bringing our ‘A' (audit) game this year with four pre-conference trainings and 13 sessions. Our staff are presenting sessions on new BARS updates and lease accounting requirements, payroll and credit card internal controls, tips for fighting and reporting fraud, and much more.

Audit of federal dollars in Washington state reviews pandemic-related spike in spending

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 8, 2022

OLYMPIA – The Office of the Washington State Auditor's annual audit of federal money spent in the state revealed 61 areas of concern across 21 federal programs. Because of a lack of documentation, auditors were unable to audit one entire program, calling into question at least $271 million in spending.

These issues and more can be found today in an accessible summary of the extensive audit report by the State Auditor's Office (SAO).

Are you evaluating the risks to your federal programs? SAO has a new tool to get you started

Imagine you are planning an expensive Hawaiian vacation—your first in two years. One of the first things you check is whether any of the costs are refundable if something were to prevent you from going. When you learn you could lose your deposit if you pull out of the trip, you plan to buy trip insurance just to be safe. In other words, you've identified a risk and found a way to mitigate it.

SAO debuts new training on cash handling internal controls and fraud prevention

Do you have cash handling responsibilities in your organization? A new online, on-demand training from the Center for Government Innovation will help you design good internal controls and understand common cash receipting fraud schemes. You'll also learn how to develop cash handling best practices and the steps you should take if your organization experiences or suspects fraud.

Are you verifying your contractor is responsible before awarding a contract? SAO can help

Published: March 31, 2022

Before hiring a contractor to work on your home, it's wise to make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured. It helps to protect you if the contractor doesn't complete work properly, if there are any damages, or if workers are injured while at your home. For governments, it's not just wise—it's required by law.

Are your federal program reports accurate, complete and on time? Here are tips to improve your odds

As you enter into new federal award agreements this year, keep in mind they will likely have reporting requirements. We first ran this article in March 2022, but due to its importance, we're republishing it as a reminder. 

Almost every federal program award requires recipients to file reports, which could include financial, performance and other special purpose reporting. Awarding agencies rely on these reports to ensure recipients used federal funds to achieve program objectives, which helps them make future funding decisions.