You've decided the time has come to upgrade your cash receipting system or billing system, or even to install a new financial management system, but where do you start? How do you ensure implementation goes to plan?
While every financial system's internal controls are important, establishing strong controls for your government's accounts payable process is particularly critical for preventing errors and deterring or quickly detecting fraud. From maintaining master vendor files to preventing duplicate payments and transactions, accounts payable requires a robust set of internal controls for ensuring your government safeguards public resources.
The Center for Government Innovation, a service of the Office of the Washington State Auditor, has been working hard to provide local governments the tools they need.
Just released: Payroll Guide and Internal Controls Checklist
This new Payroll Guide includes a suite of short, one-to-two-page resources for different roles and topics. This guide has something for you, whether you are:
It's easy to assume larger local governments have no problems fully implementing best practices for segregation of duties. While segregating duties can be easier for larger governments with more employees, they can struggle with the process, too. The State Auditor's Office has some suggestions for navigating challenges on your journey to segregating duties!
“That's the department's responsibility!”
Updated: Sep 9, 2023
Through these challenging times, the Center for Government Innovation continues to help local governments solve problems and improve the value they provide to their community.
The Center for Government Innovation, a service to local governments provided by the Washington State Auditor's Office, has been working hard to bring some new resources to local governments, including cities. We'd like to tell you about a few new items, plus what's on the near horizon to be published!
Just released: Cash Receipting Guide
Do you use a checklist to prepare or review your financial statements? If not, maybe you should! Checklists are a great way to make sure you remember important steps.
Nothing is more synonymous with accounting and finance than the monthly reconciliation. Recall even your most basic memory of “finance,” and the importance of balancing your personal checkbook. This essential control activity to government finance not only ensures that banking and accounting records are accurate, but is also a component of identifying unusual transactions that might result from fraud.
By The Center for Government Innovation
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
By The Center for Government Innovation