The Audit Connection Blog
New accounts payable checklist can help you create strong controls
We recently released a new accounts payable internal control checklist that you can use to evaluate your existing internal control systems and identify potential areas for improvement. Periodically reevaluating your control systems is a best practice. Your government should consider doing this annually, unless staffing or system changes require a more frequent review. ... CONTINUE READING
FIT Data Stories: New 2020 financial data tells a story of COVID-19
2020 was anything but normal, and we can look at the annual reports that Washington’s cities and towns recently submitted to see how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their operations. How did the pandemic affect sales tax collections? How did federal funding support our cities and towns as they navigated the economic challenges of the pandemic? ... CONTINUE READING
Increase your government’s account security with multi-factor authentication
Strengthening your government’s guard against the threats that compromised passwords pose is a necessary control for decreasing the risk of unauthorized users gaining access to your computers, network, or database. In this post, we explain how passwords get compromised and how multi-factor authentication (MFA) can help governments improve their account security to better protect their systems. ... CONTINUE READING
September quarterly update brings fresh data to FIT
With new annual report filings from nearly 200 governments across the state since June 30, we’re excited to share our first quarterly update of the 2020 fiscal year financial data in the Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT). ... CONTINUE READING
A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility
It can be tempting to think it’s the experts’ job to keep us safe online. We trust our colleagues who are IT professionals and the technology services we use to stay up to date on the latest threats. But all of us, whether or not we are technology experts, have a part to play in cybersecurity. That’s why this year’s theme for October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month is “Do your part, #BeCyberSmart.” ... CONTINUE READING
K&P leadership series: Enabling others to act
“Enabling others to act,” one of the five behaviors in the Kouzes and Posner (K&P) Leadership Challenge, can help you create an environment for your team that allows it to learn and grow while achieving your organization’s goals. Enabling others focuses on helping you foster collaboration and grow your self-confidence to strengthen others—important skills for new supervisors. ... CONTINUE READING
Survival tips for when you don’t have a procurement manager
Smaller governments frequently procure goods and services without a procurement manager. While smaller governments can get by without designated procurement managers for their daily operations, they occasionally take on larger projects like new building construction that can strain their limited resources. ... CONTINUE READING
Double count your way to better cash receipting controls
Looking for a way to improve your game when it comes to cash receipting internal controls? Add the double count to your arsenal. The double count is as easy as the name suggestions: money should never transfer from one employee to another without being counted and documented first. ... CONTINUE READING
K&P leadership series: Challenging the process
You were just promoted to your first management position. Congratulations! Now comes your opportunity to emulate the qualities you appreciated in your previous managers, and maybe avoid the qualities you didn’t admire. Either way, you are excited about the opportunities ahead, and hopefully, you recognize that you have big shoes to fill. ... CONTINUE READING
Washington State Auditor’s Office issues first workplace culture audit
Today the Office of the Washington State Auditor released a first-of-its-kind performance audit in the state: an in-depth review of a large state agency’s workplace culture. The audit of the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) is also one of the first of its kind in the nation to use the tools of government performance auditing to examine how work environment affects an agency’s ability to fulfill its mission. ... CONTINUE READING