Reports - Audit

The objectives of this performance audit were to assess the completeness, timeliness, quality, and accuracy of Fiscal Year 2017, Second Quarter financial and award data submitted for publication on USAspending.gov in accordance with the DATA Act and to assess the Peace Corps’ implementation and use of the Government-wide financial data standards established by the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of the Treasury. While the Peace Corps took steps to implement and use the Government-wide data standards, problems with completeness and accuracy hinder the Peace Corps’ ability to provide reliable data, achieve full transparency to the public, and comply with Federal accountability requirements.

We issued 12 audit recommendations in the 2013 audit report of Peace Corps/Zambia, all of which the post and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer implemented and we closed. However, during the follow-up audit we noted that the internal controls over the post’s financial and administrative operations required significant improvement to comply with agency policies and applicable Federal laws and regulations. Our report contains 21 recommendations directed to both the post and headquarters. At the post, our recommendations include implementing controls over fuel purchase and use, imprest funds, staff health insurance, disbursements, and security clearance for staff. We also recommend putting in place a contract with the auctioneer and enhancing controls over Volunteer allowances. We recommend that headquarters issue guidance on implementing internal controls over fuel purchase and use.

We found that the post’s financial and administrative operations required improvement to comply with agency policies and applicable federal laws and regulations. Our report contains 19 recommendations directed to the post and headquarters, including that the post strengthen controls over the processes for managing imprest funds, modifying contracts, creating bills of collection, collecting Volunteer overpayments, and closing grant projects. In addition, we recommend that the post work with Global Accounts Payable to obtain a waiver for the sub-cashiers when exceeding the maximum amount for a cashier advance, and that Global Accounts Payable publish guidance for mobile banking.