Submitting OIG:
Report Description:
Independent auditors have declined to issue an opinion on AmeriCorps’ financial statements for the seventh year. They issued a disclaimer of opinion reporting 12 material weaknesses and two significant deficiencies. Eleven of the material weaknesses are recurring, four of them since FY 2017, six since FY 2018, and one since FY 2021.
AmeriCorps included in its Annual Management Report a Statement of No Assurance, acknowledging that its system of internal controls does not currently provide the necessary level of assurance in any of the three required areas, internal control over operations, reporting, and compliance with laws. This is the fourth year that AmeriCorps has issued a No Assurance statement.
Despite developing corrective action plans to address prior years of findings and recommendations, the auditors verified that AmeriCorps took appropriate actions to close seven of the 81 prior year recommendations. The remaining 74 recommendations continue to be valid, five of them in modified form. The auditors also made 21 new recommendations, for a total of 95.
AmeriCorps acknowledged the disclaimer of opinion and expressed concurrence to three material weaknesses and two significant deficiencies. However, AmeriCorps did not concur with nine material weaknesses. AmeriCorps did not specify which material weaknesses they were in agreement or disagreement. The Chief Financial Officer stated:
While much work remains ahead, and we expected this year’s audit report to read like last year’s, we are focusing our efforts on remediating long-standing issues. AmeriCorps is making significant improvements that strengthen the agency and ensure the effective stewardship of federal resources dedicated to national and community service. Audit Report, p. 46.
The independent accounting firm RMA Associates LLC performed the audit of the AmeriCorps FY 2023 consolidated financial statements, under contract with AmeriCorps-OIG.
Date Issued:
Friday, November 17, 2023
Agency Reviewed / Investigated:
Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:
OIG-AR-24-01
Location(s):
Agency-Wide
Type of Report:
Audit
Questioned Costs:
$0
Funds for Better Use:
$0
Number of Recommendations:
26
Report updated under NDAA 5274:
No
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