A Performance Audit
An Audit Report on Financial Processes at the Texas A&M Forest Service
November 2018
Summary Analysis
The Texas A&M Forest Service (Forest Service) had processes and controls to ensure that it administered financial transactions in accordance with applicable statutes, rules, and Forest Service policies and procedures.
However, the Forest Service should strengthen its processes and controls for reporting data related to disposed fleet vehicles and improve certain information technology controls.
Texas A&M Forest Service (Forest Service) had processes and related controls to help ensure that purchases were supported, approved, and processed in accordance with applicable statutes, rules, and Forest Service policies and procedures.
The Forest Service had processes and controls to help ensure that assets were (1) appropriately accounted for, (2) safeguarded, and (3) recorded accurately in FAMIS. The Forest Service also had support to demonstrate that it had conducted annual asset inventories in accordance with its policies and procedures. In addition, the Forest Service had processes and controls to ensure that it had properly accounted for its added and disposed non-fleet inventory assets. Furthermore, it had controls to monitor compliance with its asset management policies.
The Forest Service had processes and controls to ensure that it had appropriate fleet vehicle statuses (road worthy and currently registered and inspected), followed TxFS reporting requirements, and accurately reported required data for active fleet vehicles. The Forest Service also had support to demonstrate that it had conducted an annual fleet vehicle review in accordance with its policies and procedures.
However, the Forest Service should ensure that it accurately reports all required data in TxFS for its disposed vehicles.
The Forest Service had appropriate automated processes and controls over its financial data to ensure that it administered financial transactions in accordance with applicable statutes, rules, and Forest Service policies and procedures.
However, for certain types of transactions, system controls do not prevent the same person from entering and releasing payments in the financial system. The Forest Service should enforce segregation of duties either through system application controls or mitigating monitoring controls to ensure all purchase transactions are reviewed by staff who are not involved in the transactions.
Graphics, Media, Supporting documents