REPORT DIGEST

OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER

NONFISCAL OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES

FINANCIAL AND COMPLIANCE AUDIT

For the Two Years Ended:

June 30, 2000

Summary of Findings:

Total this audit 7
Total last audit 8
Repeated from last audit 2

Release Date:
May 8, 2001

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State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:
Office of the Auditor General
Attn: Records Manager
Iles Park Plaza
740 E. Ash Street
Springfield, IL 62703

(217)782-6046 or TDD (217) 524-4646

This Report Digest is also available on
the worldwide web at
http://www.state.il.us/auditor

 

 

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

 

  • The Office of the Comptroller has not performed adequate disaster contingency testing to ensure recovery of computer systems.
  • The Office of the Comptroller did not comply with a provision of the State Finance Act and SAMS procedures for expenditures of the Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS) Project.
  • The Local Government Division of the Office of the Comptroller has not caused an audit to be made of all governmental units that did not file their required reports with the Office.

 

 

 

 

 

{Financial Information and Activity Measures are summarized on the next page.}

 

OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER
NON-FISCAL OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES
FINANCIAL AND COMPLIANCE AUDIT
For The Two Years Ended June 30, 2000

EXPENDITURE STATISTICS

FY 2000

FY 1999

FY 1998

Total Expenditures (All Funds)

$92,447,000

$89,453,000

$74,907,000

OPERATIONS TOTAL

% of Total Expenditures

$92,447,000

100.0%

$85,194,000

95.2%

$70,638,000

94.3%

Personal Services
% of Operations Expenditures
Average No. of Employees

34,831,000
37.8%
323

32,645,000
38.3%
314

31,569,000
44.7%
315

Other Payroll Costs (FICA, Retirement)
% of Operations Expenditures

4,479,000

4.8%

4,128,000

4.8%

3,380,000

4.8%

Contractual Services
% of Operations Expenditures
Electronic Data Processing
% of Operations Expenditures
Warrant Escheat
% of Operations Expenditures
Offset Claims
% of Operations Expenditures
Series EE Savings Bonds
% of Operations Expenditures

5,111,000
5.5%
2,035,000
2.2%
10,929,000
11.8%
21,584,000
23.3%
6,295,000
6.8%

4,709,000
5.5%
12,169,000
14.3%
3,279,000
3.8%
14,145,000
16.6%
7,420,000
8.7%

4,668,000
6.6%
3,320,000
4.7%
2,905,000
4.1%
10,005,000
14.2%
8,827,000
12.5%

Garnishment Payments
% of Operations Expenditures

72,000
0.1%

1,274,000
3.9%

1,630,000
2.3%

All Other Operations Items
% of Operations Expenditures

7,111,000
7.7%

5,425,000
6.4%

4,334,000
6.1%

GRANTS TOTAL

% of Total Expenditures

$ 0

0.0%

$ 4,259,000

4.8%

$ 4,269,000

5.7%

Cost of Property and Equipment

$ 6,814,000

$ 6,856,000

$ 7,120,000

SELECTED ACTIVITY MEASURES (unaudited)

FY 2000

FY 1999

Total Commercial Vouchers processed
Inquires received by Records Center
Cemetery care and burial trusts - Licenses issued
Cemetery care and burial trusts - audits completed
% of paperless commercial vouchers processed

5,431,034
66,956
191
710
93.53%

4,990,923
88,108
56
758
89.21%

STATE COMPTROLLER

During Audit Period: Honorable Daniel Hynes
Currently: Honorable Daniel Hynes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing for recovering all critical computer applications has not been performed

 

 

The risks of not having an adequately tested disaster contingency plan are significant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13 leases were entered into to implement the Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS)

 

The Office paid off the leases related to the development of the SAMS system during the audit period for $8,671,884

 

 

 

 

 

The Office charged all expenditures relating to the pay-off of the SAMS system to EDP equipment, as opposed to proper detail object codes as required by SAMS procedures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

123 local government units were chronically delinquent in filing their annual financial reports

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

This digest covers our financial audit and State compliance audit of the Office of the Comptroller Non-Fiscal Officer Responsibilities for the two years ended June 30, 2000.

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

INADEQUATE DISASTER CONTINGENCY TESTING

The State Comptroller’s Office (Office) has not performed adequate disaster contingency testing. A comprehensive test for recovering all critical computer applications and interfaces across all platforms has not been performed.

If a disaster were to render the Office’s computer operations inoperable, the potential impact on State Government operations could be significant.

The Office recently renewed its contract with a Chicago-based vendor to provide disaster contingency services for all of its critical computing platforms. The new contract provides recovery services for the Office’s mainframe, local area network (LAN), and minicomputers. The Disaster Contingency Coordinator stated that a limited test is planned for December 2000; however, this will not include recovery of any of the Office’s critical applications. A second test is planned for March 2001.

A comprehensive test of the plan across all platforms will assist Office officials in identifying weaknesses in the plan to ensure recovery procedures are adequate in the event of a disaster. Continuous testing of individual components of the plan would also help ensure the plan is appropriately modified, as the Office’s computing environment and disaster recovery needs change. (Finding 1, pages 15-16)

We recommended the Office continue updating their plan and have that plan approved by upper management. In addition, we recommended the Office perform a comprehensive test to ensure the computer operations, including established interfaces and critical applications, can be recovered.

Office management concurred with the recommendation and indicated there are some deficiencies in their plan but they have shown due diligence and have proceeded with their planning to the best of their abilities.

STATEWIDE ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FINANCING

The Office of the Comptroller (Office) did not comply with a provision of the State Finance Act and SAMS procedures for expenditures of the Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS) Project.

In fiscal year 1996 the Office began implementation of a Statewide Accounting Management System, and entered into a lease agreement effective until 2002 with a vendor for the purchase of computer hardware, software, consulting services and licensing agreements. The Office entered into thirteen separate lease agreements with the vendor at an interest rate equal to, or less than 6 percent.

During the current audit period the Office paid-off the entire balances of all the remaining lease agreements pursuant to provisions in the leases for early termination. The total amount paid was $8,671,884. The entire amount was charged to the EDP line item and detail object 1687, EDP equipment.

Each lease schedule detailed vendor charges, including consulting services, travel expenditures, software, licensing costs, EDP equipment and training. In accordance with SAMS procedures, agencies that receive an EDP appropriation should utilize the proper operational detail object codes when reporting expenditures, and payments for computer software must cite detail object 1284.

Office management considered the above charges related to the SAMS Project and, therefore, appropriately chargeable to the electronic data processing appropriation line item and detail object 1687, EDP equipment, only. (Finding 4, pages 20-21)

We recommended the Office request future appropriations for these type projects under the appropriate line items and detail object codes and charge the expenditures to these line items and detail object codes to ensure correct recording of expenditures.

Office management agreed with our recommendation and noted a supplemental appropriation bill was enacted allowing full payment of the balance of the SAMS obligation in fiscal year 1999. The payment was made in accordance with procedures established by the prior administration, which had structured the contract.

AUDITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NOT PERFORMED

At June 30, 2000, 123 units of local government were chronically delinquent in filing their annual financial reports with the Comptroller as required by the Governmental Account Audit Act (Act). Chronically delinquent units are three or more years delinquent in filing their reports.

The Act requires local governments to file appropriate annual financial reports or audits and financial reports within six months of their year-end. An extension of 60 days is available. After the time limit, the Comptroller is to send a delinquency notice specifying a due date for compliance. If the government body does not comply, the Act specifies the Comptroller shall cause an audit to be made by a licensed public accountant. Of the 123 units chronically delinquent, the Comptroller commissioned audits on only seven units.

Office officials indicated the Office does not have sufficient funds to have all the government units audited, and that the public is better served by working with the smaller units of government to bring them into voluntary compliance rather than cause them the additional expense of an involuntary audit. (Finding 5, page 22)

We recommended the Local Government Division of the Comptroller’s Office contract for audits on all delinquent governmental units as specified in the statute or seek a change in the law.

The Comptroller’s Office partially agreed with the recommendation and indicated the Office prioritizes its decision on which entities to audit based on resource availability and cost benefit analysis. The Office indicated it will seek legislation to clarify the Office’s responsibility related to this activity.

OTHER FINDINGS

The remaining findings were less significant and are being given attention by management. We will review progress toward the implementation of our recommendations in our next audit.

Comptroller Office responses were provided by Ms. Carol Kraus, Chief Internal Auditor.

AUDITORS’ OPINION

Our auditors state the Office’s financial statements as of and for the two years ended June 30, 2000 are fairly presented in all material respects.

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WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

WGH:RPU:pp

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

The firm of Sleeper, Disbrow, Tarro Morrison, & Lively were our special assistant auditors.