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- Category: ACFR
- Category: Announcements
- After significant fraud, follow-up audit of Pierce County Housing Authority finds improvement, but issues remain
- BARS Manual updates starting Dec. 12
- Audit finds Toppenish School District did not have proper oversight of its expenditures, Superintendent’s pay
- External peer review finds SAO’s quality controls system, audit procedures meet professional standards
- SAO’s Janel Roper named among Washington’s top state managers
- Director Armijo honored with Award of Excellence from Washington Finance Officers Association
- New audit reports find Mason County Fire District officials misappropriated public funds, did not comply with state laws
- Reporting a known or suspected loss to SAO? Be ready for a few new questions
- Director Collins named Outstanding Leader by Washington Society of CPAs
- Join SAO and your colleagues in person at the 2022 WFOA Conference
- SAO’s audit billing rates for 2023
- SAO is transitioning to SecureShare on Sept. 1
- Preview your school district data in FIT
- Audit of federal dollars in Washington state reviews pandemic-related spike in spending
- $37 billion and counting: Find out how Washington spent COVID-19 relief money and other federal funding in 2021
- SAO unveils new look for its resource library
- SAO assistant director receives award for Fraud Magazine article
- Coming soon: SAO’s SecureShare, a customized data-sharing and collaboration tool for audits
- National auditors group honors SAO staff for contributions to auditing, performance audit report
- Thanks for submitting your annual report on time
- SAO assistant director DeViney takes leadership role on national board, becomes member of GASB advisory committee
- Annual report filing deadline is around the corner—which local governments have already filed?
- SAO announces key leadership changes
- You’re invited to our spring recruitment events
- Mark Rapozo, longtime local audit AD, retires from SAO
- Recent audits of Washington charter schools
- Few ballots rejected, but rejection rates vary by county, gender and race, performance audit finds
- You’re invited to SAO’s virtual Performance Audit Workshop on Feb. 25!
- Accountability reforms have significantly cut number of unauditable governments
- Tenino loses almost $300,000 in digital payment misappropriation
- New year, new FIT data
- Annual report: How SAO advanced the mission of good government in 2021
- Updated BARS Manuals now available on SAO’s website
- Gaps in accountability led to $315,000 misappropriation by Employment Security Department employee
- BARS Manuals updates starting Dec. 13
- City of Wapato’s operations continue to struggle, recent audits show
- FIT’s projection feature pushes your finances into 2022 and beyond
- September quarterly update brings fresh data to FIT
- Washington State Auditor’s Office issues first workplace culture audit
- Emerging issue: How to calculate lost revenue for use of federal coronavirus funds
- State Auditor’s Office releases City of Seattle audit
- Washington State Auditor will require COVID-19 vaccinations for staff
- Vulnerabilities in federal law, gaps in state fraud detection led to losses in unemployment insurance program, audits find
- Spring 2021 newsletter now available
- Update on State Auditor’s Office efforts regarding data security incident
- Frequently asked questions regarding a data breach at SAO’s third-party service provider
- Third-party service provider’s security incident compromised Washingtonians’ personal information
- Auditor McCarthy joins national association’s executive committee
- Three small governments declared unauditable; final 2020 tally released
- Single audit alert: Updated guidance for due dates and items reported on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA)
- Annual report takes a 20/20 look at 2020
- GAAP and Cash BARS Updates are Done!
- New red flags coming to Schedule 01
- BARS is under construction
- Advisory committee widens representation
- How FIT are you?
- Save a PDF of BARS today
- Report on special education published today
- SAO making our outgoing emails cyber-safer
- Three small Washington governments declared unauditable
- Guide to unauditable governments: October 2020 update
- Join the Center for Government Innovation to discuss resources from the past year
- BARS keeper Alexandra Johnson to retire in October
- GASB delays implementation of new standards
- SAO hourly billing rate remains the same
- COVID-19 Guidance Toolkit helps you navigate shifting reporting and accounting landscape
- Join us online at the WFOA 2020 Virtual Conference
- Most Unauditable Governments Now Accountable
- Guide to Unauditable Governments: August 2020 update
- Update: How SAO will audit Washington’s Employment Security Department in light of major unemployment fraud
- Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy will donate salary increase to The Other Bank Program
- A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Annual financial report filing deadline extended to July 1, 2020
- State Auditor announces special review of unemployment benefit fraud
- A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Annual financial report filing deadline extended
- Loss of funds at economic development association underscores need for audits
- A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Important update regarding delay of GASB standard
- A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Guidance and updates from the State Auditor’s Office
- A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: An update on audit-related deadlines
- A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy regarding COVID-19
- Annual BARS updates are live
- New phone numbers for the Office of the Washington State Auditor
- Category: BARS
- Category: Center for Government Innovation
- Do you have a tip hotline? Here are reasons to consider implementing one
- SAO’s updated guide can help you implement new accounting standards
- Perform a credit card clean up to reduce your risk for fraud and mismanagement
- Are your ACH internal controls strong enough to protect you from fraudsters? SAO has a new resource to help you
- Preparing your school district’s annual report? SAO’s updated tool can help
- Is your payroll process as secure and efficient as it could be? Find out with SAO’s suite of payroll resources
- Are you at risk for wire transfer fraud? SAO’s new resource details best practices for protecting public money
- Your accounts payable process is vulnerable to fraud and error. SAO’s resources can help protect it
- Are you ready for a federal Single Audit? SAO offers resources to help you avoid common audit issues
- Five ways for leaders to recharge their batteries
- Protect your government’s money with SAO’s suite of cash receipting resources
- Trust is not an internal control; segregating duties is
- Is your contractor banned from receiving federal funds? Don’t wait to find out
- Rock your next financial reporting season with SAO’s new tool
- Are your government’s finances ready for an earthquake?
- #Gov101 series continues with a look at port districts
- Overtime is too costly to ignore. Use your data to monitor it.
- Avoid the most common federal Single Audit finding with these 10 tips
- Is asset tracking a thorn in your side? SAO’s resources can help ease the pain
- Improve your cybersecurity without breaking your budget
- Messy buildup in your vendor master file? It’s time for some spring cleaning!
- Stay on top of piggybacking requirements with SAO’s updated guide
- Getting ready to file by May 30? Keep your annual report preparation on track with a checklist
- #Gov101 series returns with a look at public utility districts
- SAO’s latest and greatest resources for schools
- Are you evaluating the risks to your federal programs? SAO has a new tool to get you started
- SAO debuts new training on cash handling internal controls and fraud prevention
- Are you verifying your contractor is responsible before awarding a contract? SAO can help
- Daylight saving time: Add testing your backup file system to your time change routine
- The power of a problem: Building a culture that values solving the right problem once
- The power of a problem: Breaking big problems into manageable pieces
- Paying vendors twice is a problem. SAO offers tips to prevent duplicate payments
- The power of a problem series: Using simple measurements to bring focus
- Ballots and voting: SAO’s new resource for county election officials
- The power of a problem series: Defining the problem
- The power of a problem series: Identifying the problem
- Are you a GAAP government accounting for capital assets? Download SAO’s updated capital asset checklist today
- The power of a problem series: Identifying the right problem from the start
- Looking for new ways to electronically pay employees? Learn about payroll cards
- Spending Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds? Here are some resources for you
- Preparing your annual report package? Check out SAO’s updated cash basis checklist
- K&P leadership series: Using the five behaviors to build a Lean culture
- SAO’s top hits of 2021
- Protect yourself against losses. Consider bonding today
- K&P leadership series: Modeling the way
- World premiere: ‘Fish Tank,’ the limited series
- FIT Data Stories: COVID-19’s effect on revenues in border towns and special districts
- Lack of subrecipient monitoring is leading to an increase in audit issues. Learn what you can do today
- Find ways to improve your accounts payable process with our new guide
- Is it time to review your deposit practices?
- Are you converting to a new financial system? Follow SAO’s tips for a successful implementation
- People are looking at your FIT data—are you?
- New accounts payable checklist can help you create strong controls
- K&P leadership series: Encouraging the heart
- FIT Data Stories: New 2020 financial data tells a story of COVID-19
- K&P leadership series: Enabling others to act
- Survival tips for when you don’t have a procurement manager
- Resource update: Checklist for school district financial statements
- Double count your way to better cash receipting controls
- K&P leadership series: Challenging the process
- Looking back and to the future in Center resources
- New Resources Are Available, with More on the Way
- K&P leadership series: Inspiring a shared vision
- What to do after hitting submit: Steps for increasing data-quality confidence
- K&P leadership series: Linking Lean and leadership
- Larger governments struggle with segregating duties, too
- Sharing your federal money with other agencies? Do your homework first
- Which governments’ 2020 data is included in FIT?
- FIT Data Stories: What does FIT tell us about Cash balances in Cash-basis cities
- Making the most of your new technology
- Top 12 most important financial policies
- Think you’re too small to segregate duties? Let’s find out!
- How to get your team ready for the next wave of change
- It’s time for spring cleaning!
- Do your internal controls have a first name?
- In our new remote work world, are your key controls ready for audit?
- Are your GAAP statements ready for prime time? Here are a few resource reminders!
- Do you need a federal single audit for 2020 or 2021? You might for the first time! Prepare early with these 5 tips.
- Video reviews change management model
- Keep the conversation going forward
- Recently filed your 2020 annual report? Check out your data in FIT.
- Help is on the way! Checklist for Preparing Cash Basis Financial Statements updated
- FIT Data Stories: Sales tax
- Boost motivation and productivity with a growth mindset
- Turn disruption into momentum for positive change
- Lean Coffee perks up online facilitation
- Managing remote teams: Make work visible to seal process cracks
- Find your purpose to combat stress
- Add a projection to your financial data using FIT’s new feature
- Managing remote teams: Situational awareness
- Managing remote teams: Communication channels
- Lean leadership: Are you ‘leading’ or ‘doing’ the work?
- FIT’s indicators can strengthen any financial planning effort
- FIT adds profiles to explore any of Washington’s 40-plus government types
- Harness the Power of Role-Based Authentication in FIT!
- User-focused updates come to FIT’s financial health indicators
- Get FIT in 15-minutes or schedule a FIT personal training session
- Building and planning go virtual
- FIT gets fitter
- Four real tips for better virtual meetings
- Five things to consider when choosing an online meeting platform
- Is your approval process as effective as you think? Here are some tips to improve it
- Looking to push less paper? Consider electronic approvals
- Want to go paperless? Here are some resources that can help
- What’s the scenario? Financial planning in uncertain times
- New Resources for Cities Are Available, with More on the Way
- Process pros brew up Lean Coffee for the virtual workplace
- Look to the future: Cash forecasting is key to strong financial controls
- 5 reasons to step up your documentation
- Protect confidential information while working at home
- When exploring financial options, remember these considerations
- Know your options: Allocating overhead costs can spread the burden among funds
- Are you looking to borrow from your restricted funds? Keep these tips in mind
- Build resiliency during uncertain times
- Changing your processes and controls? Remember these tips to minimize risk
- Tips, guidelines and more for local governments managing through coronavirus
- Our updated financial statement checklists have arrived
- Change Management Lesson 6: Reinforcement helps new habits stick
- Change Management Lesson 5: Moving from competence to mastery
- Start the year off right – new best practices and tools for bank reconciliations!
- Change Management Lesson 4: Training for knowledge
- Change Management Lesson 3: Improvement requires desire to change
- Change Management Lesson 2: Building Awareness of the Change to Come
- Change Management Lesson 1: How to Get Started
- Using data to visualize the world of fire protection districts
- Does your government provide take-home vehicles?
- Check out these free cybersecurity resources!
- Are you considering everything you should do when employees leave your employment?
- Cybersecurity advice you can use
- Are you a finance professional in a local government? #BeCyberSmart.
- Join MS-ISAC for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- Piggybacking law change eases contract requirement
- Every government in Washington has a duty to safeguard the resources entrusted to it; our new guide shows you how
- 2018 Financial Data is Now Available!
- IT and facilities departments both can #BeCyberSmart
- More ways to #BeCyberSmart for the finance and legal departments of local governments
- Are you ready to identify your asset retirement obligations?
- Unclaimed property can work both ways for local government
- New resources guide on travel reimbursement, credit card use
- If you work in local government, you need to #BeCyberSmart, even if your job isn’t in IT
- Neill Public Library in Pullman improves services to patrons
- Procurement a puzzle? Check out these resources
- What can 3 women from the tech sector teach governments about serving the public?
- The Performance Center is now the Center for Government Innovation
- Local governments in Washington know the importance of cybersecurity, but need tools to address concerns
- A well-balanced, full-bodied Lean success in Washington wine country: process improvement success at Walla Walla Treasurer’s Office
- New resource identifies best practices for small and attractive assets
- Don’t miss this upcoming free webinar “Cybersecurity Essentials for Local Government Leaders!”
- Recent GAO report underscores the need for cybersecurity auditing
- How to build a “resilient cybersecurity culture” for your government
- Helping local governments avoid costly cybersecurity breaches
- Auditor’s Office uses the same Lean methods it teaches to others
- How Benton-Franklin Health District used Lean to make its immunization process work better
- New resource identifies best practices for small and attractive assets
- Come try our new, improved Local Government Financial Reporting System
- Performance Center offers tools to help navigate the competitive bidding process
- Kenmore showcases love of community
- Washington Auditor’s acclaimed Financial Intelligence Tool to be an example of leading practice at Pew Charitable Trust national conference
- SAO’s Performance Center: Leaner name, but excellent service is the same
- Change Management, Lesson Two
- Financial management policies and resources
- Change Management, Lesson One
- Our Office Provides Resources for Capital Assets Accounting
- The State Auditor’s Office and MRSC expand financial policy guidance
- The State Auditor’s Office is partnering up to simplify your annual reporting requirements
- For the Love of Washington Cities
- New checklist for Cash Basis financial statements
- Who’s using FIT (Financial Intelligence Tool)?
- Category: CyberSecurity
- Category: Financial management
- Category: FIT
- Category: Fraud
- Category: GASB
- Category: Government Performance Consortium
- Category: Local Government Performance Center
- Category: Local governments
- Category: Peer review
- Category: Performance audits
- Category: Procurement management
- Category: Public Records
- Category: Rule making
- Category: School districts
- Category: Schools
- Category: Staff changes
- Category: State Auditor Pat McCarthy
- Category: SWSA
- Category: Training
- Category: Uncategorized
- Category: Use of Deadly Force Audits
- Category: Washington state governments
- Category: Working at the State Auditor's Office
BARS Cash Manual
BARS GAAP Manual
