Local governments

The coronavirus pandemic likely is forcing you to change how you do your work, such as processing payroll or paying your bills. For example, you might have fewer staff members working to do the same tasks. Teleworking adds another component, often requiring a change to how you process and approve transactions. We understand that local governments need to get the work done, but we'd like to share a few important things.

Changes can create risk

The coronavirus pandemic has created many novel situations across Washington and the world — social distancing, disruptions to the school schedule, and the temporary closure of many businesses. Governor Inslee's “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order allows for those occupations that can be conducted via telework to continue, which includes many state and local government workers.

Local governments are navigating many new areas while managing operations in response to coronavirus. Here is some information and links to resources. Thanks go to the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) for its timely guidance provided in several important areas of this guidance.

Guidance from SAO on accounting-related matters

The Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS) Manuals for GAAP and cash basis governments have been updated and are available on our website at www.sao.wa.gov/, under “BARS & Annual Filing.”

Do you use a checklist to prepare or review your financial statements? If not, maybe you should! Checklists are a great way to make sure you remember important steps.

Nothing is more synonymous with accounting and finance than the monthly reconciliation. Recall even your most basic memory of “finance,” and the importance of balancing your personal checkbook. This essential control activity to government finance not only ensures that banking and accounting records are accurate, but is also a component of identifying unusual transactions that might result from fraud.

By The Center for Government Innovation

Have you ever had this experience? You go to a co-worker's desk to collaborate on a project and you see them use a familiar software tool do something amazing that you hadn't thought of. It happens to me more often that I care to admit. This is most frustrating when I know I was introduced to that function during a past training but didn't retain and master it.

By The Center for Government Innovation

What is the biggest barrier to change in an organization?

By Steven Thomson
The Center for Government Innovation