The Audit Connection Blog
Want to go paperless? Here are some resources that can help
We know that moving to paperless processes has been a goal for some local governments. If you were on the fence, the pandemic might be prompting you to explore your options now. Here is some information we frequently share when asked about going paperless. ... CONTINUE READING
Trust is not an internal control; segregating duties is
Trusting your employees is important, but you should also be verifying they are doing their work properly because trust alone isn’t a sufficient control for preventing loss. One of the best ways to protect your government’s assets—and your employees—is to segregate duties. You have a lot to consider when developing your internal control system, so we’ve created a collection of guides, checklists and articles to help you. ... CONTINUE READING
What’s the scenario? Financial planning in uncertain times
Many of you are attempting to anticipate the length or depth of the financial impacts of the pandemic. This will be difficult to predict, which makes financial planning challenging. One important tool available to help you in these circumstances is scenario planning. ... CONTINUE READING
A Message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Financial accountability has never been more necessary
State Auditor Pat McCarthy talks about the importance of audits during this time of economic distress. ... CONTINUE READING
Newsletter gathers content for governments as Association of Washington Cities hosts conference
The latest issue of our newsletter looks at issues surrounding COVID-19, new resources for cities, fraud investigations and more. ... CONTINUE READING
New Resources for Cities Are Available, with More on the Way
The Center for Government Innovation, a service to local governments provided by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, has been working hard to bring some new resources to local governments, including cities. We’d like to tell you about a few new items, plus what’s on the near horizon to be published! ... CONTINUE READING
Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy will donate salary increase to The Other Bank Program
Washington State Auditor Pat McCarthy announced Friday she will donate a scheduled salary increase to charity. ... CONTINUE READING
A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Annual financial report filing deadline extended to July 1, 2020
Late Wednesday, June 17, legislative leadership surprised us with a second extension of the annual financial report filing deadline. The new filing deadline is July 1, 2020. ... CONTINUE READING
Look to the future: Cash forecasting is key to strong financial controls
It is critical to forecast your cash inflows, outflows, and balances into the near-term future to anticipate liquidity shortfalls and remain solvent. Annual budgets tell you your spending authority for a year, whereas a cash forecast will tell you whether you have sufficient cash in the future on a month to month (or even daily) basis. ... CONTINUE READING
Process pros brew up Lean Coffee for the virtual workplace
COVID-19 has challenged many governments to consider remote work strategies and how their work processes would need to change. Process improvement specialists have started gathering – virtually – to share their experiences and lessons learned during the pandemic. We are calling these sessions “Virtual Lean Coffee.” ... CONTINUE READING