Four U.S. agencies deficient in controlling stimulus reporting errors, auditors say

Inspectors general found shortcomings in the procedures to monitor data quality for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act reporting at the Agriculture, Defense and Homeland Security departments and the Small Business Administration, according to a new report. The Recovery Act contains provisions to ensure transparency of and accountability for stimulus spending; agencies have received guidance about how to track their spending, as well as recipients' spending, of stimulus money. Of the 21 IG reports governmentwide, only four — USDA, Defense, DHS and SBA — identified deficiencies in data quality reviews. Management officials at those agencies generally agreed with the findings and recommendations for improvements, the summary report said. USDA, DOD, DHS and SBA had taken some steps to ensure that recipients of funding from their agencies comply with reporting requirements. But their efforts left gaps, according to the summary report. The Agriculture IG's office reported that the department had not established an internal control structure with clear responsibilities for determining the completeness and validity of recipient reporting. Recipients of stimulus law grants are required to file detailed reports on their spending.