Laserfiche WebLink
EXP�ENCE�����ME������NG. FEDERAL SINGLE <br />�~~�EK�����������~��U��K����V���IU�ELIU�ES| U�������(continued) <br />���U��� REQUIREMENTS, -' ^^~ <br />Beyond thisour��h�p�����|��hipm��a���on�������� <br />Minnesota city community and ourpeers'MMKR professionals have been called on to g <br />ive numerous <br />presentations at a variety of industry seminarsonndifferent aspects of GASB StatementsWe have also <br />been activparticipants on several committeeformed to address the impact of these pronuncements on <br />local governmental units, including the Accounting Guidelines Committee of the MDE. <br />B. Federal Single Audit RequirementS <br />Through our large governmental audit practice, MMKR professionals have gained extensive experience in <br />performing audits of federal awards program expenditures in accordance with the Single Audit Actand the <br />Uniform Guidance. Last year, MMKR performed audits of federal awards program expenditures `u/ approximately 4Oofour go«ermnensuclients. |ien-ta As a result, our auditors have a thorough knowledge of the <br />regulations and requirements for the federal award programs through which Minnesota local governments <br />receive funding. <br />C. State and Local Guidelines for Minnesota Cities <br />MMKR has a long history as a leader in providing audit and consulting services to Minnesota cities. <br />Consequently,y�PNKRgovernmental aud�professionals are weUversed onthe aba��and local acooun�ng' <br />reporting,and compliance requirements that pertain to our city clients. MMKR maintains good working <br />relationships with the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor, regularly serving on advisory committees that <br />oversee theguidanoetheyprov\deforMinneaotaoitieaandother\ooa\governmenta. <br />SPECIFIC AUDIT APPROACH <br />For a local government, the primary goal of financial reporting is to demonstrate the prudent management <br />of the financial resources with which it has entrusted, and its adherence to the laws and regulations <br />that govern its financial operation. To do this, a local government must periodically provide constituents and <br />stakeholders with an accurate, timely, and transparent accounting of its financial position and activities. The <br />fundamental purpose of an audit is to add credibility to financial reporting, through independent testing and <br />verification of the information being reported. Whilthis attestation role is important, we believe it is only <br />part of the value an audit should provide. <br />An audit generally consists of examining the results of things that transpired in the past, but at MMKR the <br />focus of our audit process is on the future.The audit provides an opportunity to help our clients fulfill their <br />fiduciary responsibilities on an ongoing basis. At MMKR, we dig deeper. We go beyond the audit results, <br />evaluating the client financial controls and procedures that produced those results, and determining whether <br />they provide reasonable assurance of consistently producing the desire results in the future. We strive to <br />provide our audit clients with meaningful recommendations and advice for the continual improvement of <br />both the effectiveness of their internal controls and the efficiency of their financial operations. <br />MMKR uses a three-step approach to auditing cities. Finet, we review, dooument, and test our <br />understanding of the City's operation, and its internal controls over financial reporting and compliance <br />relevant to both the basic financial statements and federal financial assistance programs. Second, based <br />on our understanding, we assess risk and determine the audit assertions relevant to the significant <br />classes and account balances of the City. Third, we perform substantive tests of the relevant <br />assertions, which include analytical review procedures, tests of details, and tests of compliance with laws <br />and regulations. Our audit approach satisfies the requirements of auditing standards generally accepted in <br />the United States of America for financial compliance audits contained in CovennnentAudding8/enda/us <br />Standards, <br />issued by the Comptroller General of the United States This audit approach uses a combination of audit <br />prognama, including those that are firm -generated and those that are developed specifically for <br />governmental audits by Practitioners Publishing Company. <br />