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A MESSAGE FROM THE ACTING CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER
February 5, 2002
I am pleased to have the opportunity to share with you ACF’s FY 2001 Audited
Financial Statements and I am delighted that, for the third consecutive year,
ACF has achieved a clean opinion from the auditors.
I give special credit for our success this year, in spite of an accelerated timetable
and other impediments—staffing shortages, multiple priorities, etc.—to
the clear, strong message sent by our new Assistant Secretary signaling his interest
in and commitment to strong financial accountability for ACF programs. I continue
to acknowledge the resolute dedication, cooperation and efforts of program and
staff managers and employees in ACF; the Program Support Center (PSC); Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Budget, Technology, and Finance; Office of the
General Counsel; Office of Inspector General; and the audit firm of Clifton Gunderson
LLP.
We are all very proud of what we have achieved over the last six years and
actively promote our future successes by facilitating a close, collaborative audit
process between ACF, PSC and our other partners. These joint efforts have paid
off in concrete improvements to long-term problems. In FY 2000, we received only
one material weakness and three reportable conditions (lesser weaknesses) from
the auditors.
In the FY 2001 audit report, ACF was cited with no
material weaknesses, a long-desired goal among those of us committed to creating
and maintaining a quality financial management environment. The four reportable
conditions for which we were cited reflect areas where we need further refinements
made to systems and/or procedures--grant transaction processing, grant advance
reporting, reconciliation and analysis; preparation and analysis of financial
statements; electronic data processing controls; and electronic data processing
at ACF’s service providers. We continue to work with our partners to make
the necessary improvements.
Looking toward the future, ACF is excited to be a partner with the Department
and other OPDIVs in Secretary Thompson’s initiative to make HHS "one" Department.
A major project in this effort is the establishment of a new, fully integrated,
automated accounting system that will provide more timely and accurate financial
data across the Department. Such a system will facilitate the production of more
frequent financial statements, enhance our ability to accomplish appropriate and
ongoing financial analyses on a routine basis, and improve the quality of financial
data available to inform management decisionmaking and support program results.
Also, we are actively engaged in and fully committed to the government-wide
Federal grant streamlining project where, in the future, potential grantees will
be able to apply for and receive grant funds through a single portal on the Internet.
This project also provides for the simplification of the grant process for grantees
and includes the simplification and standardization of the solicitation notice,
grant application and reporting mechanisms. This is only one of many initiatives
underway to advance the government's efforts to become more customer-focused and
citizen-centered.
We welcome your interest in our audited financial statements. As ACF strives
to achieve the highest levels of accountability, these statements help us focus
our efforts and gauge our progress.
/s/
Carol Carter Walker
ACF Message
| CFO Message | Table of Contents
| Foreword
Part I Management Discussion | Part II Financial Statements | Part III Independent Auditor's Reports
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