(The following was excerpted from an article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) U.S. Department of Justice officials plan to assess the agency’s grant programs to identify areas in which programs overlap and determine if any programs may be consolidated to avoid duplication.

Although the headline to this blog post may sound somewhat flippant, I have to applaud the National Science Foundation for trying to keep its constituents informed about the latest on their Recovery Act programs at an increasingly stressful time.

It’s late August and to kids across the country, that means summer break is ending and it is or almost is “Back to School” time. However, for those in the grants management and auditing community, staying educated on the latest requirements is a year-round responsibility. That’s why Thompson continues to offer some terrific continuing education opportunities through our webinars, and this is your chance get a great deal on them (see below).

It took a while, but I believe I have an answer to my question I asked in a blog post a couple of weeks ago related to SAM.gov and the now-defunct Excluded Parties List System. An answer, yes. Details, no.

I have written stories in past issues of the Single Audit Information Service on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Clarity Project. However, in one of life’s little ironies, the whole clarity project just doesn’t seem all that clear in my mind. Maybe it’s because I’m a journalist and not an auditor, but this topic hasn’t been one of my favorites on which to report.

(The following was excerpted from an article in the Single Audit Information Service.) To address Education Department Office of Inspector General concerns that audit findings are not being resolved efficiently, the agency has created a panel to review its audit resolution processes and recommend improvements to better resolve audits and recover questioned costs.

(The following was excerpted from an article in the Federal Grants Management Handbook.) The Food and Nutrition Service plans to issue guidance this fall requiring states to review documentation periodically under the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to ensure expenses charged to the program are allowable. The pending guidance results from concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General about inadequate controls over TEFAP funds.

Have you ever had a nagging question about something and then once you find out the answer, you realize you’ve gotten more than you bargained for? After writing my blog post yesterday on the General Services Administration’s new System for Award Management at SAM.gov, I got to thinking about the future of the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). After asking the GSA my question, I’ve determined that SAM.gov has opened up a whole new can of worms for the federal government.

I had scheduled this blog to run while I was on vacation last week, but a technical glitch has forced me to try again. The General Services Administration last week finally launched the first phases of the new System for Award Management website (SAM.gov). Initially slated to launch in May, GSA needed a couple more months to prepare its staff and network capabilities.

(The following was excerpted from an article in the Single Audit Information Service.) Arizona’s Medicaid operator is developing a corrective action plan to reduce errors in the state’s Medicaid eligibility determination process in response to concerns raised by the state auditor.