Best Practices
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2016
- Summer Issue 2011
- Winter Issue 2011
- Fall Issue 2010
- Summer Issue 2010
- Special Fraud Issue 2010
- Spring Issue 2010
- Winter Issue 2009-2010
- Fall Issue 2009
- Spring Issue 2009
- Winter Issue 2008-2009
- Fall Issue 2008
- Spring Issue 2008
- Winter Issue 2008
- Fall Issue 2007
- Winter Issue 2007
- Spring Issue 2006
- Winter Issue 2006
- Spring Issue 2005
- Winter Issue 2004
- Spring Issue 2004
Based on a survey that the Auditor of State's office conducted earlier this year, there are many red flags that indicate government entities are at risk for credit-card misuse by unscrupulous employees. In fact, since 2011, the office has investigated at least 35 cases of misuse of government credit and debit cards. In this issue of "Best Practices", we detail policies recommended in House Bill 312 — introduced in July — that would require local governments to establish credit card policies to protect tax dollars.
Each year, tens of thousands of dollars are stolen through payroll fraud in Ohio’s governments because safeguards are lacking. No leader of any organization wants to believe an employee will steal from them, but it happens all too frequently. Government officials need to make sure they have the internal controls to deter payroll fraud and bring it to light quickly when it occurs. This edition of "Best Practices" is aimed at helping local officials curb this type of theft.
Increasingly, local governments are becoming victims of cybercriminals. In fact, in recent years, Licking County, Columbiana County and Vernon Township in Clinton County have all fell victim to viruses. The Auditor's office has made helping government entites prevent such attacks a priority, and in this issue of Best Practices, offers many tips and suggestions to do just that, as well as what to do if you have been victimized.
In our first issue since 2011, we provide information on anti-fraud services — such as Positive Pay — provided by banks. Auditor of State Dave Yost is encouraging all government entities to consider enrolling in a Positive Pay program to add a layer of protection to their accounts. Included in this issue are results from the Auditor's office survey of more than 780 fiscal officers regarding Positive Pay and other such services.
Articles: Ohio Ethics Law, Can I Do That?; Letter from Auditor of State Dave Yost; SkinnyOhio.org, a Resource for Smarter, Streamlined Government; Local Government Toolkit, A New Way of Doing Business; The Ohio Performance Team, OPTimizing Performance in Ohio Government; L.E.A.P. Fund, Making Performance Audits Affordable for Local Governments.
Articles: Performance Audit Legislation: A Priority for 129th General Assembly; Letter from Auditor of State Dave Yost; Performance Audits: Promoting Government Efficiency & Accountability; Annual Local Government Officials Conference.
Articles: Transforming the Audit Process; $41 Million in Total Findings for Recovery; 60-Day Financial Audit Project; Agreed Upon Procedures Equal Agreeable Savings
Articles: ARRA Funding Leads to Big Changes; Copy Confidential: Copy Machine Security.
Articles: Foundations of Fraud: Need, Opportunity and Rationalization; Senate Bill 7 Update; Bringing Fraud into Focus; Managing the Business Risk of Fraud.
Articles: Paperless Public Records in an Electronic Age; Local Government Officials Conference; Emerging Trends in Fraud Investigation and Prevention Conference; Spotlight: Attractive Alternative; Do We Qualify for an AUP?; Single Audit Preparation; Ensure Single Audit Quality.
Articles: Aftermath of Fraud: Lessons Learned; Protecting Public Tax Dollars; Bad Fortune Leads to a Best Practice.
Articles: Performance Audits; Report Federal Stimulus Dollars; School District Self-Assessment Guide; Summit: Save the Date.
Articles: Ohio's Sunshine Laws; Ohio's Sunshine Laws Manual; Open Meetings; Open Government Unit.
Articles: The Face of Fraud: Who Commits It and Why?; The Auditor of State's Fraud Busters; Plans to Protect the Public Pocketbook.
Articles: Got GAAP? Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; Spotlight: Crawford County, Ohio; Office Receives National Excellence Award.
Articles: What is Strategic Budgeting and Planning?; Spotlight: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; Characteristics of a Useful Strategic Plan
Articles: Performance Measurement and Management; Common Mistakes & Solutions; Tips on Implementing a Performance Measurement Program; Spotlight: Fairfax County, Virginia
Articles: Bolstering Accountability Through Auditing; Financial Statement Audit Package; Protecting the Public Purse; Liability of a Public Officer; Best Practices in Cash Handling; Sample Cash Handling Policies; The Tips Page
Articles: Disaster Recovery Planning Objectives; Sample Disaster Recovery Plans; Additional Resources; The Tips Page
Articles: Fraud Indicators - "Red Flags"; Fraud and Small Governments; Village of Mechanicsburg; Words of Wisdom; The Tips Page
Articles: Occupational Fraud and Abuse; Identifying and Assessing Fraud Risks; Addressing Fraud Risks; Establishing a Formal Risk Prevention Program; Ethics Policies
Articles: Public Sector Audit Committees; Public Records; An Update on Identity Theft
Articles: Procurement through Government Issued Purchasing Cards; Common Problems and Associated Recommendations; P-Card Policies; Government-Owned Vehicle Use Policies; Sample Vehicle Use Policies
Articles: Forecasting from the Inside Out; Common Problems and Associated Recommendations; Guidelines for Developing Effective Forecasts; Best Practices in Financial Reporting; Cell Phone Policies; Travel Policies