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MD.250.9.4, FNM – FY 2009 Financial Audit Review Program Certification in ROOT

Maryland Bulletin: 250-9-4
Subject: FNM – FY 2009 Financial Audit Review Program Certification in ROOT
Date: January 7, 2009

Purpose. To instruct field offices on the process to Certify FY 2009 MG documents in the ROOT.

Expiration Date. September 30, 2009

Action Required No Later Than:  January 22, 2009

Explanation.

Field offices are currently reviewing FY 2009 ProTracts (MG) open obligations and answering questions related to each contract identified in the Review of Open Obligations Tool (ROOT). The review process is completed after a Program Concurrence certifies that all questions have been answered correctly and all actions needed to validate the open obligation have been completed. Any actions not completed will be noted in check box #5 on the Open Obligation Determination. Reasons will be documented in the comment box and must be associated with actions required by either statute or policy.

State Office staff will conduct Quality Assurance Reviews (QAR) in each field office. The QAR will concur that the questions in the ROOT are answered correctly and documentation exists. The QAR will review a minimum of 10% of the contracts.

Field offices will need to have the following actions completed on or before January 22, 2009:

Checklist
  • Checklist Complete: All FY2009 MG Documents will have the checklist complete and marked in Checklist tab in the ROOT.
  • All Required Actions Except as Noted…: This will be checked after all actions identified in the checklist are completed. Any actions not completed by January 22 will be noted in the comments on the Open Obligation Determination page.
Open Obligation Determination
  1. Obligation is valid as of September 30, 2008. Do NOT check this box for FY2009 obligations.
  2. Deobligation Recommended.
  3. Deobligation Complete: This date will be entered when action has been taken to deobligate the funds.
  4. Obligation is valid as of review date. Check this box if the obligation is valid as of the review date. Enter a “0” in the text box unless a portion of these funds are to be considered as FY2008 funds. The CSP contracts should not have any FY08 funds in the document since these are obligated and paid out annually.
  5. Required actions cannot be completed by December 30, 2008 as noted in the Review Comments due to policy or statutory provisions. Do NOT check this box, even if actions are needed. This Box is not relevant to FY09 obligations.

Comments will be entered on this page only when actions needed are not be completed by January 22. Comments need to be brief and to the point of what action is need. There will also be a date when this action is to be completed. Examples include:

  • MFR needed for POA no later than 2.10.09.
  • Control of land needed no later than 1.31.09.
  • Cancelation letter needed non later than 2.2.09

When the action is completed an entry will be made in the comment box indicating this.

Certification of Obligation

Program Concurrence: All obligation review documents must be certified under a Program Concurrence. This will be the final review certifying that all actions are completed or explained as needed. Program concurrence will be done only after all actions are completed and documented in the file or box 5 has been checked and properly documented. Someone other than the person completing the Checklist and Obligation Determination must be the Program reviewer. The Program reviewer will verify all actions are completed before certification can be applied. This will need to be completed no later than January 22, 2009

/s/

JON F. HALL
State Conservationist

Attachment: see email dated 01/07/2009

DIST: AE

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