The Adventure of the Perkins Monitoring Visit NACTEI

The Adventure of the Perkins Monitoring Visit NACTEI Workshop May 13, 2005 New Orleans, LA Lorrie Toni, Colorado Perkins Director, Colorado Community College System Lorrie. toni@cccs. edu 303 -595 -1565 9101 E. Lowry Blvd. Denver, CO 80230 -6011 WATCH FOR CLUES!!! 1

PRELUDE - Method • Colorado Perkins On-Site Monitoring = 20% of Basic Grant Distribution Dollars Per Year • Tech Prep Recipients = TARP 2

PRELUDE Process • 1. 3 monitoring processes in the same day -- 3 staff members: » MOA (Civil Rights) » Program (Due to Web Program Approval Process) » Perkins • 2. 2 monitoring processes in the same day -- 2 staff members • 3. Perkins Monitoring only – 1 staff member 3

PRELUDEWho • • First – MOA Target Plan Second – Region Third – Largest dollar amounts Fourth -- Watch for clues!! 4

PRELUDE – Who 5

Chapter One -- Delays, Delays SPRING, 2002 6

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays FALL, 2002 7

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays End of October, 2003 8

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays End of November, 2003 9

Chapter One – Delays, Delays Planning our MOA visits 10

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays Late-December, 2003 11

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays Mid-January, 2004 12

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays End of January, 2004 13

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays February 5, 2004 14

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays Feb. 12, 2004 15

Chapter One Continued -Delays, Delays Feb. 15, 2004 16

Chapter Two -- The On-Site Visit Colorado developed our on-site checklist: On our website at: www. cccs. edu And on handout 17

Chapter Two – The On-Site Visit • New Business Manager • account transaction details of purchases • New Perkins administrator invited to on-site 18

Chapter Two – The On-Site Visit • Account details showed a sewing machine purchase • Only a few, rare programs in Colorado are allowed sewing machines • This school did not have this rare program and neither did other consortium members 19

Chapter Two – The On-Site Visit • Asked to see “source documents” for sewing machine purchase • What do you think it looked like? • And a few days later the Dr. HL Official leaves a message 20

Chapter Three – The Phone Call • A month or so later…… 21

Chapter Four -- The Records • Copies of e-mails, to and from • Review of plans in writing • With IP phone system can save voice messages • Seven years of fiscal records • Seven years of Perkins program files 22

Chapter Four – The Records 23

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Chapter Five – The District Attorney • Several months later…. . • Investigators do investigate. . . Everything! • Why didn’t we catch this? Have we done enough? Doesn’t this matter to us? 25

The Ending • Still not written – charges have been filed against Dr. H. L. Official for misuse of other funds of the district. 26

What Did We Learn • Always review source documents at an on-site visit • Schools that are always late in completing forms should be visited first • Just monitoring big money is not the answer 27

What Did We Learn • Keep complete records • Save key e-mails • BE HONEST AND FORTHCOMING WITH ANY LAW OFFICERS OR INVESTIGATORS 28

What Did We Learn • Send each consortium member the annual allocation estimate total • Require two signatures for purchases • Beware the extremely nice person • Accounts payable based on official forms – P. O. ’s, Invoices, Policy 29

What Did We Learn • Beware too many cuts at the bureaucratic or administrative level • Don’t try to go it alone • Learn from auditors, lawyers • Money first, save the world second • Accounting classes 30

What Did We Learn Balance toughness with humor and streamlined forms 31

Your Questions? 32