Highlights
Training Opportunities
Anatomy of Fraud Topic of Dec. 12 Audio Conference
AGA, in conjunction with NASACT and ALGA, is pleased to announce its upcoming audio conference,
Anatomy of Fraud: Case Examples of Greed, Collusion and Override of
Controls. The audio conference, worth 2 CPE hours, is set for 2 – 3:50 p.m., EST, Dec. 12.
Included in this audio conference will be some remarkable work that uncovered major fraud in government, the private sector and not-for-profit
organizations. Hear from two of the top presenters and investigators of fraud, David L. Cotton, CGFM, CFE, CPA, Chairman of Cotton & Co., and David R. Hancox, CGFM, CIA, Director in the Division of State Government
Accountability, Office of the New York State Comptroller.
Cost is $249 per site (unlimited attendance) if you register on or before Dec. 7, and $299 thereafter.
Register online or print the registration form and fax it to 703.684.6933
View the entire audio conference schedule.
Join Us in Washington for AGA’s Sixth Annual National Leadership Conference
Learn how to make a real difference at AGA’s National Leadership Conference (NLC). The conference is centered on the theme, “Dynamic Leadership for Changing Times,” and few fields change as quickly as government financial management. NLC speakers will share best practices and leadership secrets and equip you with the knowledge you need to become more effective. Join us Feb. 21–22, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.
Register now and save. Early registration Deadline is Jan. 25, 2008.
Registration Now Open for PDC Golf Tournament
Step up to the tee and take your best shot. Enjoy a day of early networking, fun and friendly competition at the PDC Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 26, 2008 at the Stone Mountain Golf Club–Lakemont Course. Space is limited, so sign up early.
Golf Registration Form.
Check out the PDC website.
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November 19, 2007• News from the Profession
AGA Today is Brought to You by AGA Corporate Partner Clifton Gunderson
 Clifton Gunderson offices in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD and Harrisburg, PA are looking for experienced professionals to join our public sector practice. The ideal candidate will have 5+ yrs of Public Accounting or equivalent audit experience along with your BA/BS in Accounting and CPA or CGFM. Duties will include audits of Federal entities, State & Local audits (GASB), A-133 audits, and compliance auditing. To apply please e-mail Jennifer.Busse@cliftoncpa.com
Senate Bill Would Increase IG Oversight
Congress may tighten controls on agency inspectors general but offer them more authority under new legislation introduced in the Senate. The Inspector General Reform Act would guarantee that administrations appoint qualified people to be IGs, that IGs remain independent of agency pressure and that they make their reports accessible to the public. The legislation would require information on each agency IG’s budget request to be sent to Congress with the administration’s proposal. Lawmakers want to make sure agencies are not reducing IG funding. The bill would also establish a committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against inspectors general and their staff. "After several incidents in which the independence of inspectors general seems to be threatened—as well as some incidents of apparent IG misconduct—we need to revisit the legislation,” said Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. —Matthew Weigelt, Federal Computer Week. Read more.
D.C. Auditor Urged Close Look at Property Tax Refunds in 2004
The Washington, D.C. auditor urged city government officials three years ago to "closely monitor" the flow of real property tax revenue after she noticed a spike in the amount of money refunded to property owners. Deborah K. Nichols's reports, made in the summer of 2004, did not suggest wrongdoing in the Office of Tax and Revenue, the department now at the center of the largest financial scandal in the city's history. But she noted that the amount of property tax refunds was 105.7 percent higher than projected over three fiscal quarters, a jump not easily explained. She suggested that officials take a closer look. Nichols said that the refunds "raised a red flag because they were running so high when fewer appeals had been decided during that time." Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi has ousted 10 employees, including the tax office's director, Sherryl Hobbs Newman, saying they must be held accountable even if they were not directly implicated. The city has lost more than $20 million at a minimum, authorities said. —David Nakamura, Nikita Stewart and Yolanda Woodlee, The Washington Post. Read more.
AGA Today is Brought to You by Becker CPA Review
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If you’re a federal employee, you can prepare for the CPA Exam with the leading exam prep provider—Becker CPA Review—at a dramatic tuition discount (visit Contract # GS-02F-0105R). You may even qualify for full tuition reimbursement.
Contact us at 1-877-CPA-EXAM or Becker CPA Review or e-mail Monica Callahan to learn more about this career defining opportunity.
Federal Accounting Corner
Navigating the Transaction Jungle—Appropriation-Type Activity
The Standard General Ledger has issued guidance listing standard transaction categories. The listing can be very confusing, however, as many transactions are similar and it may not be immediately obvious why certain accounts are used in one transaction and not in another. To supplement the listing, I present an analysis of appropriation postings. SGL entries are listed in square brackets. —Simcha Kuritzky, CGFM, CPA. Read the entire column.
Internal Audit Departments 'Return to Roots' Five Years After SOX
For the first time since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act went into effect in 2002, a growing number of internal audit departments are returning to business as usual, according to a new survey by Protiviti Inc. Having been consumed with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance projects for the past four years, 24 percent of companies report their internal audit departments have achieved "rebalancing"—a renewed focus on their traditional responsibilities that is balanced with compliance activities. This number is more than double the response (10 percent) from a similar survey conducted in 2005. —SmartPros. Read more.
AGA Today is Brought to You by Norwich University
 Norwich University's online Master of Public Administration degree produces professionals with the skills required to be effective public managers in an evolving system. The program is designed for public and civil service professionals to learn the tools and techniques needed to implement policies, projects, and programs. E-mail mpa@grad.norwich.edu for information.
Bush Calls for 'Performance Improvement Officers'
President Bush has issued an executive order requiring heads of federal agencies to set clear annual goals, lay out specific plans for achieving them, and designate "performance improvement officers" to assess progress toward meeting the goals and report on it to the public. With the order, issued last Tuesday, the Bush administration hopes to establish a lasting legacy for its management improvement agenda. The performance improvement officers will be required to oversee agencies' "strategic plans, annual performance plans and annual performance reports as required by law," the order states. —Robert Brodsky, Government Executive. Read more.
Graduating to Public Service
In hopes of encouraging more college students to consider careers in government, leaders at 27 universities are trading ideas and techniques on what it will take to bring a new generation into public service. The forecast is troublesome. Hundreds of thousands of baby boomers will be retiring from the government in the next few years, but most college students know little about federal jobs and how to apply for them. The college leaders gathered recently at Princeton University for a discussion on the future of the government and how to create a national movement to champion scholarship and fellowship programs that will attract top students to public service. —Stephen Barr, The Washington Post. Read more.
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