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External Audit

In May 1995, Audit & Advisory Services assumed the external audit coordination function. By acting as the external audit coordinators for the campus, Audit & Advisory Services offers ongoing assistance to individual and central departments on fiscal and administrative audits by external agencies, with the exception of the annual A-133 audit and programmatic reviews. The university is subject to external reviews by auditors from government agencies and other funding organizations.

What to do if contacted for an audit/review by an external agency

Immediately after you receive notification of an impending audit, you should contact Audit & Advisory Services at x33741.  Audit and Advisory Services has external audit coordinators who can help coordinate the audit, including by guiding you through the necessary preparation steps and helping to contact central departments whose participation may be required. 

What to expect during the external audit/review

Depending on the nature of the audit, Audit & Advisory Services will alert and, as appropriate, bring together staff from the following areas in support:

  • ORA (OCGA and EFM)
  • Equipment Management
  • Human Resources
  • Payroll
  • Purchasing
  • Corporate Accounting
  • Audit & Advisory Services
  • Individual Departments

Principal investigators may be involved in the audit, if their presence is requested or is in the best interest of the university.

Things to consider

  • Areas of audit focus include: cost transfers, cost sharing, effort reporting, travel reimbursement, adherence to budget, equipment purchased at the end of an award, timely report submission, and closeout.
  • Departments should be able to provide supporting documentation for all transactions charged to sponsored projects, as well as internal departmental procedures that define roles and responsibilities.
  • Auditors may interview staff to validate their time and effort claimed on a sponsored project.
  • Costs disallowed as the result of an audit are the responsibility of the department and/or school.

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