Quality Assurance Programs Flashcards

Which element is most critical when designing a quality assurance monitoring plan for a federally sponsored research project?

Answer: Aligning monitoring activities with risk levels identified during project planning

A risk-based monitoring approach ensures that QA resources are focused where the likelihood and impact of errors are greatest.

A CRA discovers that a subrecipient has consistently failed to submit required financial reports on time. Under 2 CFR 200, what is the most appropriate corrective action?

Answer: Issue a high-risk designation and increase monitoring intensity

2 CFR 200.332 allows pass-through entities to impose additional conditions on high-risk subrecipients, including enhanced monitoring.

What is the primary purpose of an internal controls questionnaire (ICQ) in a research administration QA program?

Answer: To assess whether existing controls are adequately designed and operating effectively

An ICQ systematically evaluates the design and effectiveness of controls that mitigate risks in research administration processes.

Which QA technique involves selecting transactions based on dollar value thresholds rather than random sampling?

Answer: Monetary unit sampling

Monetary unit sampling (MUS) weights selection by dollar amount, making larger transactions more likely to be tested.

A university's QA review finds that effort reports were certified by someone other than the person with first-hand knowledge of the work performed. Which federal guidance is most directly violated?

Answer: 2 CFR 200.430 standards for documenting personnel activity

2 CFR 200.430 requires that personnel activity be certified by an employee or supervisory official with first-hand knowledge of the work.

During a QA walkthrough of the purchasing process, an auditor notes that the same employee approves purchase orders and reconciles the P-card statement. This represents which type of control weakness?

Answer: Segregation of duties failure

Segregation of duties requires that incompatible functions—such as authorization and reconciliation—be performed by different individuals.

What distinguishes a material weakness from a significant deficiency in the context of a Single Audit under 2 CFR 200?

Answer: A material weakness has a reasonable possibility of resulting in material misstatement of financial statements

Under auditing standards, a material weakness represents a more severe deficiency where there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement will not be prevented or detected.