Helping programs operate to their potential in compliance with regulations.
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The Office of Compliance manages the processes of the agency to ensure that everyone abides by rules, laws, and regulations.
The MDHS Compliance Program consists of the promotion of ethical conduct, training, auditing & monitoring, assessing internal controls and a system to report compliance concerns. The Office of Compliance manages the processes of the agency to ensure employees and the agency abide by internal rules of conduct and external laws and regulations.
There are four divisions within the Office of Compliance:
- Monitoring
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control (SNAP QC)
- Internal Audit
- Programmatic Quality Control
These divisions oversee internal controls, conduct quality reviews across all agency programs, and perform fiscal reviews of agency subgrant agreements to assess and ensure fiscal and program accountability of agency-funded programs.
Monitoring
Purpose
- Ensure accountability and compliance with applicable State and Federal laws and improve outcomes.
- Ensure subgrantee funds are used for the purposes for which they are awarded.
- Provide guidance to subgrantees in establishing and maintaining sound business accounting procedures.
- Safeguard public monies to the greatest extent possible.
SNAP Quality Control Reviews
Each month a random sample of Mississippi’s SNAP cases are selected for review by the SNAP Quality Control team. Reviews are conducted to ensure that the SNAP program complies with federal and state law and identify opportunities for program improvement.
As required by federal law, the results of SNAP QC reviews are reported to the federal agency that administers SNAP.
Internal audit
The Internal Audit Division conducts independent and objective audits of the divisions within the agency to review and evaluate MDHS programs and processes to improve operations, reduce risk, increase efficiency, and provide oversight.
Purpose:
- Evaluate and improve the efficiency of the agency’s operations, risk management, and internal controls.
- Develop a flexible annual audit plan as determined by the annual risk assessment.
- Complete audits and reviews to determine compliance with the agency’s policies and procedures.
- Help improve internal controls, transparency, and accountability of operations.
- Recommend improvements in controls.
The division also oversees all auditing of MDHS conducted by external agencies and assures corrective action plans are implemented and meeting their objectives.
Internal Audit follows the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s Government Auditing Standards and the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.
Programmatic Quality Control
The Division of Programmatic Quality Control conducts quality reviews to determine whether MDHS programs are meeting program requirements and successfully achieving program goals/objectives. Programmatic monitoring refers to the monitoring review type that focuses on the services that are being provided through the terms of the contract/agreement and ensuring the program is well managed as required by the Program’s corresponding Federal agencies. Programmatic reviews will vary according to the requirements of each Programmatic Funding Division.
Programmatic quality control review activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Reviewing standard operating procedures to determine if services are being provided appropriately.
- Making recommendations to funding divisions to enhance policy.
- Reviewing and determining whether all required documentation is on file in accordance with program guidelines.
- Reporting findings to Programmatic Divisions and /or appropriate agency partners to ensure appropriate corrective actions are taken.
Programmatic Quality Control reviews are conducting independently from the Division of Monitoring reviews.