Report 2016-139 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2016-139: California Department of Education: It Has Not Ensured That School Food Authorities Comply With the Federal Buy American Requirement (Release Date: July 2017)

Recommendation #3 To: Education, Department of

To comply with federal regulations and provide transparency to the public, Education should immediately post to its website a summary of the results of any administrative reviews that it has shared with the relevant school food authorities. Moving forward, it should comply with federal regulations by posting the results of administrative reviews to its website within 30 days of sharing them with school food authorities.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2018

Education's Administrative Review (AR) Transparency change request was completed and implemented in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) on March 22, 2018. AR results are available to the public by selecting the AR Transparency link located on the CNIPS home page at https://www.cnips.ca.gov/Splash.aspx.

Education ensures review results are available to the public within 30 days of sharing the final result of a school food authority's (SFA) AR by using a combination of the following CNIPS system design and procedures:

(1) Education shares the final results of the AR with a SFA and the status of the AR record in the CNIPS is changed by Education staff to Closed; (2) The AR Transparency search is designed to display the results of all AR with a Closed status. This means that as soon as the status is updated to Closed in the CNIPS for any SFA AR, the review report is immediately available for public viewing.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

In compliance with regulations, Education has begun posting the results of administrative reviews to its website. The corrective action it indicates does address all aspects of our recommendation. However, we are unable to fully confirm that Education is posting the results of its reviews within 30 days without conducting a follow-up review.

1-Year Agency Response

Fully Implemented. Education's Administrative Review (AR) Transparency change request was completed and implemented in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) on March 22, 2018. AR results are available to the public by selecting the AR Transparency link located on the CNIPS home page at https://www.cnips.ca.gov/Splash.aspx.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

Education has begun posting the results of administrative reviews to its website. However, it has not yet demonstrated that it is posting these results within 30 days of sharing them with school food authorities as federal regulations require.

6-Month Agency Response

Education's change request to the technology contractor has been assessed. Testing is anticipated to begin in March 2018.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

Education submitted a change request to the technology contractor to post the Administrative Review (AR) results on the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) Web site. The change request is currently being assessed by the contractor. Posting of administrative review results can be implemented once required approvals are obtained and all changes are finalized on the CNIPS Web site.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2016-139

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.