Report 2019-121 Recommendation 1 Responses

Report 2019-121: California Department of Food and Agriculture: Poor Management Threatens the Success of the Pet Lover's Specialized License Plate Program (Release Date: March 2020)

Recommendation #1 To: Food and Agriculture, Department of

In order to ensure a fair and defensible grant award process for the Pet Lover's program, Food and Agriculture should immediately adopt and begin following policies and procedures that direct its staff to verify and document that grant applicants are eligible for funding from the Pet Lover's program before forwarding the applications to the technical review panel.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

In the six-month, one-year, and 2021 annual agency responses submitted to the California State Auditor, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) indicated that this recommendation had been fully implemented. Copies of the administrative review tracking sheet which notes the date of administrative review, a sample administrative review form with supporting documentation, and a sample review committee welcome email to demonstrate that technical review began after eligibility verification for each grant year since 2020 have been provided via email to the California State Auditor.

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

Food and Agriculture provided evidence that it adopted and began following policies and procedures that direct its staff to verify and document that grant applicants are eligible for funding from the Pet Lover's program before forwarding the applications to the technical review panel.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

In the one-year agency response submitted to the California State Auditor on March 19, 2021, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) indicated that this recommendation had been fully implemented. CDFA has adopted and implemented comprehensive procedures to verify and document that grant applicants are eligible to receive funding before forwarding to the applications to the technical review panel. Concurrent to the submission of this response, CDFA provided a copy of the Pet Lover's Procedures Manual to Katrina Solario via email. As of this writing, it appears that the California State Auditor has not assessed CDFA's six-month response nor published and assessed the one-year agency response. We look forward to timely acceptance of this response or any feedback from the California State Auditor so that we may formally resolve this recommendation.

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

Although Food and Agriculture developed procedures that direct its staff to verify and document that grant applicants are eligible for funding from the Pet Lover's program before forwarding the applications to the technical review panel, it did not provide evidence that it has begun following those procedures as we recommended. Until it does so, we will continue to assess this recommendation implementation status as pending.

1-Year Agency Response

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has developed and adopted a formal procedures manual for the Pet Lover's License Plate Grant Program (Pet Lover's). The procedures manual includes instruction to verify and document grant applicant eligibility before proposals advance to technical review. All applicants are verified to ensure current licensing with the Veterinary Medical Board and verification of eligibility is printed and attached to the administrative review. In the case of non-profit applicants, current registration with the Secretary State is also verified and attached to the administrative review. All applicants are also verified for current reporting with the California Department of Public Health based on the most recent year available. For 2020, this review occurred concurrent to technical review. For 2021, Pet Lover's administrative review and verification of eligibility occurred prior to technical review.

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

Although Food and Agriculture developed procedures that direct its staff to verify and document that grant applicants are eligible for funding from the Pet Lover's program before forwarding the applications to the technical review panel, it did not provide evidence that it has begun following those procedures as we recommended.

6-Month Agency Response

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is in the process of developing a formal procedures manual specific for the Pet Lover's License Plate Grant Program (Pet Lover's), which will be in place before the beginning of the 2021 Pet Lover's grant solicitation period. CDFA has already substantially augmented the Pet Lover's eligibility verification within the administrative review process beginning with the 2020 Pet Lover's grant solicitation. All applicants are verified to ensure current licensing with the Veterinary Medical Board and verification of eligibility is printed and attached to the administrative review. In the case of non-profit applicants, current registration with the Secretary State is also verified and attached to the administrative review. All applicants are also verified for current reporting with the California Department of Public Health. For 2020, this review occurred concurrent to technical review. CDFA anticipates that proposed changes to the 2021 Pet Lover's timeline will ensure that eligibility verification can be completed before technical review on a going forward basis.

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

60-Day Agency Response

The department indicated it will respond at the six-month mark.

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

All Recommendations in 2019-121

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.