2016 IPERIA Assessment
If your fire service organization has won an AFG grant, be ready for a possible procurement integrity check from FEMA.
FEMA recently sent this note to AFG grantees:
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), is conducting a required assessment of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 payments under the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 (IPERIA). Your department may be selected to participate in the IPERIA assessment. If selected, your department will be contacted by a member of the AFG Program Office and you will be asked to submit an invoice and proof of payment (cancelled check or other proof of purchase) for a specific payment request made on a specific date in FY 2015. This is a time sensitive issue and your deadline will be conveyed in the initial contact.
As a reminder, participation in the IPERIA assessment is mandatory. Your compliance and participation is required under the terms and conditions of your grant agreement (Award Package). Failure to submit your invoice(s) and proof(s) of purchase (cancelled check or other proof of payment) for the payment(s) selected for the IPERIA assessment may result in a financial liability to FEMA and the United States Treasury; the collection of those funds will be by the Office of Chief Financial Officer.
Your participation and support of this assessment is greatly appreciated.
This assessment is something you’ll need to take seriously and be ready for, says Kurt Bradley, Senior Grants Consultant at First Responder Grants.
“They are checking for compliance with procurement integrity rules required now under the OMB ‘Super-Circular,’ says Bradley. “Departments need to be certain that they have all receipts, canceled checks, bid quotes, etc. If they happen to get randomly picked for a ‘phone audit,’ they will be asked to scan and send them in for a spot check.”
As long as departments are have following procurement integrity rules, then there should be no problems. Just make sure your department has that information and documentation handily available, preferably in one file.