(March 2024) OIG Anti-Fraud Advisory Recommendations for Timekeeping

Modified on Tue, 20 Aug at 2:30 PM

Ensuring Your Timesheet System Follows OIG's Recommendations

In March 2024, the Office of Inspector General released a timesheet-focused anti-fraud advisory. As you may have already read, the advisory lists several recommendations to follow.

Aligning Your Impact Suite with the OIG's Recommendations:
If there's anything on OIG's "Do" list you're not currently doing, consider checking in with your program officer to learn if they'd like you to update this or next year's sheets. Be sure to get any recommendations in writing for audits down the road.

Sample E-mail to Pass Along to Your Program Officer

Dear ____,

America Learns, our timesheet partner, informed us of the recent anti-fraud advisory from the OIG. I'm wondering which of their recommendations we should implement during this program year, which ones we should implement for 2024-25, and which items we shouldn't worry about (if any).

Here are the items we currently do not follow:

We can immediately update our timesheet platform to align with these recommendations, but before we do, I wanted to learn if it's necessary from your perspective.

Thank you!

How to Align with OIG Recommendations

If you decide to make updates now, we've created this guide that covers each recommendation.

1) Does your timesheet template have the right categories?

Ensure your timesheet template has (at minimum) separate categories for Service, Training, and Fundraising.

If your timesheet doesn't have these categories, here are the steps to make the change:

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Timesheets.
On the right, click Create & manage timesheet templates.
Scroll to the section Time Allocation Categories. From here, you can Create a Category by clicking the link.
This change will be saved automatically and is effective immediately.

2) Is your timesheet template set up for TWO SIGNERS (Site Supervisor, then Timesheet Director, OR Two Site Supervisors)?

If your template is currently set as a "One Signer" approval, OIG recommends changing this. Once you've confirmed with your Program Officer that you should make this change in the current program year, here are the steps to make the change:

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Timesheets.
On the right, click Create & manage timesheet templates.
Scroll to the section When Screening Sheets, How Many People Should Sign Off on Each Site? You can change from One Signer to one of the other two options.
This change will happen immediately but will only affect new timesheets as they are submitted.

3) Does your timesheet template have a sufficient statement for reporters (members) above the signature area?

You have total control over the message that appears before members sign their timesheet. To align with the OIG recommendation, you can change this message to something like this:

Here are the steps:

On the left, in your Mission Control, click Timesheets.
On the right, click Create & manage timesheet templates.
Scroll to the section Text Above the Signature Area. From here, you can update the text your reporters will see before signing their timesheets.
This change will be saved automatically and is effective immediately.