§ 600.408 - Cognizant agency responsibilities.

(a) The Single Audit Act provides for cognizant Federal agencies to oversee the implementation of this subpart by recipients.

(b) The Office of Management and Budget will assign cognizant agencies for States and their subdivisions and larger local governments and their subdivisions. (Cognizance assignments/responsibilities for other types of recipients are not governed by the Single Audit Act or by this subpart.) Other Federal agencies may participate with an assigned cognizant agency, in order to fulfill the cognizance responsibilities. Smaller governments not assigned a cognizant agency will be under the general oversight of the Federal agency that provides them the most funds whether directly or indirectly.

(c) When DOE is the cognizant agency, the DOE Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG) shall:

(1) Ensure that audits are made and reports are received in a timely manner and in accordance with the requirements of this subpart.

(2) Provide technical advice and liaison to State and local governments and independent auditors.

(3) Obtain or make quality control reviews of selected audits made by non-Federal audit organizations, and provide the results, when appropriate, to other interested organizations.

(4) Promtly inform other affected Federal agencies and appropriate Federal law enforcement officials of any reported illegal acts or irregularities. DOE-OIG will also inform State or local law enforcement and prosecuting authorities, if not advised by the recipient, of any violation of law within their jurisdiction.

(5) Advise the recipient of audits that have been found not to have met the requirements set forth in this subpart. In such instances, the recipient will be expected to work with the auditor to take corrective action. If corrective action is not taken, DOE-OIG shall notify the recipient and Federal awarding agencies of the facts and make recommendations for followup action. Major inadequacies or repetitive substandard performance of independent auditors shall be referred to appropriate professional bodies for disciplinary action.

(6) Coordinate, to the extent practicable, audits made by or for Federal agencies that are in addition to the audits made pursuant to this subpart so that the additional audits build upon such audits.

(7) Oversee the resolution of audit findings that affect the programs of more than one agency.