Strengthening Control and Integrity: A Checklist for Government Managers

With the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and the extensive reporting requirements stemming from this new legislation, government managers are faced with even greater demands for fiscal accountability and transparency. Maintaining financial integrity over agency data is especially important given the amount of information the public can now access through websites such as Recovery.gov and USASpending.gov. Because of such public scrutiny, government managers must be even more vigilant in ensuring the soundness and quality of their data. The report by Professor Bailey provides valuable information to public officials across the nation, from senior management to staff responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, in managing financial and ethical risks inherent in most governmental activities. The best practices examples from local governments and financial oversight and integrity checklists contained in the report provide sound guidance to facilitate the strengthening of financial controls and integrity across government.