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DOD Financial and Audit Readiness

 

Today, the GAO's audit opinion still lists the DoD overall with disclaimers, as the Pentagon's Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) plan continues to illustrate six high risks department-wide, including lack of full commitment, insufficient accountability, poorly defined scope and requirements, unqualified personnel, insufficient funding and weaknesses in information system control [Cor13]. The ultimate goal for the DoD is to conform to the standards of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and achieve full audit readiness on all financial statements by September 30, 2017[DOD13].
             Major Users of Financial Statements.
             As the DoD is a public organization, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and the Under Secretary of Defense, Chief Financial Officer (CFO or Comptroller) must ensure the intended end-users of the financial statements are meeting the targeted goal. The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) identified four major users of federal financial reports to be citizens, Congress, federal executives, and federal program managers[FAS93]. However, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) identified citizens and their elected representatives, such as legislatures, other oversight organizations, and creditors, as the primary beneficiaries of the information in governmental financial reports [GAS13]. In summary, the DoD audited financial statements are truly for American citizens, however not directly reviewed, but provide congressional policy-makers better oversight of programs to make better public policy and management decisions with the government's resources. .
             Department of Defense Financial Goals.
             These primary users of the DoD audited financial records desire optimal accountability in achieving the DoD's mission in implementing an effective internal control system. In 2009, the DoD refined its strategy to focus on two department-wide priorities [GAO].


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