Audit of Unobligated Balances of Funds Awarded Under the Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Our objectives were to determine how much funding remained unobligated at the close of the Bioterrorism Program and what factors contributed to the unobligated balances. At the close of the Bioterrorism Program, unobligated balances totaled more than $157 million for the 52 awardees that submitted financial status reports for the last budget period. This amount represented 15.8 percent of the approximately $996 million awarded for the last budget period. Although CDC had methods in place to monitor the obligation and expenditure of funds, many awardees did not fully execute their expenditure plans or submit timely financial status reports. Thus, CDC did not always receive the information needed to encourage the expenditure of funds and to minimize unobligated balances. CDC officials did not offset (reduce) new-year awards by the amount of unobligated funds carried over from the prior budget year. 

Under its new program, which began August 31, 2005, CDC has strengthened its guidance and established additional controls. CDC also reports that it has obtained departmental approval to use carryover funds from the prior budget year to offset the amount of funding approved for the new budget period.

We recommended that CDC, in managing awards under its new program: (1) ensure that awardees submit financial status reports in a timely manner, (2) follow new program guidance to better manage grant funds among eligible entities and preparedness priorities, and (3) when appropriate, offset new-year awards by the amount of unobligated funds carried over from the prior budget year to better manage large unobligated balances and meet program goals. CDC concurred with our recommendations and stated that it had taken a number of actions that had helped to significantly reduce unobligated balances.