Summary

GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) implementation of the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act of 1982.

GAO found that the December 1983 DOE statement to the President and Congress fairly represented DOE efforts to comply with the act. The statement concluded that: (1) the DOE system of internal controls provides reasonable assurance that overall internal control objectives are met but noted that controls in several areas could be strengthened; and (2) the Comptroller General's accounting principles and standards have been incorporated in the DOE accounting systems but documentation and additional audit coverage are needed. Although GAO found that DOE has made a good start toward compliance with the act, DOE should: (1) develop written procedures to review vulnerability assessments; (2) follow up on internal control review recommendations not currently tracked; (3) formally designate management responsibility to perform automated data processing assessments; (4) expand accounting system compliance instructions to clearly identify departmental components; (5) develop specific review procedures to ensure that accounting systems compliance statements are complete and accurate; (6) complete the documentation of all accounting systems; and (7) incorporate testing requirements into DOE accounting systems compliance procedures.