Government Finance Review articles from February 2006

Government Finance Review archives from February 2006

Defining internal control.(from the editors)
February 1, 2006... The corporate accounting scandals of the last several years exposed serious weaknesses in the internal control systems of some American companies. Congress responded by passing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which, among other things, requires...

State revenues 4 percent higher than expected.(The Fiscal Survey of the States results)
February 1, 2006... In a report released in December, the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers found that revenues improved notably in fiscal 2005, enabling many states to begin to restore funding to programs cut...

Major workforce study exposes serious disconnects between employers and employees.
February 1, 2006... As a serious talent and worker shortage looms in the U.S., a new comprehensive study released by staffing and recruiting corporation Spherion Corporation indicates that many employers are not taking the steps necessary to retain existing...

NASCIO survey: project management increases IT implementation success.(National Association of State Chief Information Officers)
February 1, 2006... Billions of dollars are spent on government IT projects every year. Although many have good track records, project success rates have great room for improvement. Governments have demonstrated that applying the discipline of project management...

New releases.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 1, 2006... Pressured by corporate scandals and a tough regulatory environment, companies today demand far more from their CFOs than simply managing the numbers. They expect support and leadership that can boost managers' performance throughout the firm...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2006... The December 2005 article, "Revisiting the DB-DC Question," contained an error on page 26. The article stated that the median cost to administer a statewide DB plan is "less than 30 percent." This should have read "less than .30 percent." The...

More organizations backing up data after Katrina.(News & Numbers)
February 1, 2006... In the wake of major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, organizations have learned that backing up or replicating data may be the key to keeping their business running, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. In a survey of North American IT...

30 years and running.(News & Numbers)
February 1, 2006... GFOA Executive Director/CEO Jeffrey L. Esser presents the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago its 30th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Pictured from left to right are Kevin...

National totals of state and local tax revenue, by type of tax.(News & Numbers)(Illustration)
February 1, 2006... National Totals of State and Local Tax Revenue, by Type of Tax (Dollar amounts in millions) Corporation Individual net Quarters Total ...

Understanding internal control.(Committee of Sponsoring Organizations)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2006... The concept of internal control is hardly new. All the same, recent private sector scandals and subsequent federal legislation have significantly renewed interest in this important, but frequently neglected topic. This article will examine what...

Overcoming the obstacles to an effective internal control function.(role of internal auditor, internal audit function)
February 1, 2006... The role of the internal auditor in government is a unique, difficult, and challenging one, beset by obstacles and presented with opportunities. The internal auditor is an essential component of a governmental agency's internal control...

Who's minding the store? New York State's ongoing quest to strengthen internal control.
February 1, 2006... It has been nearly 20 years since New York State first passed the Governmental Accountability, Audit and Internal Control Act of 1987. In so doing, the state created a new model for government accountability. The new law challenged those in...

Making local government more workable through shared services.(successful intergovernmental partnerships)
February 1, 2006... In this era of "permanent fiscal crisis," local governments have no choice but to seek out new and better ways of providing the services citizens demand within the constraint of available resources. (1) This may explain why nearly twice as many...

Managing change in IT improvement initiatives.
February 1, 2006... Over the last decade, many governments have sought out enterprise-wide financial and human resource systems (commonly known in the technology industry as "ERP" systems) with the expectation that these systems would reduce costs by improving...

Recommended practice a tutor for new pension board member; GFOA's recommended practice on funding retirement systems provides guidance to new--and continuing--trustees on how to critique and evaluate investment recommendations of staff and consultants.(Government Finance Officers Association, Public Employees' Retirement Association)
February 1, 2006... Media reports about the funding problems and management challenges facing both public and private pension systems have become increasingly common in recent years. The burden of solving these problems ultimately falls on retirement system...

Preparing the next generation of leaders: many public organizations are facing leadership turnover of 50 percent or higher in the next few years. Unless we develop talented replacements, our organizations face the very real risk of failing to achieve our missions, and our potential.(just-in-time approach, integrated approach)
February 1, 2006... Last year 1 wrote about how the graying of our population is creating a workforce crisis. While some government agencies have yet to feel the impact of baby boomer retirements, it's inevitable. As 80 million baby boomers ease into retirement,...

Performance management and measurement at the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority developed a balanced scorecard system that automatically pulls data from the financial, risk management, and fleet management systems and makes performance data available to all stakeholders.
February 1, 2006... In the December Solutions article we discussed strategies for using performance measurement to actually improve organizational performance through better planning, budgeting, managing, and communicating. Much like a well-coached basketball...

Ambitious congressional agenda stalls in 2005: from Internet sales tax collection to tax-exempt bond regulations, GFOA's Federal Liaison Center will continue to represent the interests of state and local governments in Washington in 2006.(Government Finance Officers Association)
February 1, 2006... Congress began the 109th Session with grand ambitions, but unforeseen events prevented many of these new initiatives from moving forward. Social Security reform and various tax measures were moved to the backburner in the aftermath of Hurricane...

Proposed guidance on sales and pledges: the key challenge in accounting for the receipt of cash proceeds in exchange for a transfer of the claim to collections of certain receivables or future revenues is to distinguish a true sale from what is really nothing more than a collateralized loan or pledge.(The Accounting Angle)
February 1, 2006... This past fall, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board issued an exposure draft on the proper accounting and financial reporting for Sales and Pledges of Receivables and Future Revenues. This article will briefly examine the key provisions...

Debunking the 'people resist change' Myth.(The Bookshelf)
February 1, 2006... As a self-described "career academic and part-time practitioner," Steven Kelman gives an enlightening account of an outsider's view of the inside of governmental bureaucracy in his book Unleashing Change. A Study of Organizational Renewal in...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... [state and provincial association events] February California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Annual Conference February 21-24 Palm Springs, California www.csmfo.org GFOA of Alabama Annual Conference February 26-28...

Eminent domain: a fair middle path?(Commentary)(Column)
February 1, 2006... Sparks continue to fly across the country as a result of last June's U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding this city's use of eminent domain powers to seize homes in a working-class neighborhood so that a private developer could build a...