Introductory Tribal Finance & Accounting Certificate Program

The federal government awards grants and other assistance awards for more than $500 billion annually. With those funds come a host of compliance obligations, regulatory and statutory requirements, and the potential for audits, enforcement actions, and investigations. This presentation will provide an overview of the rules of the road for federal grantees – the OMB Uniform Guidance – with an emphasis on those areas that create the most headache for tribes and create regulatory risk. This session will also introduce some of the types of federal grant programs most relevant to tribes, including the Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant.

Attendees will:

• Identify the intent of what is the meaning of the Super Circular
• List what the potential impacts of your organization are to noncompliance of a grant
• Name at least two ways you can keep the mandatory disclosure rule and avoid harm to your organization

In this section, attendees will hear what tribal preparations are needed for the final months of participation in a federal grant. The topics covered include a suggested timeline to implement at your tribe, what tribes should consider regarding personnel responsibilities, no-cost extensions, fulfilling matching requirements, financial closeouts, and program elements.

Attendees will:

• Recognize the components of a grant lifecycle
• Identify components and important issues of grant management and grant close-outs
• List components in the case study of FEMA to identify problems and solutions that could occur in the grant award and compliance process

This section provides an introduction to the cost principles that apply to tribal governments and other tribal-federal award recipients outlined in the OMB Uniform Guidance. This training will cover general principles governing cost – including costs that require prior approval, direct cost charging, indirect cost groupings and proper allocation bases. It will also identify unallowable costs, how to properly document expenses, and how agencies apply the costs principles as they administer the grant and cooperative agreement.

Attendees will:

• Identify the concepts central to federal cost principles
• Distinguish costs associated with direct and indirect costs
• List cost principles and support answers on direct and indirect costs with citations

This session aims to assist tribal governments in understanding what information they are required to maintain and how having an accurate recording of information not only fulfills the OMB Uniform Guidance requirements but also protects the tribe.

Attendees will:

• Recall what a “record” is in today’s tribal government
• Identify federal grant and self-determination record retention time requirements
• Recognize records a tribe is required to keep to maintain a strong financial management system

This session uses interactive case studies to explore methods for resolving ethical dilemmas. The session covers obstacles to making and carrying out ethical decisions, identifies pitfalls in ethical decision making and includes questions that can help clarify appropriate routes for dealing with dilemmas.

Attendees will:

• Recall definition of “ethics”
• Name at least five of the 10 steps in the AICPA’s Ethical Decision-Making Model
• Identify six pillars of the AICPA code

The OMB Uniform Guidance (2 CFR § 200) streamlined and consolidated government requirements for receiving and using federal funds. 

Attendees will:

• Identify the key Uniform Grant Guidance Subparts
• Distinguish and recognize key aspects in regard to cost principles, record keeping, indirect costs and close out grants

It is crucial for the Tribe to be financially literate to best utilize its resources for the betterment of its people. Financial education efforts are linked to economic incentives. Government accounting standards and principles and how they are applied to tribes will be presented. This session will help leaders understand financial statements, including the statement of net position (balance sheet) and the statement of activities (income statement). This session will also help leaders understand the flow of information included in the financial statements, including required supplemental information and financial statement disclosures.

Attendees will:

• Recognize the financial statements included in Governmental Funds, Proprietary Funds, and Fiduciary Funds
• Identify the 2 methods of reporting Component Units

Indirect Cost can inevitably benefit your grant funded programs and organization fiscal health. Understanding these costs and how to manage them will help you prepare accurate budgets for your funding agencies. Most importantly, you will gain a thorough understanding of how Indirect Cost is charged to the programs, how the Tribe spends those dollars, and why it is so important to the Tribe.

Attendees will:

• Recognize the definition of indirect cost
• Recall how an indirect cost rate is determined
• Identify indirect costs and how they are charged to programs

Internal controls are the key to success so an entity’s governing elected officials or board of directors, management and personnel may receive some assurance regarding achievement of objections related to operations, reporting and compliance matters. The objectives are affected by a control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication and monitoring. Fraud prevention is an ongoing cycle involving monitoring, detection, management of cases and learning to prevent further fraud in the future. Learn to recognize and protect finances when possible to avoid being vulnerable and take preventive measures to avoid risk.

Attendees will:

• Define internal controls
• Recognize the COSO framework components and definitions
• List the primary areas of internal controls

This session will help you understand the basic framework of Federal Indian law, including tribal jurisdiction, Indian land holdings, and sovereign immunity. These concepts will be explored through a discussion of economic development in Indian Country.

Attendees will:

• Recall what the term Federal Indian Law refers to
• Recognize the different powers of Tribal Sovereignty
• List what purposes tribal gaming net revenues are to be used for

Corporate finance and tribal finance has many similarities. However, tribal finance and accounting has its own particular characteristics. This session is an introduction to tribal finance and the anomalies associated with tribal finance operations. The objective of accounting is to collect, analyze and communicate financial information to financial statement users for decision-making and to raise and invest funds for their businesses. As the tribal financial and/or accounting officer, one must be as objective as possible and help others understand the financial scene in making political and financial decisions.

Attendees will:

• Identify the characteristics that an organization may have one or more of to be a governmental organization
• Recall examples of legally separate entities in financial reporting
• Recognize the unique aspects of tribes that impact financial management

This session provides an overview of the IRS Division for Tribal Governments and its tribal specific publications that impact tribes, including guidance on Tribal Council member payments, payments to election boards, payments to tribal boards or committees, per capita payments, tribal gaming reporting – tips and winnings, 1099 versus W-2’s, and the Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act. Also reviewed will be tribal government pensions under the Pension Act, and the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act provisions.

Attendees will:

• Recall W2 and 1099 filings
• Identify tribal government pensions under the Pension Act as taxable or non-taxable
• Recognize the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act provisions

This session will explore how the principles of federal Indian law differs in Oklahoma. The legal status of “Indian country,” the organization of tribes and the administration of tribal land will be discussed.  We will touch on the unique history of Oklahoma tribes and the tribal-state jurisdictional relationship and contrast this to national norms.

Attendees will:

• Recall the unique legal history of Oklahoma tribes
• Match the discussed tribal cases to their content matter

All tribal nations need to be able to provide accurate, current and complete financial disclosures.  This session will address government funds, proprietary funds, and fiduciary funds. Government fund accounting may include the general fund, special revenue funds, capital projects, debt service, and permanent funds. Proprietary funds (enterprise funds) address the fact that tribes charge customers for the services it provides (external customers, or members/units of tribes). Fiduciary funds are used to report assets held in a trustee or agency capacity. Other accounting fundamentals covered in this session include budgeting, general journal, general ledger, statement of net position, statement of activities, accounts payable, payroll, receipts, cash vs. accrual accounting methods, etc.

Attendees will:

• List the three bases of accounting and identify which is not used in GAAP
• Match each fund type as either a Governmental Fund, a Proprietary Fund, or a Fiduciary Fund and what basis of accounting those funds use

Budgets are important to the operation of an enterprise whose budget cycle may include preparation and submission, approval, execution and audit and evaluation. In this course, you will gain an introduction to the budget process and learn elements of a budget cycle. You will learn about a mid-year budget review and year end budget review. Budget tools and a review of a budget worksheet will also be covered.  

Attendees will:

• Recall the budgeting calendar cycle
• Match the components in mid-year and year-end budget reviews
• Recognize budget tools and their levels

The Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) is a report detailing the federal money spent by each agency during the audit period. This report is a vital piece of information for the auditors in their planning of your annual audit.

Attendees will:

• Recognize components of the SEFA schedule workpaper
• Identify how this report is used by federal agencies