I don’t know if it’s running anymore, but there used to be a great ad campaign for Duracell batteries that featured the Energizer Bunny. This wind-up rabbit would parade through the scene, beating a drum and just kept going and going and going. That was the point. The bunny, fueled by the batteries, kept goingRead… Read more »
I’ve been looking at the recently released 2011 A-133 Compliance Supplement and found several items of interest (at least to me) that I thought I would pass along. OMB added a a new element to the core compliance requirements to alert auditors and program officials as to whether the reporting requirements of the Transparency ActRead… Read more »
The workplace has definitely changed in the last twenty-five years. You have probably noticed the changes in technology and the increase of Generation-X managers in your organization. But what you may not have noticed is the shift in employee expectations of management. They are no longer satisfied with the “command and control” mentality that dominatedRead… Read more »
“Folks, I have some good news and I have some bad news” the pilot announced. “We have landed in Atlanta way early, but there is a plane at our gate and it will be about 20 minutes before they move.” Throughout the plane you could hear the moans and comments about the airline’s inability toRead… Read more »
Every successful organization has at least one linchpin; some have dozens or even thousands. The linchpin is the essential element, the person who holds part of the organization together. Without the linchpin, the thing falls apart. – by Seth Godin in Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (2010) Two American icons have been getting a bit ofRead… Read more »
Readers of this blog know I like to play the electric guitar (I turn it up to 11), and I like Arlington Fretworks. http://arlingtonfretworks.com/home Proprietor and craftsman Daniel Carbone repairs and builds guitars there. I have written previously about his standards of excellence being off the charts. (One client wrote that he would trust himRead… Read more »
Finally, the Office of Management and Budget has released the 2011 Circular A-133 audit guidance document. As usual, new programs have been added, other programs have been deleted, and individual program descriptions have been updated. In addition, OMB has added guidance and references relating to Transparency Act reporting, and clarified reporting requirements and auditors’ responsibilitiesRead… Read more »
Grant recipients (both pass-through entities and subrecipients) may want to take note of an interesting item in OMB’s recent guidance on implementation of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (PL 111-204). OMB says that for grant programs, agencies must consider payment recapture audits at the grant recipient level. “Federal agencies should work with stateRead… Read more »
I recently served on a grand jury, which is definitely some experiential learning. It allows one to discover many facets of the community that may not be encountered so regularly in the course of everyday life. The way a grand jury works is that you hear many, many case summaries, each of which takes anywhereRead… Read more »
I’ve adopted a new practice I want to share with you, because it’s making a real difference in my own life, and maybe it could in yours, too. You know the bumper sticker, “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty?” The one some people sneer at? Well, the people who made and display thatRead… Read more »