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Upcoming May/June Events

Upcoming Events
- Procurement Card Benefits, Risks, Fraud and Controls
- IIA Event: Challenges Facing Internal Auditors
- Audio Conference: Those Faint Signals - Learning to Catch Ethical Slippage Before It's Too Late
- Annual Charity Golf Tournament
- Operation DVD

 

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Procurement Card Benefits, Risks, Fraud and Controls

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 
When: Thursday, May 6th
Where: Italian American Community Center, 257 Washington Ave Extension, Albany
Time: 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Registration; 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM - luncheon and speakers
Cost: $35 AGA members; $50 for others 
CPEs: 2
 
 
YOU MUST REGISTER BY MONDAY, MAY 3RD!
 
The Procurement Card Program is designed to be an efficient and cost effective way to expedite small dollar purchases. Procurement Card Program benefits include reduced processing time, paperwork and handling costs along with a more rapid and efficient receipt of goods. In addition, entities can receive rebates for using the Card.

Comptroller DiNapoli stated in 2008 that, "Using the procurement card system instead of the paper-based purchase order and vouchering system is a simple way State agencies can cut costs and eliminate waste. Every agency should take advantage of every opportunity to save tax dollars."

There are, however, certain inherent risks associated with a Procurement Card Program. Specifically, purchases are typically completed before supervision and oversight activities can occur. In addition, the selection of the vendor and the determination of the reasonableness of the price are left to the cardholder. Some have taken advantage of these risks and got caught - hear about the frauds.

To share their experience with the procurement card are Jerry Barber, Assistant Comptroller for the State Accountability Division, Office of the State Comptroller; Nancy Quay, Assistant University Auditor for SUNY; Don Temple, Senior Auditor for SUNY; Katie Gavigan, Audit Supervisor for the Bureau of State Expenditures, Office of the State Comptroller; and Barbara Akers, Principal Auditor for the Bureau of State Expenditures, Office of the State Comptroller.

Please join us for lunch and learn about the benefits of the procurement card and how the risks can be lessened through training and controls that prevent and identify instances of inappropriate or questionable purchases.

Lunch Choices:
Bistro Steak
Chicken Parmigiana
Penne with Broccoli
IIA Event: Challenges Facing Internal Auditors - Today and Tomorrow
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 
When: Thursday, May 6th
WhereEdison Club, Riverview Road, Rexford, NY 12148
Time: 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM - (Registration begins at 8:00 AM)
Cost: $20 IIA and AGA members; $30 for others 
CPEs: 3
 
 
YOU MUST REGISTER BY MONDAY, MAY 3RD!
 
 If ever an organization needed an effective internal audit function, NOW is the time!  But how do we deal with limited resources, numerous potential audit areas, changing dynamics inside and outside of the organization, increased involvement of government in business oversight, ethical standard compliance, rebuilding trust, identifying emerging risks, plus many other factors which the internal auditor must deal with to be effective? 
 
In this session, we will explore the key areas facing internal auditing today as they relate to the current economic environment and recent
history of failures of both the public and private sectors taking into account the challenges facing our profession.  Our approach will lead us from key questions to be answered to a roadmap of how to successfully
involve internal auditing in being not only a source for identifying key issues but also a coordinator for resolution.  This discussion will
involve both theory and practical applications based on results achieved by highly regarded internal audit functions in the government and
private sectors.
 
Attendees will receive the following key take aways: 
  •  An approach to identifying key risks
  • Ethical situations which need internal audit  attention and how
    to address them 
  • A list of the top ten areas in which internal auditing must be
    seen as the leader in the coming years
  • Examples of how Internal Audit Departments have addressed these
    key areas

Audio Conference: Those Faint Signals - Learning to Catch Ethical Slippage Before It's Too Late
When: Wednesday, May 19th
WhereOffice of the State Comptroller, 110 State Street, Albany or NYS Department of Transportation, 50 Wolf Rd., Albany
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
Cost: Free for AGA members; $15 for non-members 
CPEs: 2
 
During this audio conference, the presenter will recount some recent ethical lapses in government and examine the causes and effects. By examining a series of ethical lapses, we find that a pattern emerges. That pattern allows us to think about this question: What is it in the culture of an agency that allows obvious ethical breaches to occur and continue? Once we understand the culture, we can think about putting the detection methods, as well as antidotes, in place.

The compliance training, the codes, and all those easily measurable components of ethical culture may not tell the full story. Without the full story, we can never be sure that we are catching all those gradual slips. The full story requires consideration of factors that are not easily placed into dashboard measures. The presenter takes a look at some of the faint signals which appear long before the ethical troubles emerge.

To share her expertise in ethical behavior and its ramifications is Marianne M. Jennings, JD, Professor in the Department of Management in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU). At ASU, Marianne teaches graduate courses in the MBA program in business ethics and the legal environment of business. Professor Jennings has authored hundreds of articles and has six textbooks and monographs in circulation. Marianne's latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse, was published by St. Martin's Press in July 2006. She has conducted more than 300 workshops and seminars in the areas of business, personal, government, legal, academic and professional ethics. Among her many awards and honors, Marianne was inducted into the AGA Speakers' Hall of Fame and also received a writers' award for best article in AGA's Journal of Government Financial Management.

Annual Charity Golf Tournament

When: Friday, June 4th
Where: Van Patten Golf Club, 924 Main Street, Clifton Park, NY
Cost: $80 per person, with the proceeds to benefit the Albany Medical Center's Children's Hospital.
 
The local chapters of the AGA, IIA, ACFE and ISACA are co-sponsoring a golf tournament to benefit the Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital.

The day will include coffee, pastries, bagels and juice in the morning, 18 holes of golf (cart included) at the Van Patten Golf Club in Clifton Park, as well as an awards ceremony with lunch after golf. Lunch will include barbequed chicken, sausage and peppers, ziti, deli platter, cheeses, and salads. The cost of this event is $80 per person with the proceeds to benefit the Albany Medical Center's Children's Hospital.
 
Please join us for a day of golf and to support the wonderful accomplishments of the Children's Hospital. Don't have a full team? Not a problem! We will round out your team with other participants (we'll contact you about your team prior to the event).

The registration deadline is May 21, 2010.

If you have any questions, contact Brian Gee at [email protected], or at (518) 486-4248.

 
 Golf 2

 

Operation DVD

The New York Capital Chapter of the AGA is proud to participate in OPERATION DVD.
 
Since outdoor entertainment is extremely difficult to provide for our soldiers overseas, many are passing time watching movies. We will be conducting a DVD drive for the next few months to support our soldiers. New and used DVDs are accepted and there will be a drop box at all of our upcoming events.
 
Please keep our nation's heroes in mind when you are considering whether or not to donate. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Nicole Van Hoesen at [email protected].