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Association of Government Accountants December 2010
In This Issue
:: NEW!! National Audio Conference: Data Mining and Predictive Analytics to Prioritize Leads and Highlight Risk for Investigators and Auditors
:: National Audio Conference: Making Internal Controls Work in Your Organization
:: National Audio Conference: One Year Later: Are We Winning the Improper Payments Battle?
:: Community Service Event: Smart Investing @ Your Library
:: Community Service Event: VITA Support

NEW!! National Audio Conference:  Needles in a Haystack - Data Mining and Predictive Analytics to Prioritize Leads and Highlight Risk for Investigators and Auditors

 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER


When: Wednesday, January 12th

Time:  2:00 PM to 3:50 PM

Where: Department of Transportation, 50 Wolf Rd, Albany

Cost:  FREE for AGA members, $15 for others

CPEs:  2 credits

 

Government investigators and auditors are often overwhelmed by high volumes of data and can perform only ad-hoc analyses and queries to find areas of potential risk and fraud. This audio conference will reveal how data mining can prioritize audits and investigations on the highest value leads or risk areas to ensure the most return on investment. Data mining uses proven statistical techniques to identify anomalous transactions, contracts or people to rank the most likely fraudulent cases for investigation or audit. Predictive modeling employs statistical models to learn from past audits and investigations to predict, in real-time, which new cases are most likely to be improper or fraudulent.

Searching for fraud is like looking for needles in a haystack, and specialized techniques are needed to succeed. When beginning a predictive modeling project, analysts almost always have relatively few known instances of fraud with which to represent the problem in the training phase of building the model. Some fraudulent cases that have escaped detection are mislabeled as valid, which adds to the challenge of distinguish between the two. Statistical outliers in the data, which are signs of unusual activity, are fruitful places to search for fraud, but a typical "alert" system built only on these will have far too many "false alarms," or false positives, to be useful in practice. In this audio conference, our presenters will show how to make real advances despite these challenges.

To share their practical experience in data mining, audits and investigations are John Elder, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Elder Research, Inc., a thought leader in the field of data mining and predictive analytics, an award-winning book author and a frequent keynote speaker at conferences; John V. Kelly, CGFM, CPA, CFE, Director of Forensic Audits, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Edward Slevin, CISA, Director of Computer-Aided Assessment Techniques, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education.

Please join us for two hours of lively discussion about this important and timely topic. In addition to the speakers' commentary, about 20 minutes will be set aside for Q & A so that the participants can ask the speakers questions and share their own experiences.

National Audio Conference:  Making Internal Controls Work in Your Organization 


When: Wednesday, February 2nd

Time:  2:00 PM to 3:50 PM

Where: Office of the State Comptroller, 110 State Street, Albany

or

Department of Transportation, 50 Wolf Rd, Albany

Cost:  FREE for AGA members, $15 for others

CPEs:  2 credits

 

This program will show participants how to:
  • Design and implement effective internal controls
  • Match organization risks to internal control procedures
  • Build strong soft control procedures into daily behaviors

The presenter will cover the following areas:

  • Introduction to business risk management and internal controlsInternal control concepts.
  • Example business risk models and control matrices
  • Organization governance, oversight and related controls
  • The COSO Control Framework and similar models
  • Example control documentation
  • Why controls fail and what to do about it
  • Soft controls versus hard controls
  • Preventive controls versus detective controls
  • Case studies and examples

To share his expertise in internal controls, fraud and risk management is John J. Hall, CPA, a professional speaker, seminar instructor and business consultant. He has 30-plus years of business experience in public accounting, multinational corporations and as a business owner and operator. His presentations stress active participant interaction, the development of high impact "how to" actions and solutions, and enhanced business and interpersonal skills for all involved.

Please join us for two hours of lively discussion about this important and timely topic. In addition to the speaker's commentary, about 20 minutes is set aside for questions.

Our Sponsors:

 

KPMG

 

BST 

 

National Audio Conference:  One Year Later:  Are We Winning the Improper Payments Battle?

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER


When: Wednesday, January 19th
Time:  2:00 PM to 3:50 PM

Where: Office of the State Comptroller, 110 State Street, Albany

or

Department of Transportation, 50 Wolf Rd, Albany

Cost:  FREE for AGA members, $15 for others

CPEs:  2 credits

 

On January 27, 2010, AGA held a national audio conference that addressed the then-new Executive Order, "Reducing Improper Payments and Eliminating Waste in Federal Programs." Improper payments were estimated to be $110 billion for fiscal year 2009. At the time, the director of the Office of Management and Budget stated, "These errors and mistakes are unacceptable. Taxpayers deserve to know their dollars are being spent wisely and effectively."

Where do we stand one year later? As the president called for, is the "right recipient receiving the right payment for the right reason at the right time"?

Panelists will provide their candid perspectives on where we stand today. They will share what has worked well, the challenges, and practical solutions to winning the improper payments battle. Given the state of the economy, the battle is very important to all taxpayers.

Speakers are Jeanette M. Franzel, CGFM, CPA, managing director, Financial Management and Assurance, U.S. Government Accountability Office; AGA Past National President Jeffrey C. Steinhoff, CGFM, CPA, executive director, KPMG Government Institute and a managing director at KPMG LLP, white paper author of "A Practical Look at Winning the Fight Against Improper Payments"; George D. Strudgeon, CPA, audit director, Human Services Management Specialty Team, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commonwealth of Virginia; and Daniel I. Werfel, controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget, who is leading the administration's fight against improper payments.

Please join us for two hours of lively discussion about this important and timely topic. In addition to the speakers' commentary, about 20 minutes will be set aside for questions.

Community Service Event:  Smart Investing @ Your Library 

 

When: Winter and Spring 2011

Where: Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Ave., Albany or a branch location

The New York Capital Chapter of the AGA is proud to offer our assistance with the Albany Public Library to help members of the community in financial counseling. Volunteers would be helping customers answer questions to their money matter questions. We would help in budgeting, saving, credit scores, bankruptcy, benefits, public health insurance, and identity theft. Volunteers would take a one-time, three hour course (in January) for training. Volunteers can then pick convenient days for them to work at the Library or a branch location, and assist customers in a one-on-one setting.

If you would like to volunteer for this new project or have any questions, please contact Nicole Van Hoesen at [email protected].

Community Service Event:  VITA Support

 

For the past several years, the New York Capital Chapter of the AGA has proudly supported the Albany Public Library in helping low income taxpayers who are unable to prepare or pay for their annual tax preparation. To be a volunteer, all you need to do is pass an 'open book' tax preparation exam - online whenever you have the time. You only need to take the exam before preparing returns (some have taken the exam in February or even March).

You can volunteer as much or as little time as you would like and whenever you would like. The tax returns for low income taxpayers are generally 'easy' ones. Currently, tax preparation at the Albany Public Library is on Saturdays from 9am-3pm - from February 5 through April 9, 2011. If these times are not good for you, there are multiple locations looking for volunteers within the Capital District. All publications, user guides and software training are provided free to volunteers. Prior tax preparation is not needed! The group works together in a fun, dynamic, learning environment.

To volunteer or to obtain more information, please call or email Linda Cioffi at [email protected] or (518) 209-3605.

Our Links:

 

AGA New York Capital Chapter 

 

AGA National

 

Current Newsletter

Capital IdeasOur Award Winning Newsletter is Available On-Line!

 

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