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Audit

Audit  Audit of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination

The audit examined MCAD’s case management system to determine whether a backlog was present. The audit also reviewed whether MCAD had created a process for ensuring that Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds received complied with the policies issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth (CTR) and whether the employees processing these funds were trained in risk management and information security as required by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS). The audit examined the period of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020.

Organization: Office of the State Auditor
Date published: April 4, 2022

Executive Summary

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination (MCAD) for the period January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020.

In this performance audit, we reviewed MCAD’s case management system to determine whether a backlog1 was present, and we identified specific events within investigations that could affect why they might take longer than required to complete. Additionally, we assessed whether MCAD had created a process for ensuring that Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds received complied with the policies issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth (CTR). We also assessed whether the employees processing these funds were trained in risk management and information security as required by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS).

Below is a summary of our findings and recommendations, with links to each page listed.  

Finding 1
 

MCAD did not complete discrimination investigations on time.

Recommendations
 
  1. MCAD should determine the number of investigators required to complete investigations on time.
  2. MCAD should identify and resolve the cause of the long durations between events that occurred during some investigations that were not completed on time.

Finding 2
 

MCAD did not notify CTR of the receipt of CARES Act funds or update its internal control plan (ICP).

Recommendations
 
  1. MCAD should notify CTR when it receives any CARES Act funds.
  2. MCAD should draft a “COVID-19 Pandemic Response Plan Appendix,” incorporate it into its ICP, and annually review and update the ICP and appendix with any changes necessary.

Finding 3
 

MCAD staff members responsible for the management of CARES Act funds did not receive cybersecurity awareness training.

Recommendation
 

MCAD should coordinate with EOTSS to ensure that cybersecurity awareness training is held annually for all employees.

A PDF copy of the Audit of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is available here.

1.    MCAD uses the term “backlog” to mean the population of investigations that took longer to complete than the time allowed by Section 1.05 of Title 804 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations. We use the term the same way in this report.

Table of Contents

Downloads

Open PDF file, 837.08 KB,  Audit of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (English, PDF 837.08 KB)

Contact

Phone

Main (617) 727-2075

Online

Auditor@MassAuditor.gov

Fax

(617) 727-3014

Address

Massachusetts State House
Room 230
Boston, MA 02133
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