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A  Limited-Scope Review of the GLEAMNS Human Resources Commission
May 1999

REPORT (PDF)     SUMMARY (PDF)

Members of the General Assembly who requested this audit were concerned about GLEAMNS' expenditure of grant funds, its use of boards that work with the Head Start program, and the selection and terms of members of GLEAMNS' governing board. We examined these and other areas identified during our preliminary fieldwork. Our findings are summarized as follows.

  • Without prior approval or proper documentation, GLEAMNS has routinely paid a vendor, who contracts to provide janitorial services in four Head Start centers, for services other than those contracted. This business was paid $112,500 (43% of total payments of $258,935) for services not authorized by contract.
  • GLEAMNS' governing board and upper-level management have sometimes disregarded or not allowed input from the Head Start policy council on issues requiring the council's approval.
  • We found no evidence that GLEAMNS used community service block grant (CSBG) funds for purposes other than those authorized by the grant.
  • GLEAMNS has not followed its policy for handling employee grievances. In one case, the former chairman of the GLEAMNS board was allowed to participate in a grievance involving him. Also, no specific GLEAMNS staff has assumed responsibility for handling grievances. According to an agency employee, the status of 20 (47%) of 43 grievances was unknown; in five cases, the nature of the grievance was also unknown.
  • In May 1998, GLEAMNS reduced the salaries of 11 Head Start employees in amounts that ranged from $1,352 to $16,619 a year. One primary reason provided by GLEAMNS management for these decreases was directly related to the results of a wage comparability study. We found no evidence that this study or the decreases had been approved by the governing board.
  • A total of 16 (59%) of 27 employees in our sample did not meet GLEAMNS' minimum training requirements for the positions they held.
  • As required by its policy, GLEAMNS did not conduct 126 (67%) of 187 performance evaluations in our sample.
  • GLEAMNS has not developed guidelines to select board members who represent the poor sector, and has not designated target areas where poverty is concentrated to ensure that persons from this sector fully participate in the selection process.
  • Ten persons have served on the GLEAMNS Board of Commissioners beyond the time period allowed by state law.
  • We concluded that the selection of the current board member who represents the private sector of Laurens County was made in accordance with GLEAMNS bylaws.