Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government: 2024 Exposure Draft
Fast Facts
Our "Green Book"—Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government—provides the framework for establishing and maintaining an effective internal control system. Internal control is a process designed to help an entity achieve its objectives.
Our proposed changes provide requirements, guidance, and resources to address risks related to fraud, improper payments, information security, and the implementation of new or changed programs, including emergency assistance programs.
We are seeking public comments on our proposed draft. Please send your comment letters to GreenBookComments@gao.gov no later than August 26, 2024.
Highlights
GAO invites comments on the proposed changes to Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, commonly known as the Green Book. Since the last revision of the Green Book in 2014, events such as pandemics and cyberattacks have highlighted the challenges managers face when addressing risks related to fraud, improper payments, information security, and the implementation of new or substantially changed programs, including emergency assistance programs. This proposed revision provides additional requirements, guidance, and resources for addressing these risk areas when designing, implementing, and operating an effective internal control system. Other changes are made to continue harmonization with the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission's (COSO) Internal Control - Integrated Framework and make other modifications to clarify the intent of the requirements. Updates include an emphasis on prioritizing preventive control activities and highlighting management's responsibility for internal control at all levels and within all functions in the entity's organizational structure, such as program and financial managers.
See enclosure I of the Green Book 2024 Exposure Draft for a discussion of the major proposed changes.
Process for Revising the Green Book
To help ensure that the standards continue to meet the needs of the federal community and the public it serves, the Comptroller General of the United States established the Advisory Council on Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government (Green Book Advisory Council) to review GAO's proposed revision of the standards and consider any other necessary changes. The Green Book Advisory Council includes those knowledgeable in internal control drawn from federal, state, and local government; the private sector; and academia. This exposure draft includes the Green Book Advisory Council's input regarding the proposed changes.
Instructions for Commenting
GAO is requesting comments on this exposure draft from federal, state, and local government officials; managers and auditors at all levels of government; the public accounting profession; academia; professional organizations; public interest groups; and other interested parties. To assist in developing comments, specific questions are presented in enclosure II of the Green Book 2024 Exposure Draft. All comments received from the public will be considered a matter of public record and will be posted on the GAO website.
Please send your comment letters to GAO’s Green Book Comments inbox at GreenBookComments@gao.gov, no later than August 26, 2024.
For more information, contact James R. Dalkin at (202) 512-9535 or dalkinj@gao.gov.