Sharing Our KNowledge

A four-Decade Tradition of Service to Government Entities

Walker & Armstrong Armstrong is a leader in providing Arizona Tribes and Tribal entities with mandated and value-added professional services, including:

• advisory services
• financial management and complex accounting
• financial planning and analysis
• grant financial management
• budgeting and forecasting
• health service management
• taxation
• turnaround management
• business process improvement and internal controls
• GASB 34 financial statements
• internal/external audit
• pre-audit services
• financial staff training in audit, pre-audit, contract management, and grant management

Enhanced Value

Our value to Tribal clients is enhanced by our monitoring of government-specific accounting and compliance reporting requirements, including the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. In addition, we have over 30 years of experience in performing audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act, as amended.

Essential Services

Pre-Audit. By paving the way for your annual audit, an efficient pre-audit facilitates a smoother, quicker, less disruptive and less expensive annual audit.

We oversee the preparation for the annual audits of Tribal governments, schools and enterprises. Our valuable “pre-audit” services, which make up the first step in the process of an audit, include project management and staff training in audit preparation.

During a pre-audit, we assist our clients in the preparation of audit schedules and supporting documentation necessary to facilitate a more timely and efficient audit process. We also will prepare financial statements and supporting schedules.

Audit. Walker & Armstrong audits are conducted in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAP) and Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. We will include tests of your accounting records and other procedures we consider necessary to enable us to express an opinion that your financial statements are fairly presented, in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. GAAP. 

In addition, we assist in the preparation of financial statements and review your comprehensive annual financial report, including providing comments and suggestions regarding compliance and reporting requirements.

Where applicable, we issue reports on our governmental clients’ compliance and on internal control over financial reporting based on an audit of the financial statements performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and other reports required by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In addition, we perform agreed-upon procedure engagements, including those required by the Arizona Supreme Court (MAS audits).

Accounting and Advisory. We provide accounting and consulting services to our non-attest clients, including audit and financial statement preparation and value-added services that are tailored to each client’s unique needs.

Examples of projects that are ongoing or have been completed include:

• Walker & Armstrong helped a new client that was just getting back on their feet by designing a chart of accounts that would grow with their needs. We drafted content for them to adopt a financial code, policies, and procedures, and we helped them develop their very first general fund budget appropriation. When they submitted their Gaming Revenue Allocation Plan to the U.S. Department of the Interior, we provided guidance for the budget ranges for each category. We have provided a wide range of other advisory services.
• For a client whose previous consultants had made some poor choices in their accounting system conversion, we worked with the client to clean up a number of messes on their books and achieve a clean audit in our second year together.
• Another client came to us when they were just starting out. We provided full cycle services, beginning with bookkeeping, continuing with audit preparation, and compiling their first-ever issued financial statements.
• After a client received a substantial allocation from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, we helped them structure their assistance programs to conform with the General Welfare Doctrine. We assisted with drafting subrecipient monitoring tools and the subrecipient agreement; helped them set up their accounting structure to facilitate reporting to the Tribal Council and the U.S. Department of the Treasury; drafted guidance for the Tribe and its subrecipients; and provided technical training to a group of subrecipients. We continue to help them with development and implementation of other COVID relief programs that are improving their members’ lives.
  

Forensic Accounting and Financial Investigations. Government entities call on Walker & Armstrong to ensure the integrity of their internal controls, investigate suspected fraud or misappropriation of funds, and produce reports on matters of interest to regulators and stakeholders.

Peer Review. The quality of Walker & Armstrong’s services is affirmed by unqualified opinions rendered by independent CPAs on the firm’s last eight peer reviews.