Aligning Written Policies with What Staff Actually Do

Session Snapshot

Course Length & Format: 90-minute live, interactive online training (Group Internet Based)

CPE Credits: 1.5 CPE (Specialized Knowledge)

Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge

Prerequisites: None

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Advance Preparation: None

Target Audience: Compliance officers, internal control professionals, finance leaders, program managers, and executive leadership seeking to strengthen governance without over-engineering processes.

Attendance and CPE Credit Requirements: To receive CPE credit, participants must attend the full session, respond to all required attendance monitoring prompts, and complete any required evaluation or attendance verification steps communicated during the program.

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Event Details

Date: June 17, 2026

Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Central Time

Location: Live, Online, via Zoom

Cost: $199 (registration required)

Session Description

Well-written policies do not guarantee compliant operations. When procedures diverge from real workflows, organizations accumulate risk while believing they are compliant.

This session focuses on diagnosing misalignment between policy and practice, identifying root causes of procedural drift, and redesigning guidance that reflects operational realities. It emphasizes documentation discipline and defensible decision-making without sacrificing flexibility.

Participants Will Gain Practical Tools To

• Identify where policies look compliant but fail in execution.
• Distinguish needed flexibility from undocumented exceptions.
• Develop practical documentation habits that support defensible operations.

Learning Objectives

• Attendees will assess gaps between documented policies and operational workflows.
• Attendees will analyze root causes of procedural drift.
• Attendees will redesign procedural guidance to reflect realistic execution.
• Attendees will document discretionary decisions and deviations defensibly.
• Attendees will strengthen internal control consistency across teams.

Presented By

National speakers and experts in federal fiscal compliance, indirect cost rates, 2 CFR 200, monitoring, internal controls, and public-sector compliance implementation.

 

Mara Ash, CIA, CGFM, CICA, CRMA, CGAP

CEO, BFS Strategic Partners

Mara Ash is the CEO of BFS Strategic Partners and a nationally recognized public-sector compliance and accountability professional with more than 28 years of experience in financial management, audit, internal controls, federal assistance compliance, and grants management. Her work focuses on helping public-sector organizations translate complex requirements into practical, defensible systems that strengthen accountability, transparency, and operational performance.

Mara develops and delivers professional education for external public-sector, grants management, audit, and compliance audiences through BFS Strategic Partners and DECODED®. She is the author of the 2 CFR 200 Federal Assistance Guidance Series and founder of DECODED® Academy.

 

Cindy Watson, CICA

Managing Director, BFS Strategic Partners

Cindy Watson is the Managing Director of BFS Strategic Partners and a senior compliance and financial management professional with more than 25 years of experience in accounting, federal and state grant compliance, internal controls, audit readiness, monitoring, and corrective action. She helps organizations build practical processes, improve documentation, and prepare for state and federal oversight.

Cindy’s expertise includes 2 CFR Part 200, EDGAR, subrecipient monitoring, program and fiscal testing, indirect cost rates, cost allowability, procurement compliance, maintenance of effort, excess cost, audit procedures, policy analysis, automated reporting, and corrective action implementation. She is the co-author of the 2 CFR 200 Federal Assistance Guidance Series.

Call to Action

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Advance registration is required.

CPE Statement

This program is designed to support continuing professional education for government accountability and technical training purposes. Participants should confirm acceptance with their licensing body, employer, or audit organization.

This class is designed to meet 1.0 hours of the 24-hour governmental CPE requirement under Government Auditing Standards (Yellow Book), in most cases.

Policies

Refund Policy

DECODED® offers both free and paid Group Internet Based programs. For paid live Group Internet Based programs, cancellations made at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the scheduled program are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations made three (3) to six (6) calendar days prior to the scheduled program may incur a 30% cancellation fee. Cancellations made within forty-eight (48) hours of the scheduled program may incur a 50% cancellation fee.

For free Group Internet Based programs, no refund applies.

To request a refund or ask questions about a registration, please contact Cindy Watson, Managing Director, at stickguys@decoded.expert or 512-945-0144.

Program Cancellation Policy

If DECODED® cancels a Group Internet Based program, registered participants will be notified by email no later than twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled program start time, unless an emergency or other unforeseen circumstance requires shorter notice.

When applicable, DECODED® will provide additional information regarding rescheduling options or refunds for paid registrations.

Complaint Resolution Policy

DECODED® is committed to addressing participant concerns in a timely and professional manner. Participants who wish to report a complaint or concern regarding a Group Internet Based program should contact Cindy Watson, Managing Director, at stickguys@decoded.expert or 512-945-0144.

Complaints will be reviewed by the appropriate DECODED® representative, and DECODED® will make a reasonable effort to respond in a timely manner.