107.1 - Statewide Accounting Policy - Responsibility for the Uniform NCAS

Policy Area:  Accounting and Financial Reporting
Policy Sub Area:  Uniform NC Accounting System
Authority:  General Statute 143B-426.39
Effective Date:  71/1995
Last Revision Date:  6/30/2017
Policy Owner/Division:  Statewide Accounting

Policy

The Office of the State Controller (OSC) is responsible for the uniform NCAS and related subsystems, which maintain timely, reliable, accurate, consistent, and complete accounting information on the State of North Carolina government entity. The uniform NCAS includes the financial policies, procedures, and computer software that affect all departments and agencies of the State. 
OSC must review and approve all state agency financial accounting systems before they are implemented. OSC reviews the systems according to their: 

  • Desirability 
  • Completeness 
  • Suitability for NCAS interface 
  • Conformity to the prescribed statewide uniform chart of accounts, accounting policies, and accounting procedures.

Procedures

N/A

Accounting Guidance

OSC constantly monitors the governmental accounting pronouncements, ensuring that all accounting and disclosure requirements are accommodated within NCAS. 
The uniform NCAS must achieve both legislative and central management objectives to develop, implement, and maintain integrated accounting and financial management systems from which information on assets, liabilities, encumbrances, expenditures, revenues, and financial performance can be reported to appropriate levels of management, the General Assembly, and the public. 

OSC defines an accounting system as the methods and records established to identify, assemble, analyze, classify, record, and report a government's financial transactions and maintain accountability for the related assets and liabilities. The accounting system includes the manual and automated procedures and processes employed from the point a transaction is initiated to the time financial statements and management information reports containing the data (in detail or in summary) are issued. 

NCAS is the central accounting system for the State of North Carolina. It provides general ledger control over the State's financial transactions, resource balances, and subsidiary accounts and records. NCAS provides financial statements and reports reflecting the current condition of all state agency accounts and assists central managers in maintaining financial control over state government operations. 

Numerous agency-level systems that conduct the State's various accounting and financial management functions support the central accounting system. These supporting systems are separately identifiable with their own data entry, processes, outputs, and internal controls. They share, receive, and provide financial information to each other and to the central accounting system. The activities included by such supporting systems range from the accounting and administrative functions of the agencies to their unique programs and operating functions. 

The accounting procedures, policies, subsidiary accounts, records, and data in each agency's accounting systems must comply with the standards applicable to NCAS Systems. Common accounting and administrative functions should be integrated with NCAS through the use of standard data definitions and uniform data classifications and processing. 
 

Related Documents (Forms/Memos)

Accounting System Change Notification Form 

Revision History

  • 7/1/2006 - GS revisions
  • 3/12/2014 - Added memo and form
  • 9/10/2014 - Updated form and deleted memo
  • 1/30/2017 - Updated links
  • 6/30/2017 - Updated links and removed list of governmental accounting organizations