Effort Certification 2012By Trimester

To reduce administrative burden, the University of Alaska is moving to an effort certification solution for salaried (exempt) employees to replace the current timesheet-based system. The University is beginning semester-based certification of effort on restricted funds with the first report due for the 2012 Fall Semester.

Federal Requirement

• Effort reporting is a condition of accepting Federal Funds. All individuals paid from, or with effort committed to a federal-sponsored project are required to complete an effort certification report.*

• Cost Accounting Standards require consistency regardless of source of restricted funds

* exceptions for 100% federal fellowships and Fed Work Study student employees

Federal Regulation

2 Code of Federal Regulations 220 says:J.10.c.(2)(e) For professorial and professional staff, the reports will be prepared each academic term, but no less frequently than every six months. For other employees, unless alternate arrangements are agreed to, the reports will be prepared no less frequently than monthly and will coincide with one or more pay periods.

And because UA applies our regulations consistently, regardless of source of funding, whether you are paid off any fund two source, you must certify effort.

Inter-MAU Collaboration

• All three MAU’s are collaborating to provide a consistent and reasonable Effort Certification

• Offices of Human Resources are working to provide training and instructions on new electronic processing of labor for Exempt and Non-Exempt employees

• Grants and Contracts Offices are working to provide training and instructions on new electronic certification of effort by Exempt employees

How does this help?

Effort reporting is no longer done bi-weekly but can be accomplished just three

times a year

What Are the Changes?

Effort certification for Exempt employees paid from restricted fund support will no longer be tied to the Timesheet. Agreements from Sponsored must be reviewed and effort reported according to proposed plan.

The Timesheet is just a Timesheet – it is meant to record exceptions to normal salaried payments. Follow your departmental rules for recording leave (annual leave, sick leave, jury duty, other).

How Will It Work?

Percent of effort is to be certified on a semester-based period of time. Certification Payroll Periods and Dates

Fall 2012 October 7 – January 12 initial Spring 2013 January 13 – May 18 Summer 2013 May 19 – August 24 Fall 2013 August 25 – December 14

Really… How will it work?

Over the reporting period, it is anticipated that your percent of effort allocated to one or more sponsored projects will fluctuate from week-to-week, or month by month. Over a greater period of three – four months, the amount paid off one or more awards will even out – to accurately reflect the allowable and approved percent of effort during the project period.

When do I Certify Next?

Your last paper Timesheet certification will be October 5th for the payroll period ending October 6th.

The next certification document will be presented to Exempt employees in January 2013 and it will be to certify for the timeframe of October 7th – January 12, 2013.

How do I track my effort?

If you have salary exceptions to report (leave, jury duty) use the Timesheet. Work with your departments to develop a process. Remain current with your awards so you understand the terms and conditions proposed and agreed upon. Don’t have a copy – contact Fiscal Rep or Grants and Contracts.

Work with your department Cost Center Clerk and Fiscal Reps to keep your percent allocation on sponsored awards up-to-date.

Maintaining Accuracy

• Your Department Fiscal Representative will be able to make changes to how your labor is allocated if your work on a grant changes during the effort period. Discuss the changes as soon as they happen so your grant effort certification statement will be accurate.

Outcomes

• Reduction of administrative burden for the Exempt (salaried) employee (PI, co-PI, faculty, exempts)

• Reduced number of labor reallocations • Better communication between Fiscal staff

and key personnel on sponsored projects• Better audit results

Mid Semester Reports will help

• Mid-term Reporting will be available • Banner/Qmenu screens provide up-to-date

labor summary • New award/agreement arrives – notify Cost

Center Clerk/Fiscal staff to reflect new effort• Exit packages will allow for mid-term

certification

How Do Changes Get Reflected:

• EPAF is most effective way to make changes via UAOnline – see Department Cost Center Clerk. Other option - revised job forms

• Changes default labor distribution charges for employees with existing assignments

• Applied automatically to Banner nightly• Email communications forwarded to

appropriate participants

Access

• From Employee Tab in UaOnline

If you see this you have access

Effort Reporting Resources

• Grants and Contracts website:– http://

www.uaa.alaska.edu/research/Grants/effortcertification.cfm

Contact Department Cost Center Clerks and Fiscal Grant Representatives

-- On Going Development for this Projecthttps://projects.alaska.edu/gec

Need Access to EPAF – see UAA HR

• Complete instructions:– http://www.alaska.edu/files/hr/lbrchg_originator_

guidelines.pdf

• Quick reference instructions:– http://www.alaska.edu/files/hr/lbrchg_quick_refe

rence.pdf

Resources

• Complete resource page:

http://www.alaska.edu/hr/hr-procedures/paperless-job-processing/lbrchg/