National Institute of Food and Agriculture – NIFA

Financial Operations Division (FOD)

NERAO Conference 2011by Eric D. Still-Branch Chief FMB1

FOD-BACKGROUND• Responsible for monitoring and oversight of $2.2B federal grant assistance

program

• serves as the focal point for the agency’s financial management activities

• plans, directs, coordinates, and manages programs of payments for formula funds, grants, cooperative agreements, special projects, and other Federal assistance instruments administered by NIFA

• coordinates the financial assistance activities with Department of Health & Human Services –Payment Management System (DHHS – PMS) and the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP.)

FOD-BACKGROUND Responsible for oversight and enforcement of the Federal Appropriation Law

Protects the Agency to ensure compliance of the Anti Deficiency ACT (ADA) Article 31 U.S.C § 1341(a)(1)(A)

Involving the government/agency in any obligation to pay money before funds have been appropriated for that purpose, unless otherwise allowed by Law. 31 U.S.C §1341 (a)(1)(B)

Making or authorizing an expenditure, creating or authorizing an obligation under, any appropriation or Fund in excess of the amount available in the appropriation or Fund.

Making obligations or expenditures in excess of an appointment or reappointment, or in excess of the amount permitted by the agency regulations. Article 31 U.S.C. 1517(a)

An Officer or Employee who “knowingly and willfully” violates any of the three provisions cited above shall be fined not more than $5K, imprisoned for not more than 2 years or both. Article 31 U.S.C §§ 1350, 1519

Protects the Agency to ensure compliance of Freedom of Information Act

Financial Operations Division

Tonya R. JohnsonFinancial Operations

Officer/Division Director

Eric D. StillBranch Chief FMB1

Idelisa ValentinBranch Chief FMB2

Financial Operations Division• Core Responsibilities:

Obligate Liability Authorize

Certify Funds

ASAP Reconcile Close Out

FMB1-Funds Management Branch 1The FMB1 structure consist of three separate teams:

• The Operation Team (OT)

• The Payment Team (PT)

• The Recipient & Reporting Team (RRT)

Financial Operations Division

OPERATIONS TEAM

FMB1-Operations Team Verify awards for recommendations

Obligating all grants in the Grant Management System/Accounting System CREEMS-Grants System FMMI- Accounting System

Provide financial status reports to Budget

Provide financial status reports to Congress

Oversee Inter-Agency Agreements program for NIFA

Reconcile 4801 Fund and TAS account with Treasury

Financial Operations Division

PAYMENT TEAM

FMB1-Payments Team Enrollment and creation of accounts in ASAP

Authorization of ASAP/PMS accounts

Certification of funds in ASAP/PMS

Manage the FOD ASAPcustomerservice email box.

FMB1-Payments TeamASAP System: NIFA utilizes the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP)

system to distribute grants throughout the United States. ASAP is a web-based electronic payment and information system developed by the Financial Management Services (FMS) under the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

ASAP allow grantee institutions receiving federal grants to draw down funds from accounts pre-authorized by NIFA. ASAP receives payment requests and transmits payment to either the Federal Reserve Bank or the U.S. Treasury for deposit into the grantee’s bank account.

FMB1-Payments TeamEnrollment;

The FMB1 Budget Technician verifies the enrollment status in ASAP.

The FMB1 Budget and Technician enrolls NEW grantees in ASAP base on the Duns# (Duns and Bradstreet) and EIN# (Employer Identification Number) listed on the SF-424.

Once the Grantee is enrolled, Treasury ASAP customer service representative will email the User ID to the AR (Authorized Representative listed on the SF-424). The password will be mailed to the address provided on the SF-424.

FMB1-Payments TeamEnrollment-Con’t The Grantee has 45 days to complete each step of the following enrollment categories in ASAP.

Initiates RO and POC Point of Contact Names Organization Officials Head of Organization Approves Official Authorization Officials Defines Recipient Profile Authorizing Official Defines Recipient Organizations Users Financial Official Defines Banking Information

If the Recipient fails to complete all steps, the enrollment status will be rejected in ASAP and funds will be delayed

FMB1-Payments TeamCreate/Authorize/Certification;

The FMB1 Budget and Financial Specialist create the account in ASAP/PMS for authorization

The FMB1 Financial Management Specialist Authorize and loads the money on the account in ASAP/PMS

The Certifying Officer review and approve the payment to certify the funds in ASAP/PMS. At this point, the funds are available to the Grantee for withdrawal

Payments Team-Cont

FOD ASAP customer service vs.

Treasury ASAP customerservice

FOD Payment Team- Con’tFinancial Operations Division ASAP Customer Service

Telephone: 202-401-4237Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm

www.ASAPcustomerservice.nifa.usda.gov

Categories: Payment Status Return Funds

FMB1-Payment Team- Con’tTreasury ASAP customer service

Regional Contact InformationHour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm

www.fms.treas.gov/asap/

Time Zone Reginald Financial Center Contact NumberEastern Philadelphia (215)-516-8021 Central Kansas City (816)-414-2100Mountain/Pacific San Francisco (510)-594-7182

Categories: ASAP User ID and Password

Set-up Bank Information Assist with Enrollment Set-up Payment Method

FMB1-Payment Team- Con’t

Treasury ASAP customer serviceRegional Contact Information

Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pmwww.fms.treas.gov/asap

Categories Con’t Notification that ASAP account is due to expire

Notification of rejected bank information

Financial Operations Division

RECIPIENT AND REPORTING TEAM

FMB1-Recipient and Reporting Team grant close out-process (10,000+ grants) receipt of all SF-269s 2006 and prior, SF-424s 2009 and forward tracking all grants from 1996 to present ensuring close out identifying new grants that are eligible for close out notifying all grantees of grants due to expire and unused funds will be de-Obligated by

9/15/20XX enforcing status reports required within the 90 days expiration date of the grant. (All must be

completed) Final report sent to AMD for review and approval AMD send notification FMB1-RRT FOD Certify the funds Grantee withdraw funds

FMB2-Cash Reconciliation Team

monthly Fund Balance with Treasury (FBWT) reconciliation reconcile 90 Treasury Symbols monthly which identify the year of

appropriation reconcile and resolve any un liquidated obligations reconcile and resolve any abnormal balances on the financial

statements process government to government payments (IPAC) serves as the audit liaison for the agency

 

FOD-Contacts• Tonya R. Johnson – FOO/Division Director tjohnson@nifa.usda.gov Main Number: 202 401-4527 Fax Number : 202 690-2239

FMB1 – Eric D. Still- Branch Chiefestill@nifa.usda.gov Jameal Clark (OT-team leader) jaclark@nifa.usda.gov Vacant Position (PT-team leader) Sophia Wilson (RRT-team leader) swilson@nifa.usda.gov

FMB2 – Idelisa Valentin- Brach Chief ivalentin@nifa.usda.gov Jeffrey Sweet (CRT 1 –team leader) jsweet@nifa.usda.gov Linda Ning (CRT2 – team leader) lning@nifa.usda.gov

Financial Operations Division

Q/As