CAHNR
Business Office
Hot Audit Topics
Darshana Sonpal
May 9, 2017
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Effort Reporting
What is effort?
Effort is the portion of time spent on a particular activity, expressed as a percentage of the individual's total activity for
the university.
What is effort reporting?
• Effort reporting is a process to verify salary charged to or cost shared on a sponsored project
• It is the University’s method of certifying to the granting agencies that the effort promised as a condition of the award
has actually been delivered.
• Effort reporting is required by Uniform Guidance
• The Effort Reporting System is frequently audited
• Failure to meet these requirements puts the University at risk for significant penalties
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Effort commitment promised to a sponsor (as part of the proposal) for PI, Co-PI and key personnel
are tracked by SPS
These are available for your review in the Effort Reporting & Commitments (ERC) application.
This application allows for:
•Changes to commitments by using the Commitment Change Form
•Reviewing of cost share and paid commitments
Effort reporting deadlines
Reports
generation
Fall
Feb
Spring
Aug
Summer Oct
3
PI certification
due
Apr/May
Sept/Oct
Nov/Dec
College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Top 5 Takeaways on Effort Reporting
- Know your present commitments & availability for further commitments
- Keep your fiscal person informed
- Do not over commit cost share
- If you have a change in commitments, please submit commitment change form through ERC (may
require rebudgeting and prior sponsor approval)
- Plan ahead
Note: Summer salaries will now have a special object code 5232 and must be identified in the special
payroll authorization for accurate reflection of effort on grants (applies to faculty and grads)
- No cost extension does not mean no effort
- 1% effort rule only applies to federal grants
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Questions on Effort Reporting?
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Pre-award – Contact Nancy Abbott or James Hurd
Post award – Business office
SPS – Kristin Winot/Matthew Cahill/Shawn Detoro/Beverly Dauphinais
Google “UConn ERC help”
http://research.uconn.edu/sps-awards/effort-reporting/erc-help/
Commitments by Session (Fall, Spring and Summer)
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Internal Billing
Internal Billing also referred to as “IB” is used to bill for goods or services provided by one university department to
another university department, reflecting income to the provider and expense to the customer
Key questions to ask
Is the service provided by a person or a Center?
Is the person providing the service an employee of Uconn?
Appropriate Method depending on the answers
If the Center is providing a service to a grant and not the NOT the individual, then an internal bill (IB) seems an
appropriate method. We just need to make sure that the center is approved by Cost Accounting.
If the individual is the key to the service and not the Center, the individual needs to paid from the grant to appropriately
reflect effort and payroll expenditures.
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Takeaway on Internal Billing
-Make sure that the service from another department is correctly budgeted in your grant proposal
-Keep your fiscal person informed
-If the service is by an Uconn employee, coding on grant MUST be via PAYROLL
-If the employee is not critical to the service, the Center MUST be approved before billing the grant
-Plan ahead
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Cash Handling
Separation of Duties
The one who collects cash MUST NOT be the one recording it in the Kuali system
Safeguarding Cash
Cash collected if not deposited within 24 hours (if under $500), must be kept in a locked safe
Tracking
A numbered receipt must be given out for cash collection in person; cash must be recorded in the books (Kuali) on the day of the receipt, regardless of the amount and
whether deposited in the bank or not
Timely deposits
Mail should be opened daily to identify checks coming thru mail. Checks should be processed upon receipt in the following manner:
– Stamp with date received
– Record in an incoming check log
– Deposit using the remote deposit system on the day received
Management
Management must
– Check that proper procedures are in place
– Make sure that every person who handles cash has the cash training
– Provide a safe deposit/ or a safe location to safeguard cash
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Takeaway on Cash handling
-Cash Training is a MUST (done annually)
-Cash must be deposited within 24 hours if over $500
-Backup must be attached to the deposit document in Kuali (please provide detailed description);log
required
-Separation of duties is critical
-Numbered receipt is necessary for in person cash payment
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Grant Closeouts
3 months Prior to Your Grant End Date
Review your current expenses, encumbrances and available balance
If you see a high balance available
-Compare your budget with expenses. Are you missing anything?
-Make sure all invoices have come through (including internal bills)
-Process travel reimbursements, if any
-Check your sub-awards: Have all invoices been paid?
Do you need a no-cost extension?
Make request to SPS with an on-line Extension Request Form
If you see a deficit
-Unencumber Purchase orders if not needed
-Move expenses out if not part of budget (cost transfers and PA recoding may be required)
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Takeaway on Grant Close-out process
-Plan ahead
-If you see too much funds available, ask why?
-If you see a deficit, be prepared to move the expenses out (watch out for charges that may not belong
to you)
-Verify effort committed vs. actual effort are aligned
-If in doubt, reach out for help
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Appropriate Use of Funds
What are Ledger 2 funds?
-State funded
-2.5% rule applies
-Ends June 30
What are 4 Ledger funds?
- Could be revolving accounts(funded by revenue), IDC or project account
- Funds can be carried one year to the next
What are Smith lever funds?
- Block grant from federal govt. as we are a land grant university
- Ends September 30
- Special rules apply
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Questions to ask when coding an expense
Where was this expenditure coded last year?
Consistency is critical
Is this expense for extension and outreach? Example: (Food - watch out!!!)
Is this equipment solely used for extension and outreach? Example: Hexocopter/Clicker
• Yes: Use of Smith Lever special allocation may be ok (check with your Dept. Head and fiscal person)
• No: Other accounts (2L or 4L) or partial coding on Smith Lever with valid justification
Will this expense generate any revenue?
• Yes: Use of Smith Lever funds not allowed
• No: Use of Smith Lever might be allowed based on the justification
Is this expense advertisement for the sponsor?
• No: Smith Lever not allowed
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Other important information
HCM CORE interprets leave in 3 categories; short term, long term and overtime& comp (short term in not
mandatory)
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Other important information
It is important to have the right supervisor ID in CORE CT
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Other important information
If you have soft funded employees on your grant, you MUST notify your department right away if there is a
possibility of funds running out (employee may require notification “x” number of months prior to the grant
end date)
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
Questions?
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College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources