ECERT
Electronic Certification of Effort and Reporting Tool
Presented by Ashley Clipson and Alma Palazzolo
What is Effort Reporting?
• A person’s "effort" is all UCSD work performed
over a defined period of time including research,
teaching, service, clinical work, and administrative
duties
Average Weekly
Project Hours
% Project Effort
Average Weekly
UCSD Hours
• Accepting an award creates a contractual
obligation to certify the proposed effort after it
has been completed
Note: Effort reports are not the same as
progress reports or timesheets
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ECERT
Why Do We Need It?
• To comply with federal regulations
• To validate salary expense, which is the largest
component of the direct costs on sponsored
projects
• To reduce risk from audit disallowances and loss of
federal funding
Requirements for Effort Reporting are defined in OMB Circular A-21
Guidelines for Cost Allowability for Educational Institutions.
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ECERT
The UC Effort Reporting
Initiative
• The Berkeley, Davis, Los
Angeles, San Diego and San
Francisco campuses formed a
partnership to develop and
fund a system to protect UC
from potential risk exposure
• A joint system design and
development effort enlisted all
campus constituencies
including departmental users,
administrators, and University
auditors
• UCOP developed the final
version
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Limitations of the Current PAR
• Calculation Inaccuracies
• Process Inefficiencies
• Notifications Challenges
• Inconsistent Reporting
• Limited Data Accessibility
• Auditing Constraints
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ECERT Features
• Easy to Track Electronic Certifications
• Web-based and Accessible Online 24/7
• Interactive with PPS and the Data Warehouse
• Secure Access via UCSD’s Single Sign-On
• Online Editing and Edit Checks
• Ad hoc Reporting Capabilities
• Maintains Historical Information
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Benefits of an Electronic
System
Accessible
via any
Internet
Connection
Eliminates
Loss of Paper
Effort
Reports
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System
Becomes
“Office of
Record”
More
Accurate
Effort Report
Calculations
Provides
Ability to
Drill Down to
DOPE Data
Effort Report
Status
Changes
When a PET
is Processed
Tracks
Timeliness of
Completion
ECERT
Project Schedule
Jun. 2003 –
Dec. 2005 –
Aug. 2006 –
Nov. 2006 –
Jan. 2007 –
Jan. 2007 –
Apr. 2007 –
Jul. 2007 –
Oct. 2007 –
Oct. 2007 –
Mar. 2008 –
Apr. 2008 –
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UC System Development Began
Technical Integration at UCSD Began
Planning Phase/ECERT Kick-off
Beta Phase Began
Communications Phase Began
Pilot Go-Live
Pilot I Certifications Due
Pilot II Certifications Due
Pilot III Certifications Due
Go-Live Campus-Wide and Training
Phase Begins
All-Campus Reports Produced
All-Campus Certifications Due
ECERT
UCSD’s ECERT
Implementation Team
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Mojgan Amini, Technical Lead
Karen Andrews, Physics
Jeff Barr and Tanya Kincaid, Ophthalmology
Mike Bloom and Yvette Obando, Psychiatry
Stephanie Burke, AMAS Advisor
Ashley Clipson, Business Lead
Mark Cooper, Project Lead
Wei Deng, Pharmacology
Philip Godfrey, Medicine
Lyle Kafader, Technical Advisor
April Liberto, OPAFS
Stephen Lopez, Bioengineering
Kerry Nare and Elise Jameson, School of Medicine
Alma Palazzolo and Joy Long, Super Computer Ctr
ECERT
Next Steps
Invite us to your department
to discuss your customized training
plan and implementation strategy
Visit the ECERT Site on Blink
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ECERT
Questions?
Contact Us At
ECERT Helpdesk
ECERTHELPDESK@UCSD.EDU
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The Effort Report
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The Effort Report (cont.)
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The Effort Report (cont.)
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The Effort Report (cont.)
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ECERT
QUESTIONS?
Support Channels
Senior Management
• Vice Chancellors, Deans, and Department Heads
• Standardized Consequences for Non-Compliance
Departmental
• MSOs/DBOs serve as departmental implementation
project leads to ensure that needs are met
Institutional Infrastructure
• Department-specific training will be provided
• ECERT Helpdesk available during business hours
• Office for Post Award Financial Services
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Routing and Notification
Process for 1st Campus Cycle
OCT 07 -DW and PPS Data Collected
NOV 07 -DW and PPS Data Collected and Loaded
DEC 07 -DW and PPS Data Collected and Loaded
JAN 08 -DW and PPS Data Loaded
-Department Reviews Ledger and DOPEs
-Department Submits PETs (if needed)
FEB 08 -PPS Data Loaded with PETs
MAR 08 -Effort Reports are Generated
-System Sends Email Notice to Reviewers
-Reviewers Adjust Effort Reports (if needed)
-Reviewers Notify PIs Reports are Ready
APR 08 -PIs Certify Effort Reports
-Reviewers Track Outstanding Effort Reports
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Training Plan
• Customized Training for Each
Department Begins in
October 2007
• Online Training Available for
Reference
• Staff-Education Classes
• Security Administrators
• Assigned Reviewers
• Certifiers
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ECERT
THANK YOU