Research Financial Management - The Departmental Perspective Region VI/VII Meeting Tuesday, April 19, : :15 a.m.

Moderator and Speaker Scot A. Gudger, CMPE Department Administrator Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics Oregon Health & Science University (503)

Speaker Lisa Laatsch Department Research Administrator Arizona Research Laboratories University of Arizona (520)

Session Description A primary challenge for departmental administrators is developing and utilizing effective financial management tools. Frequently central administrative systems are of little use, so many departments have developed their own systems, either internally or using outside vendors, to manage sponsored project expenditures, department budgets, effort reporting, and compliance issues. This session will present different approaches toward managing this important task.

DA Issues and Challenges Staff Faculty Chair(s) Dean and Staff Academic Affairs Centralized Support Offices Clinical Leadership

DA Issues and Challenges Grant Management –Pre award –Post award Grant Agencies –Home Pages –Forms

DA Issues and Challenges Finance Procurement Immigration Tech Transfer Human Resources/Payroll

DA Issues and Challenges Space & Equipment Academic Issues IT & Web Presence Clinical Practice Clinical Trials

Legacy Systems Internal Billing Budget Pre-Award Grant Application Facilities Assets Timekeeping Effort Reporting

What Researchers Want Compliance with university and agency regs Am I “on track” for this year? Do I have enough to hire a new employee? Buy equipment? Go to a conference? So, salaries projected for full period, services and supply spending to date, services and supply spending predicted = what they have to spend

How do we do it???? A Departmental Shadow System Paradox Database Grant Reporting System

Sponsored Project Reports Individual PI’s Grants/Contracts Group together by PI Group PI’s together for Department

What is a Shadow System? A redundant accounting system to monitor expenditures and report results in a meaningful way

What is a Shadow System Post Transactions to Department Management Accounting System Reconcile Institutional General Ledger to Department Management Accounting System –Catching errors

What is a Shadow System Add predictions (encumbrances) of future spending to end of budget period –Payroll to end of grant –Subcontracts Adjust either system for other circumstances –Journal Entries (corrections)

Other Departmental Reports PI Productivity Comparisons Salary Recovery, Indirects vs. space Department Comparisons –Indirects vs. space Annual and 5-year budget planning

Future Project Create University Sponsored Project Management System G/L System Based Labor Distribution Important for Projections Other encumbrances Eventual elimination of department shadow systems

University of Arizona Financial Reporting Process

Reasons to replace current system: Data entry is extremely time consuming Mainframe environment is cumbersome and not user friendly Central system doesn’t allow detail needed High potential for errors and re-work

Solution: DART Departmental Administrative Reporting Tool Goal: To develop a web-based departmental financial reporting system that will replace the current data entry system. This system will be utilized to track budgets, expenditures, and commitments on grant, contract, state, designated, and auxiliary accounts. To develop a reporting system that is simple to use and presented in a format that is easy to understand by non-financial users.

Data Flow Diagram for DART

Anticipated Results: Departmental users and decision-makers will have access to timely and relevant financial data presented in a useful, easy to read format. DART will be web-based, so it will be accessible from anywhere using any web- browser.

Anticipated Results: DART will be relatively inexpensive to develop, to maintain, and to distribute because we will utilize open-source architecture. DART will enable the Business Office staff to spend more time on analysis, on post audit review of transactions, and on review of our internal business practices.

Anticipated Results: The system will be a model for other departments on campus who need to create a financial reporting tool to use in conjunction with FRS (Financial Reporting System), PSOS (Personnel Services Operating System), and UIS (University Information System).

Research Financial Management - The Departmental Perspective Region VI/VII Meeting Tuesday, April 19, : :15 a.m.