TEAM Enhancements 2003 Project Work Plan

Application Enhancements Ten application enhancements were selected as the most critical for completion in FY 2003 These tasks will require approximately 2,609 work hours Estimated cost to complete these items is $236,414.01

Application Enhancements 1) 1) Automate the funding adjustment activity. Problem: When a funding adjustment is made to a grant, many TEAM tables (databases) are involved. The obligation and deobligation reports are also involved and have a significant impact on FTA’s external reporting to OST, OMB, and Treasury. Currently, funding adjustments are made manually. Incorrect and/or incomplete manual fixes are known to be the cause of many TEAM errors. Solution: Create an automated program which, whether executed by the users or the Help Desk staff, would greatly improve data quality and save a significant amount of Help Desk staff time. Regional staff could come to rely on TEAM apportionment data enough to discontinue their redundant tracking systems and reconciliation time would be greatly reduced. 2) 2) Correct operating budget hardcopy. Problem: The hard copy of the operating budget notification does not reflect all the details on the screen. Example: Section 5307 has funds for appropriations 21, 37, and 61. Appropriation 61 does not appear on the printed hard copy of the operating budget. Solution: Correct printing program for operating budget.

Application Enhancements 3). 3) Prevent financial transactions to closed projects. Problem: Refunds are being posted to closed projects. These projects are reflected in TEAM as closed, with unliquidated balances, an unacceptable accounting practice. Solution: TEAM programming should reject the refund and send a message to have the project reopened. Then the refund can be posted, and the regional or headquarters office can deobligate the funds and the project re-closed. 4) 4) Reverse current year obligations. Problem: Some projects are being obligated using incorrect fund sources and the project must be deobligated and reobligated to be corrected. Solution: Write a program that will reverse current year obligations prior to execution. Access to this program would be limited. 5) 5) Establish prior year UZA records. Problem: Currently prior year UZA records must be established by the help desk. Solution: Provide TBP staff with the capability to establish these prior year records that correspond with operating budget adjustments. This saves time and resources. It also decreases the margin of error for the operating budgets to match UZA formula apportionment records.

Application Enhancements 6) 6) Provide Edit Checks 1) 1) Contracts/Reimbursables/General Working Agreements. Problem: Currently, population of procurement, reimbursable and general working agreement numbers in the appropriate field occurs at obligation. Solution: The requirement for populating this field should be moved to the Reservation Screen before obligation can occur. 2) 2) Project Numbers. Problem. Regions are using and “X” in the 5th position of project number for programs without multiple FPC codes and this misidentifies projects for DELPHI. Solution: Do not allow obligation if “X” is present and if only one FPC used. 3) 3) Cite lapsing and old funds. Problem: Numerous funds substitutions take place at year end to use lapsing old and recovery funds. Solution: Provide message at reservation and obligation notifying user that lapsing funds or older funds are available before completing the reservation or obligation. 4) 4) Appropriate Cost Center. Problem: Currently cost center defaults to recipient cost center. Staff frequently does not change to correct cost center. Solution: Change cost center field on “Assign Project Number” screen to “Not selected” to force selection of cost center from drop down screen.

Application Enhancements 7) 7) Add "Talking Points to HQ" date field. Problem: To adequately track the 60 day awards process FTA needs to know when talking points were sent to HQ for processing. Solution: Rename an existing unused field in the Review/Concurrence Screen to accommodate this. 8) 8) Identify & develop a standard set of reconciliation/exception reports. Problem: Many different reports are being used for reconciliation or no adequate reconciliation report current exists in TEAM. Solution: Identify which of the current reports are to be used and create any others and put them in one place for standardization. 9) 9) Add to Data Queries: Problem: FTA needs to reconcile funds using UZA records and presently there is no easy way to do this. Solution: Add to an existing Data Query the fields for accounting classification code and UZA records that will show projects obligated or deobligated in that code/or UZA – active or closed. This request is equivalent to a transaction history file that users will have access to and is essential to the reconciliation process. 10) 10) Automate closeout process. Problem: Regions and grantees find the current process cumbersome. Solution: A new closeout process is being developed and programming changes will be made to TEAM.

DELPHI – TEAM Interface Enhancements FTA outlined an additional request as a priority for FY 2003 This task requires approximately 1080 work hours Estimated cost to complete this item is $95,000.00

DELPHI – TEAM Interface Enhancements 1) 1) Support DELPHI - TEAM Interface and Reconciliation: Problem: FTA is still experiencing significant difficulties with the transition to the DELPHI accounting system. These difficulties have spilled over into the TEAM application in the form of large numbers of rejected transactions and significant delays in the posting of Accounting transactions (Payments, refunds, authorized disbursements, etc.) which impact users' abilities to conduct business in TEAM. Solution: Provide additional staff hours to perform account reconciliation and corrections in support of the Accounting team, upgrade automated interface to deal more effectively with the issues appearing in the DELPHI system. NOTE: All cost estimates are based on current available information. Estimates may change as more detailed requirements become available.