1. National Institute of Food and Agriculture – NIFA
Financial Operations Division (FOD)
NERAO Conference 2011
by Eric D. Still-Branch Chief FMB1

2. 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.)

3. 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

4. Financial Operations Division
Tonya R. Johnson
Financial Operations Officer/Division Director
Eric D. Still
Branch Chief FMB1
Idelisa Valentin
Branch Chief FMB2

5. Financial Operations Division
Core Responsibilities:
Obligate Liability
Authorize
Certify Funds
ASAP
Reconcile
Close Out

6. FMB1-Funds Management Branch 1
The FMB1 structure consist of three separate teams:
The Operation Team (OT)
The Payment Team (PT)
The Recipient & Reporting Team (RRT)

7. Financial Operations Division
OPERATIONS TEAM

8. 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

9. Financial Operations Division
PAYMENT TEAM

10. 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 box.

11. FMB1-Payments Team ASAP 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.

12. FMB1-Payments Team Enrollment;
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 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.

13. FMB1-Payments Team Enrollment-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

14. FMB1-Payments Team Create/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

15. FOD ASAP customer service Treasury ASAP customer
Payments Team-Cont
FOD ASAP customer service
vs.
Treasury ASAP customer
service

16. FOD Payment Team- Con’t
Financial Operations Division ASAP Customer Service
Telephone:
Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm
Categories:
Payment Status
Return Funds

17. FMB1-Payment Team- Con’t
Treasury ASAP customer service
Regional Contact Information
Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm
Time Zone Reginald Financial Center Contact Number
Eastern Philadelphia (215)
Central Kansas City (816)
Mountain/Pacific San Francisco (510)
Categories:
ASAP User ID and Password
Set-up Bank Information
Assist with Enrollment
Set-up Payment Method

18. FMB1-Payment Team- Con’t
Treasury ASAP customer service
Regional Contact Information
Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm
Categories Con’t
Notification that ASAP account is due to expire
Notification of rejected bank information

19. Financial Operations Division
RECIPIENT AND REPORTING TEAM

20. 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

21. 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

22. FOD-Contacts
Tonya R. Johnson – FOO/Division Director
Main Number:
Fax Number :
FMB1 – Eric D. Still- Branch Chief
Jameal Clark (OT-team leader)
Vacant Position (PT-team leader)
Sophia Wilson (RRT-team leader)
FMB2 – Idelisa Valentin- Brach Chief
Jeffrey Sweet (CRT 1 –team leader)
Linda Ning (CRT2 – team leader)

23. Financial Operations Division
Q/As