Effort Reporting Project ecrt Implementation October 2013

1. Effort Reporting Projectecrt ImplementationOctober 2013

2. Project Mission • Reduce administrative burden, streamline processes, reduce risk and ensure compliance with OMB circular A-21 and institutional effort reporting policies • Deliver a technology-based solution to enable effort reporting processes; eliminate paper and shadow systems • New system to support the two types of effort reporting: • Project-based: for any federally-sponsored project, Principal Investigators (PIs) must certify salary charges quarterly • Annual: faculty with any amount of salary paid from a federal project must certify 100% of their effort Close collaboration between FAD/OSP (business), FSS (functional), HUIT (technical), and Huron (vendor)

3. Project Background • In 2010, effort reporting was designated as the highest priority for research administration systems • The paper-based process is inefficient, risky, error-prone, and cumbersome to manage • In 2011, the HERSCI (Harvard Effort Reporting and Salary Certification Initiative) Steering Committee was established to guide in the selection and implementation of an effort reporting system • HERSCI issued an RFP, held 2 rounds of vendor demos, and selected Huron’s ecrt system to support the University’s effort reporting functions • Received ITCRB funding and approval to move forward with implementation of Huron’s ecrt and a GMAS committed effort module

4. ecrt Features • ecrt launched in 2004 • Web-based, online effort reporting • In use at over 70 institutions • Integrated with Harvard PIN security • Includes Harvard HR, GMAS, and G/L data • Department dashboard (summary) • Reporting capabilities • Easy compliance monitoring • Will support Harvard’s “project-based” effort reporting method • Real-time review of “building” certifications (cert period not complete) • Automatic email notification

5. Outreach, Communication, and Training • Leveraged existing research administration forums throughout the year to deliver projects updates, get input • Established numerous subcommittees to address implementation, policy, and systems issues • Undertook major outreach effort and met with 140+ departments over summer ‘13 to ensure readiness • Training • Developed in coordination with CWD • In-class labs in Cambridge and Longwood for all grant managers • Faculty • Received feedback early on that faculty will not attend ecrt training • Instead focused on educating grant managers • Developed instruction card • Memo to be issued from VPR User Base: Administrators ~400 Faculty ~1,000

6. ecrt Deployment Plan Training Begins Certification Period Opens Review Period Opens UAT • CREW reports will be made available until September 30th • FY 13 monthly CREW certs will need to be amended to reflect journal entries which post in FY14, but relate to FY13 • User Acceptance Testing scheduled for September 17th-September 24th • Formaltraining sessions commence Early October • Additional communications regarding registration will be sent in the next few weeks • Training is mandatory for tub effort coordinators, primary effort coordinators, and grant managers • Tuesday, October 22nd,faculty certifications for FY13 and staff certifications for FY14 Q1 will be open for review • Grant managers and primary effort coordinators will have 21 calendar days to review allocations • Tuesday, November 12th,faculty certifications for FY13 and staff certifications for FY14 Q1 will be open for certification • Certifiers will have 30 calendar days to certify both FY13 and FY14 Q1 statements September October November

7. Q+A

8. Appendix

9. PI ecrt Homepage