May 2022 MRAM Meeting

Event Date Time2
Location
Zoom Webinar

The Future of Effort Certification

An ECC project dashboard is being developed to provide updates and status of the project. Information on where to locate this new dashboard will be shared soon.

Q1: How will GCCRs change when ECC replaces eFECS?
A1; GCCRs will follow an automated process in the future state, although the specific workflows are not yet finalized. We will provide more information, once it is available.

Q2: What are the 4 systems this will replace? 
A2: To support UW Finance Transformation (UWFT) and the implementation of Workday Finance, ECC will replace effort reporting systems and/or existing processes for the following:

  • Faculty Effort (eFECS)
  • Non-Faculty Grant and Contract Certification Reports (GCCR)
  • Harborview Medical Center (HMC)
  • Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)

Q3: ADS and ENS payments interfere with the accuracy of FEC in its current state - the percentages of effort on sponsored projects shift slightly, as the ADS/ENS payments are counted toward a 1.0 FTE, rather than being noted as payments beyond the 1.0 FTE. Is this something we will have some control over in future state?
A3: The ECC project kicked off at the end of April, so we’re still in discovery mode. However, one of our immediate objectives is to learn more about the features, functionalities, and constraints of ECC to inform design decisions going forward. This is helpful input—we hope to know more in the coming weeks. At a minimum however, this will be captured as a testing scenario during the test phase of the project.

Q4: Is Huron providing a custom solution or is it off the shelf and adapted?
A4: ECC is an off-the-shelf solution that will be configured to meet the needs of the UW.

Q5: When will the old system be retired? Will there be any overlap?
A5: A cutover plan is currently under development. While some details remain unknown, the following key elements are in place:

  • Current state effort reporting will end on 6/30/23, with an abbreviated reporting cycle; however, current state systems will remain in use for a few months after cutover to certify for this cycle.
  • Future state effort reporting will begin on 7/1/23, with a new reporting cycle in ECC.
  • Leading up to cutover, we will work with users to minimize cross-era changes and recertifications.

We will provide more information, once it is available.

Q6: Do other peers that use this also use Workday?
A6: Yes. Among other institutions, the University of Miami and the University of Kansas Medical Center use both systems. We are currently engaged with the University of Miami to learn more about their implementation of ECC and Workday Finance.

Q7: What does ECC stand for?
A7:Employee Compensation Compliance (ECC). ECC is a third-party solution, provided by Huron Consulting, which supports the effective management of effort reporting, project certification, and payroll confirmation.

Q8: When you say GCCRs will be “automated” do you mean that it will be automated for each PI? So the role of GCCR coordinator (who downloads the report and gets signatures) will no longer be needed?
A8: In the future state, it will not be necessary to download GCCR Reports for project-based effort reporting. That said, the specific processes for this work, along with the associated roles and responsibilities, remain to be defined. We will provide more information, once it is available.

Budgeting Salaries on Grant Proposals During Status Quo

Q1: Is it known if the RSE will remain as ProStaff if they decide to unionize?
A1: Not at this time. It may not be known until a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is negotiated.

Q2: If union is rejected, will raises be retroactive to Sept 1?
A2: It is not known at this time.

Q3: To clarify, this only affects Research Scientist Engineers?
A3: Yes, only Research Scientist/Engineers, and only through level 4, but not above.

Q4: So RSEs will not be eligible for the yearly merit raises? Has status quo already started?
A4: RSEs will not receive annual merit increases during status quo, which has already started and will continue until 1) voting members of the unit reject the Union’s petition to organize OR 2) there is a vote for unionization and a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is negotiated and ratified.