Welcome to WBRS Basics Training

1. Welcome to WBRS Basics Training Presented by: Kathryn McQuillen June 21, 2006

2. Agenda for WBRS Basics • What is WBRS? • Navigation (getting around) • Member Views • Before Enrolling a Member • Member Forms -Entering and Editing Member Data • Fun Activity • Preview of WBRS Reports

3. Web-Based Reporting Systems (WBRS) The database was developed to make reporting and data tracking easier for AmeriCorps Programs, State Commissions and National Direct Parent Organizations. Some Advantages of WBRS • WBRS is a beneficial tool to assist us in recording information, reviewing past performance, analyzing data, and making decisions for the future. • The member databases are easily accessible through the web, which centralizes the information and makes WBRS a huge resource center for users. • Streamlines reporting to the Corporation for National and Community Service, making information sharing faster than by paper or telephone. • Programs can view their member information in a variety of ways through views and query reports.

4. Troubleshooting • WBRS has a specific way and order it wants the user to do things and it doesn’t always explain what step you are missing before letting you continue forward. • It leaves you wanting more… reports. • Once you become accustomed to using the system, you will be able to maneuver through it quickly. Practice makes perfect. Best Practices

5. Navigation • WBRS Main Menu • Basics • Home, WBRS Central, Help Desk, Help Manual, & Policies • Members • Find a Member, Extra Views, New Member, & Commitments • Users • Your Profile, Change Password, & User Profile

6. Member Views • Quick, Find a Member! • Extra Views • Members by Site:shows member names, status, type of hours, start and exit dates, and hours earned. • Status:shows the # of members Not Yet Enrolled, Active, Completed, Suspended, or Transferred. • Unapproved Documents:list of unapproved documents in your program. • New Member • Commitments

7. Before Enrolling a Member • Before entering a member into WBRS, feel confident that the member truly has an understanding of their commitment to service & completing the hours required to receive an Ed Award. • Losing member effects our retention numbers and later our funding. • You have 30 days to enter the enrollment form into WBRS from the day the member signs the document

8. Member’s Understanding of “Commitment” Checklist: • Recruitment Orientation • Application Process • One-on-One Interview • Selection Process • Meetings and Trainings Attendance • Discuss Member Contract Enter the member into WBRS after the member survives 30 days of AmeriCorps Best Practices

9. Member Forms • Commitment Form • Member Information Profile (MIP) • Enrollment Form • Time Logs • Change of Status • Exit Form

10. Commitment Form • The Corporation for National & Community Service describes a commitment as follows: A “commitment” is defined as signing a member contract with an individual or otherwise entering into a legally enforceable commitment as determined by state law. • A member must be entered into AmeriCorps Commitment Tracker (ACT) within 30 calendardays of the commitment signing

11. How do I get to the Commitment Form? On the main menu bar, click on • “Member”, • then “New Member,” • Select the grant year (by clicking on the link) • Select the program (by clicking on the link) • Scroll to the bottom of the Commitment Tracker form and click on “Add a Row.” • Fill in the information in the boxes • Click “Done” when finished. *Side note: In order to move onto the next step, which is creating a Member Information Profile, the Commitment must be approved by someone with Program Director (PD) Access

12. Editing or Canceling a Commitment To edit or cancel a commitment, return to the Commitment Tracker page by: • Click on “Member,” • then “Commitments” • Find the commitment you want to change and click on the pencil icon • To cancel the commitment, check the cancellation box. • Click “Done” when finished.

13. Commitment Troubleshooting WBRS will not let you continue forward if the “commitment date” is later than the “expected start date.” • The “Commitment Date” is the same date the member signed the Member Contract. • To avoid problems, enter the “Expected Start Date” as the same date as the “Commitment Date.”

14. Member Information Profile • From the Commitment page, click on the link: “MIP” and enter the member’s information. • To enter the member’s social security number, click “View SSN” and enter the social security number in this format: 123-45-6789. • Make sure to select an “Operating Site” so that your member isn’t left an “orphan.” • Select a Save Option (SA vs. PD access) • Incomplete- In Process • Complete- Awaiting Approval • Approved Make sure to enter the member’s social security number and click Save this Form otherwise all information entered will be lost!

15. Member Information Profile (MIP) Contents of the MIP: • Member Summary, Member Information, & Member Forms • Member Forms: • Enrollment • Time Logs • Change of Status • Change of Term • End of Term Links that are “grayed-out” are inactive, which means you can’t create that form for the member; you can only create documents with active links- they show as purple and underlined. If the link is “grayed-out” it means you’ll have to do something else before continuing forward.

16. Enrollment Form • Use your paper enrollment form as a guide to complete the WBRS Enrollment Form • The “Expected Date of Completion” should be 12 months from the campus program start date. (The start date of the campus program is the date the campus enrolled their 1st member for the program year.) • Note: The “Expected Date of Completion” cannot extend past the grant agreement end date (December 31). (For example, if the campus started their program February of 2006, their members have until December 31th, 2006 to complete their service.)

17. Time Logs • Each time you click on “Time Log” a new time log is created. Time Logs are created in chronological order. • The month of the very 1st time log you create for a member is determined by the start date on the MIP. • You have 15 days after the month to enter and approve the time log of that month. Enter the member’s Time Logs on a weekly basis and approve them by the end of the month. Time Management Best Practices

18. Time Logs Troubleshooting • You can only delete time logs starting with the latest one, working backwards, (because there’d be no way for you to re-create an earlier time log without deleting all the rest anyway).

19. Change of Status • Change of Status refers to the member being: • Suspended • Reinstated, or • Transferred • Member may be suspended for either “personal and compelling circumstances” or as a disciplinary action. • Make sure that all Time Logs are completed and approved before submitting a change of status for any member. Members who are suspended must be reinstated before you can exit them. Troubleshooting

20. Exit Form • Click on “End of Term” and complete form. • Reasons for Exiting: • Member left the program for personal and compelling circumstances. • Member left program for disciplinary reasons. • Member left the program without personal and compelling circumstances. • Member completed their service Make sure to enter all the member’s hours before exiting them from the program. Each hour adds up to the final MSY.

21. MIP and Member FormsBest Practices Keep MIPs up-to-date • Check at the end of each month for red messages that say “Incomplete” or “Awaiting Approval” documents. • Which areas do you check on the MIP? • Member Information • Enrollment • *Time Logs • Suspended/ Reinstated • Exit Enter the member’s Time Logs on a weekly basis and approve by the end of the month. Time Management Best Practices

22. What happens if you get stuck? Hmmm? • Review your steps and practice your troubleshooting skills. • Research the answer to your problem in the WBRS Manual. (In WBRS, on the main menu bar, click on “Basics”, then “WBRS Manual”) • Contact the AmeriCorps unit. 1st Point of Contact: Kathryn McQuillen (916) 325-8568 kmcquillen@foundationccc.org

23. Game Show Prizes • AmeriCorps water bottle • Small AmeriCorps t-shirt • AmeriCorps hard cover journal • AmeriCorps hat

24. Homework(post-training practice) Go to WBRS Central and click at the bottom of the page on the link “Practice Databases.” Next, click on “AmeriCorps State” link. Sign in as “Lulu Curls” and your password will either be “password1” or “password2.” Please do not change the password. • Invent a member • Create a commitment for the member • Set the commitment date as April 4, 2006. • Create a Member Information Profile for the member • Create an April, May, and June Time Log for the member • Exit the member • Set the end of service/ completion date as June 19, 2006