Streamlining Activity Reporting for AARP Tax-Aide Program

1. Activity Reporting In 2011 for Regional Meetings Nashville, TN – October 2010 AARP Tax-Aide

2. Administrative Survey Highlights: • Objective: Collect the input needed from our SC, ADS, DC and LC leaders to • be able to identify and prioritize the administrative areas we need to better • understand and evaluate, so that we can better serve our volunteers and the • program. •  All SCs, ADSs and DCs along with 400 LCs were surveyed •  40% of SCs and ADSs along with 25% of DCs and LCs responded • Activity Reporting ranked as the #1 most time consuming task • 42% do not view Activity Reporting as essential to the program • 67% say Activity Reporting can be improved • Activity Reporting ranked as the #2 top priority to evaluate and improve

3. Survey results coupled with other known and/or potential issues presents the following concerns:

4. Important Considerations: • Performance reporting is required by our sponsors to secure funding • IRS counts returns – paper & e-file • AARP counts people helped • The total number of people we help is a critical statistic – Almost 600,000 are • helped without filing a current year federal return • Improving tax return accuracy through documented Quality Reviews is critical Our Approach Over 2 years – Reduce activity reporting workload by 80+% This year – Meet our reporting obligations and maintain data quality and accuracy by testing a new activity reporting system using the evolving AARP Volunteer Portal web interface.

5. What we are doing in 2011: • Launching a TEST of a newvolunteer-reported stats web form (LC/DC): •  Access through the new Volunteer Portal •  Volunteer reporting of only Paper Returns and Q&A (no reporting of e-filed returns) •  Available on a voluntary, opt-in basis at the District/State (not site) level •  May be used by e-file and paper sites – no requirements for participation •  Cannot, however, exceed an ~80% opt-in/participation rate • Maintaining the traditional volunteer-reported stats web form (LC/DC): • Continued access through the existing Extranet • Continued requirement to report all returns (Paper + e-file) and Q&A • Default reporting web form/system • Continued usage by e-file and paper sites • Must maintain ~20% usage • “E-File” designated sites (using either web form/system) will track Quality Review for • only Tax-Wise prepared returns in Tax-Wise; “Paper” designated sites (using either • web form) will continue to track Quality Review on the Site Sign-In Sheet and in the • volunteer-reported web form/system.

6. Summary Chart: Traditional Access Users – States/Districts that choose to use the same Activity Reporting system as in 2010, accessed through the Extranet (www.aarp.org/tavolunteers) Portal Access Users – States/Districts that choose to use the new Activity Reporting system, accessed through the Volunteer Portal (https://volunteers.aarp.org) E-File Designated Sites – Designated in VMIS/Site Management System

7. Why Two Reporting Systems? • Choice - • New system delivers the #1 requested change [cease manual • reporting of IRS data] without forcing adoption by all in first year. • Best Practice - • “Testing” a new system and processes before full conversion [especially one as critical as Activity Reporting] is important.

8. AARP Tax-Aide Volunteer Portal A web-based and centralized access point that provides: • Single and Secure access to All AARP Tax-Aide Information, Applications, Databases and Reporting • Personalized presentation and accessibility to information, applications, databases and reporting based on volunteer title and other requirements • Simplification and consistent presentation of the forms, tools and interfaces used for data entry, search and reporting • Centralized program communications • Standardized and Automated workflow/tracking

9. Current Site Activity Reporting & Site Information Management Extranet Forms, Manuals and Other Info E-Mail, Fax, Snail Mail, Telephone – Expense Statements, Order Forms, Inquiries, Communications VMIS Access AARP

10. Portal Single, Secure and Personalized Access to Everything You Need Self Service, Forms, Manuals, Communications Interfaces Workflow & MORE! Activity Reporting Recruitment System Order Form

11. Important Details: • State Coordinators may: • 1) Move their entire state to the new activity reporting system • 2) Keep their entire state in the existing activity reporting system • 3) Empower their DCs to choose – all sites under the DC must • use the DC chosen system (e-file and paper sites) • By October 25, the National Office will send a request for “opt in” to all • State Coordinators. The email will contain a link to a form in which the • SC will provide the information needed for new Activity Reporting System • participation. Default is the existing activity reporting system. • Decision to “opt-in” to use the new activity reporting system must be made by • November 22. Selection will “hold” for the entire 2011 tax preparation season • Maximum participation of ~80% in new activity reporting system. National Office • will closely monitor opt-in percentages and if necessary, communicate if limit has • been reached.

12. Important Details, continued: • By December 15, all DCs [and LCs] along with SCs and ADSs using the new • activity reporting system will be pre-registered to access the Portal and will • receive log in information [if they haven’t already registered], applicable • training materials and schedules by email. Users of the existing activity • reporting system will also receive updated training materials. • Two versions of the Site Sign In Sheet will be available in printed and Excel • form. Existing activity reporting system users will use a mostly “as is” • version titled “Traditional Activity Reporting System Users”, while new activity • reporting system users will use a modified version titled “Portal Activity • Reporting System Users.” Excel versions of these forms will be available on • the Extranet and can be modified as needed. • Quality Review for all E-File designated sites will be recorded in Tax-Wise • (Preparer Use Field #14), for only Tax-Wise prepared returns. Quality Review • percentages for E-File designated sites will be based solely on Tax-Wise filed • returns. Paper designated sites will continue to manually track Quality • Review. Training for Quality Review in Tax Wise will be delivered by the • National Training Committee.

13. Next Steps and Goals: • National Office will validate and compare the accuracy and effectiveness of the • new activity reporting system • Feedback on the new system and the development of Phase II enhancements • will commence soon after the 2011 Tax Preparation Season • Top 2012 Goals: • Convert all to the new activity reporting system accessed through the Portal • Eliminate the manual tracking of Prior Year and Amended Federal Returns • along with State/Local Only Returns •  Manually track only Q&A • Utilize “Sampling” (e.g. ~20% of Districts) to extrapolate national-level • performance reporting stats.

14. APPENDIX

15. Portal Home Page

16. Portal Registration Form - National Office will be pre-registering users of the new Activity Reporting System.

17. Portal Login Screen

18. Portal AARP Tax-Aide Home Page

19. Portal District Coordinator Activity Reporting Form – Note that the reporting of QR for efile sites is not an available field.

20. Portal Local Coordinator Activity Reporting Form – Note that the reporting of QR for efile sites is not an available field

21. Site Sign In Sheet for “Portal” System Users – Compressed for display purposes (actual form includes 20 rows.

22. “Portal” System Users Instructions – Compressed for display purposes

23. Site Sign In Sheet for “Traditional” System Users – Compressed for display purposes (actual form includes 20 rows.

24. “Traditional” System Users Instructions – Compressed for display purposes

25. Activity Reporting Q&A

26. Online Ordering of AARP Tax-Aide Produced Materials for Regional Meetings Nashville, TN – October 2010 AARP Tax-Aide

27. Phase I Web-based Ordering: • Access through Volunteer Portal, 24 x 7 • Web form delivered directly to AARP Fulfillment • Optional use [in 2010/2011] to any Volunteer Leader that orders materials • Suggested and maximum ordering quantity alert pop ups • Ability to ship to locations other than volunteer’s address • Confirmation of order receipt • Phase II enhancements for 2011/2012 TBD

28. Communications & Training: • eMail will be sent to all State Management Team volunteers by October 15 • Webinar Training beginning week of October 25 • Training materials and system utilization information will also be available on • the Extranet at www.aarp.org/tavolunteers

29. Site Information Management for Regional Meetings Nashville, TN – October 2010 AARP Tax-Aide

30. New IRS Database: • SPECTRM replaced STARS on August 1 • SPECTRM is a web-based, centralized database that automatically updates • Local SPEC site information in real time, eliminating the need for local SPEC • offices to manually sync to the IRS national database • SPECTRM prohibits local SPEC offices from editing information fed by • VMIS (National Office sends VMIS site information 2x week to IRS) • We expect that the system change will significantly reduce the frustration and issues experienced by our volunteers

31. Volunteer Expense Reimbursement for Regional Meetings Nashville, TN – October 2010 AARP Tax-Aide

32. What We Are Doing: • Working with a volunteer committee of SCs, DCs and LCs to develop • automated solutions for and improvements to our manual expense • reimbursement processes for both Flat Rate and Itemized – Multi-year project • 2011 Reimbursement Season Goals: •  Provide an automated and optional alternative for Flat Rate • reimbursement processing through the Portal •  Improvements to current, manual processes • 2012-2013: • Fully automated solution for all aspects of expense reimbursement • processing and reporting •  Elimination of all manual, paper processing

33. Volunteer Recruitment System for Regional Meetings Nashville, TN – October 2010 AARP Tax-Aide

34. Phase II Functionality: • Direct access through Volunteer Portal (also available by link through the • Extranet) • Ability to register new prospects locally through “same” application form • access by PVC, Volunteer Leaders • New, optional “Activity Summary Page” and on line reporting to track “final • prospect status” through assessment, training and assignment process by • Split State, District, Prospect • Redesign of pages to more user friendly, easy to navigate design through • Volunteer Portal • On boarding /Off boarding process analysis through end of season surveys, • possibly to Split State level • Expanded access to additional titles (through Portal access) as requested

35. Communications & Training: • eMail sent to all SCs, PVCs and DCs on 9/30 • New User Webinar Training: • Thursday, 10/7 – 1:00 p.m. (ET) • Tuesday, 10/12 – 11:00 a.m. (ET) • Wednesday, 10/20 – 2:00 p.m. (ET) • Existing User Webinar Training: • Monday, 10/4 – 3:30 p.m. (ET) • Friday, 10/8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET) • Friday, 10/22 – 1:00 p.m. (ET) • Reports and VMIS: • Thursday, 10/28 – 2:00 p.m. (ET) • Monday, 11/1 – 2:30 p.m. (ET) • Training materials and system utilization information will also be available on • the Extranet at www.aarp.org/tavolunteers