Using the Tulane University Effort Reporting System

1. Using the Tulane UniversityEffort Reporting System A guide to the required certification of sponsored effort

2. The Maximus ERS program is Tulane’s method of certifyingsponsored effort. This provides Grants and Contracts Accounting an accurate and effective way to provide necessary information during audits and maintains the records required by the government and other sponsors.Semi-annually in January and July, we load the payroll for the previous 6-month period, including any retros and adjustments, into ERS.ERS recognizes those with sponsored effort and creates electronic forms for certification. An effort form cannot be certified until it has been pre reviewed, usually the role of a department administrator, who, if there are forms assigned to them for pre review, will receive an email when the program goes live each period.

3. To login, go to https://ers.tcs.tulane.edu and enter yourSingle Sign-on user id and password

4. Click on the Pending number in the My Status/ To Do Box – this shows only the forms you are assigned to pre reviewThe Effort Form Status box may show more forms in your ORG, but they are not your responsibility to pre review.

5. This brings up the list of names assigned to you for pre review.Click on the Name link to bring up the form.

6. If you click on that symbol, a page pops up with grant info. This is the effort form. The little symbol next to the name of the grant indicates that it belongs to an org that does not match the person’s org.

7. If you click on the total payroll link, it brings up the payroll detail by month. If you want more detail, click on the Detail By Transaction button

8. Use the notes field to explain any oddities – summer salary, for instance – that throw off the percentages. If everything looks accurate, just hit the Proceed button. If there are any problems, call me for further guidance.

9. You’re done! In the live system, there is auto email enabled, so it will tell you that an email has been sent to the certifier. However, since we use bulk email, the certifier won’t actually receive it until the next morning. Follow up to make sure it has not gone into Junk Mail.

10. Some final notes • If you need help with the program, please go to http://tulaneeffortreporting.tulane.edu/index.html for guidance prior to emailing or calling.  There is much information available there to help you.  • Students do not certify themselves - the PI should do it; change certifier assignments before you do pre review or the incorrect person will receive the auto email from the ERS system. • Do not certify for faculty -you will be held personally responsible for any issues found during an audit.  Certify for staff only if you can fully justify a reason why they cannot do it themselves.  If someone is termed, the PI or the Chair should be the certifier. • Read only pre review (Left menu > Pre Review > View Read Only Effort Forms) allows you to check forms for folks not in your ORG who have effort on sponsored accounts that are in your ORG. You will want to let the home department know that you are OK or not OK with the effort posted there. • Don't forget to check for summer salary.  Click on the total payroll to drill down into the Payroll Detail and look for natural accounts 5252, 5253 and 5254.  Please use the notes field to explain to the certifier that summer salary skews the average percentage for the 6-month period. • Use the notes field on the form to explain things like reversals or backpay from a previous period.  Call me if you need guidance.