How to Use the Effort Certification System

4. The Project Detail Page

On the Project Detail page, you will see a list of the employees on the project, the amount each was paid by the project, and the percentage of effort (if any) contributed by each to the project.

If your award has a cost-sharing commitment, the Cost-Sharing Information box will be present.

If no cost-sharing has been indicated on the award in the current certification period, you must indicate the amount of cost share met during the period of certification or confirm that no effort was expended in the period to meet the cost share obligation. (The cost sharing represented is based on your overall commitment for the period of the award and is not specific to the certification period.)

For example, the PI commits 10% of his time to the award and is paid directly from the award. In addition, he commits another 3% of his time as cost sharing against the award. During certification, the PI would need to confirm through certification that he/she spent an amount of time on the award equivalent to 10% (the percent of his/her pay derived from the award) and also confirm through certification that he/she did or did not provide the additional 3% (the cost share portion) during the period of certification. If the 3% was met, the source of funds (most normally a non-sponsored source) would be indicated. This is accomplished on the Individual Detail Page (# 6 below). If the 3% was not met, the PI affirms that by checking the box indicating there was no cost share on the project during the certification period and proceed with the rest of the certification process.

The percentage listed for each employee is computed by dividing the person's total pay from the project during the certification period by the person's total pay from all University sources during the same period. To see a breakdown of the person's pay by month, click on the person's name for the Distribution Detail page (#5 below).

To see a list of all the sources of a person's pay in the Certification Period, or to adjust that person's percentage of effort, click on the "Adjust" button at the right end of the row, for the Individual Detail page (#6 below).

When you are ready to certify or precertify, look for a button at the lower left of the page.

• If there are conditions that must be corrected before certification or precertification is available, the button will say "Conditions to be Corrected", and when clicked, will give you a list of errror conditions and tell you how to correct them.
• If there are no error conditions and you are authorized to precertify but not to certify, the button will say "Precertify". Then clicking the button will change the status of the project to Precertified. In that case, once you have precertified, you have done all that you have to do on that project.
• If there are no error conditions and you are authorized to certify, the button will say "Certify". Then clicking the button will take you to the Certification page (see #7 below).