1) What is Effort Reporting?
Effort reporting is a method for documenting and certifying actual activity expended in work required to fulfill an individual’s employment obligation to the University. It may include both sponsored and non-sponsored activity. Certification of reported effort for personnel associated with sponsored projects is required by the federal government.
Effort Reporting reflects the percentage of time (effort) an employee has spent on each specific activity for which the employee is compensated by the University. Originally derived from payroll distribution records, effort reporting requires that an adjustment be processed in Workday if there is a significant change in effort. Effort Reports are issued every six months.
2) What is meant by the term “Effort Certification”?
Effort Certification is the process for ensuring that direct labor charges to sponsored projects are reasonable and reflect actual work performed.
3) What is meant by the term "Project Confirmation"?
The University recently switched to Project Confirmation which will streamline the effort certification process. The Principal Investigator certifies his/her own effort and confirms the effort of staff on each project. If there are other faculty members on the project, each will certify their own effort.
4) What is meant by the term “Effort”?
Total effort is defined as ALL professional activity for which the University compensates an individual, including students working as teaching or research assistants. For reporting purposes, effort is calculated in percentages of compensated effort with the total allocation of effort being 100%.
5) What activities are included in Effort?
Effort includes all activities that are associated with an individual’s institutional base salary. Total effort includes the following activities: teaching, administration, clinical and research activities. Incidental and non-institutional activities are not included in effort.
6) Who is subject to Effort Reporting?
Effort Reporting is done on all faculty, staff, and graduate students with funded or unfunded committed effort on sponsored projects. Their effort will include any work related to activities to fulfill their individual employment obligation to the University. Non-exempt employees, undergraduates and/or college work study students who complete auditable time sheets and pre/post-doctoral students, supported only by fellowships are not subject to effort reporting procedures.
7) Who should certify Effort?
The Principal Investigator certifies his/her own effort and the effort of staff on each project. If there are other faculty members on the project, each will certify their own effort. The Effort Coordinator is responsible to monitor the progress of the certifications and follow up with the PIs, as necessary, to resolve issues and ensure the completion of the Project Confirmation process.
8) When is Effort certified/confirmed?
Effort is certified/confirmed every six months for the periods: June 1 - Nov 30 and Dec 1 - May 31st.
9) How do I certify my Effort?
Effort certification is done via the ECC system.
See the Effort Reporting Policy for more information.
