National Institute of Food and Agriculture – NIFA

1. National Institute of Food and Agriculture – NIFA Financial Operations Division (FOD) NERAO Conference 2011 by Eric D. Still-Branch Chief FMB1

2. FOD-BACKGROUND • Responsible for monitoring and oversight of $2.2B federal grant assistance program • serves as the focal point for the agency’s financial management activities • plans, directs, coordinates, and manages programs of payments for formula funds, grants, cooperative agreements, special projects, and other Federal assistance instruments administered by NIFA • coordinates the financial assistance activities with Department of Health & Human Services –Payment Management System (DHHS – PMS) and the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP.)

3. FOD-BACKGROUND • Responsible for oversight and enforcement of the Federal Appropriation Law • Protects the Agency to ensure compliance of the Anti Deficiency ACT (ADA) Article 31 U.S.C § 1341(a)(1)(A) • Involving the government/agency in any obligation to pay money before funds have been appropriated for that purpose, unless otherwise allowed by Law. 31 U.S.C §1341 (a)(1)(B) • Making or authorizing an expenditure, creating or authorizing an obligation under, any appropriation or Fund in excess of the amount available in the appropriation or Fund. • Making obligations or expenditures in excess of an appointment or reappointment, or in excess of the amount permitted by the agency regulations. Article 31 U.S.C. 1517(a) • An Officer or Employee who “knowingly and willfully” violates any of the three provisions cited above shall be fined not more than $5K, imprisoned for not more than 2 years or both. Article 31 U.S.C §§ 1350, 1519 • Protects the Agency to ensure compliance of Freedom of Information Act

4. Financial Operations Division

5. Financial Operations Division • Core Responsibilities:

6. FMB1-Funds Management Branch 1 • The FMB1 structure consist of three separate teams: • The Operation Team (OT) • The Payment Team (PT) • The Recipient & Reporting Team (RRT)

7. Financial Operations Division • OPERATIONS TEAM

8. FMB1-Operations Team • Verify awards for recommendations • Obligating all grants in the Grant Management System/Accounting System • CREEMS-Grants System • FMMI- Accounting System • Provide financial status reports to Budget • Provide financial status reports to Congress • Oversee Inter-Agency Agreements program for NIFA • Reconcile 4801 Fund and TAS account with Treasury

9. Financial Operations Division • PAYMENT TEAM

10. FMB1-Payments Team • Enrollment and creation of accounts in ASAP • Authorization of ASAP/PMS accounts • Certification of funds in ASAP/PMS • Manage the FOD ASAPcustomerservice email box.

11. FMB1-Payments Team • ASAP System: • NIFA utilizes the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system to distribute grants throughout the United States. ASAP is a web-based electronic payment and information system developed by the Financial Management Services (FMS) under the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond • ASAP allow grantee institutions receiving federal grants to draw down funds from accounts pre-authorized by NIFA. ASAP receives payment requests and transmits payment to either the Federal Reserve Bank or the U.S. Treasury for deposit into the grantee’s bank account.

12. FMB1-Payments Team • Enrollment; • The FMB1 Budget Technician verifies the enrollment status in ASAP. • The FMB1 Budget and Technician enrolls NEW grantees in ASAP base on the Duns# (Duns and Bradstreet) and EIN# (Employer Identification Number) listed on the SF-424. • Once the Grantee is enrolled, Treasury ASAP customer service representative will email the User ID to the AR (Authorized Representative listed on the SF-424). The password will be mailed to the address provided on the SF-424.

13. FMB1-Payments Team • Enrollment-Con’t • The Grantee has 45 days to complete each step of the following enrollment categories in ASAP. • Initiates RO and POC • Point of Contact Names Organization Officials • Head of Organization Approves Official • Authorization Officials Defines Recipient Profile • Authorizing Official Defines Recipient Organizations Users • Financial Official Defines Banking Information • If the Recipient fails to complete all steps, the enrollment status will be rejected in ASAP and funds will be delayed

14. FMB1-Payments Team • Create/Authorize/Certification; • The FMB1 Budget and Financial Specialist create the account in ASAP/PMS for authorization • The FMB1 Financial Management Specialist Authorize and loads the money on the account in ASAP/PMS • The Certifying Officer review and approve the payment to certify the funds in ASAP/PMS. At this point, the funds are available to the Grantee for withdrawal

15. Payments Team-Cont • FOD ASAP customer service • vs. • Treasury ASAP customer • service

16. FOD Payment Team- Con’t • Financial Operations Division ASAP Customer Service • Telephone: 202-401-4237 • Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm • www.ASAPcustomerservice.nifa.usda.gov • Categories: • Payment Status • Return Funds

17. FMB1-Payment Team- Con’t • Treasury ASAP customer service • Regional Contact Information • Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm • www.fms.treas.gov/asap/ • Time ZoneReginald Financial CenterContact Number • Eastern Philadelphia (215)-516-8021 • Central Kansas City (816)-414-2100 • Mountain/Pacific San Francisco (510)-594-7182 • Categories: • ASAP User ID and Password • Set-up Bank Information • Assist with Enrollment • Set-up Payment Method

18. FMB1-Payment Team- Con’t • Treasury ASAP customer service • Regional Contact Information • Hour of Operation M-F 7:30am to 4pm • www.fms.treas.gov/asap • Categories Con’t • Notification that ASAP account is due to expire • Notification of rejected bank information

19. Financial Operations Division • RECIPIENT AND REPORTING TEAM

20. FMB1-Recipient and Reporting Team • grant close out-process (10,000+ grants) • receipt of all SF-269s 2006 and prior, SF-424s 2009 and forward • tracking all grants from 1996 to present ensuring close out • identifying new grants that are eligible for close out • notifying all grantees of grants due to expire and unused funds will be de-Obligated by 9/15/20XX • enforcing status reports required within the 90 days expiration date of the grant. (All must be completed) • Final report sent to AMD for review and approval • AMD send notification FMB1-RRT • FOD Certify the funds • Grantee withdraw funds

21. FMB2-Cash Reconciliation Team • monthly Fund Balance with Treasury (FBWT) reconciliation • reconcile 90 Treasury Symbols monthly which identify the year of appropriation • reconcile and resolve any un liquidated obligations • reconcile and resolve any abnormal balances on the financial statements • process government to government payments (IPAC) • serves as the audit liaison for the agency

22. FOD-Contacts • Tonya R. Johnson – FOO/Division Director tjohnson@nifa.usda.gov • Main Number: 202 401-4527 • Fax Number : 202 690-2239 • FMB1 – Eric D. Still- Branch Chief • estill@nifa.usda.gov • Jameal Clark (OT-team leader) jaclark@nifa.usda.gov • Vacant Position (PT-team leader) • Sophia Wilson (RRT-team leader) swilson@nifa.usda.gov • FMB2 – Idelisa Valentin- Brach Chief ivalentin@nifa.usda.gov • Jeffrey Sweet (CRT 1 –team leader) jsweet@nifa.usda.gov • Linda Ning (CRT2 – team leader) lning@nifa.usda.gov

23. Financial Operations Division • Q/As