Overview

This guide is for faculty, principal investigators, and individuals with a principal investigator waiver. It outlines review and certification responsibilities and explains how to carry out those responsibilities in the eCertification Payroll Distribution System.

For the purposes of annual payroll distribution review and certification, your research/financial administrator (termed task manager or primary task manager in this system) has been asked to read the Payroll Distribution Certification Briefing and attend training so he or she is prepared to review the payroll distributions before you review and certify.

Faculty are most familiar with their own payroll distribution. To protect the confidentiality of faculty salaries, we have taken steps to identify a primary task manager for you. The primary task manager was identified by your department administrator. Only you and your primary task manager can view your payroll distribution in the eCertification system. Non primary task managers cannot view faculty payroll distribution. Therefore not all the accounts for your faculty payroll distribution may be reviewed and verified by a task manager. Only those accounts that your primary task manager is responsible for will be reviewed.

The certification period is March 31st through June 5th, 2015 for Calendar 2014.

1. Complete your review and certification in the eCertification Payroll Distribution System by the certification deadline.

Review the payroll amounts and percentages to determine whether they are reasonable in relation to the work performed and to the individual’s 100% payroll distribution.  The payroll distribution may not exceed the effort expended on sponsored projects. However, the payroll charge can be less than the effort devoted to that project.

Faculty, principal investigators and individuals with a principal investigator waiver review and certify their own payroll distribution.

In addition, principal investigators review and certify the payroll distribution of employees working under their direction.

• It is recommended that you meet with your task manager (research/financial administrator) while reviewing and certifying.
• Task managers (research/financial administrators) are responsible for reviewing the payroll distribution data before the certification period begins. A green check mark beside the task manager’s name indicates that he or she has reviewed the data and opted to document his or her review
• You can request supporting data for an employee's payroll distribution from your task manager or primary task manager (research/financial administrator) before you review and certify.  
• Keep in mind the payroll charges for sponsored projects and cost sharing accounts were certified when you reviewed and signed the Quarterly Expenditure Statements (149), which are displayed by project rather than employee.
• If you are interrupted during a review and certification session before you finish, you can easily see, on the Home Screen, which employees you certified and you can return to where you left off.  Your work is automatically saved.
• You can uncertify a previously certified employee and recertify at a later date before the deadline.
• For employee's who work on multiple sponsored projects under the direction of more than one PI, each PI will certify where they are the PI (task owner). Those certified by another PI will display other certifier in the column labeled certification status. You may wish to discuss an employee’s payroll distribution with other faculty for an employee who is shared by multiple faculty.

2. Complete recertification when necessary

Your task manager or primary task manager (research/financial administrator) will inform you when recertification is required for an employee due to a payroll adjustment that was made after you certified. Complete recertification within one month of notification.

For more information about recertification please review the Research Policy Handbook section 3.2.

3. Monitor your certification progress

View a summary of your certification progress on the Home Screen.

4. Contacts

Click the contact link above for assistance with any aspect of payroll certification.

The Login Screen

Type your SUNet ID and SUNet password to login. This action opens the Home Screen.

The Home Screen

Use this screen to navigate and monitor your review and certification progress. The numbers in the yellow labels on the screenshot correspond to the numbers in the table below.

The Employee Detail Screen

Each employee has a unique detail screen.  Click your name to open your Employee Detail Screen.

The Employee Detail Screen (con't)

The Employee Detail Screen (con't)

Overview

This guide is for both school overseers and department overseers where school overseers have designated department overseers to carry out these responsibilities. It outlines oversight and monitoring responsibilities and explains how to carry out those responsibilities in the eCertification Payroll Distribution System.

The review period for overseers is January 20 - February 17, 2015.

The review period for task managers is February 17 - March 30, 2015.

The review and certification period for certifiers is March 31 - June 5, 2015.

Responsibilities

1. Review (January 20 - February 17, 2015)

Overseers should complete the following review responsibilities before task managers access the system February 17th, 2015.

• School overseers contact RFCS to designate department overseers. In the eCertification Payroll Distribution System, verify that the assignments are accurate. Make sure designated department overseers have "salary view authority” in the Authority Manager.
• If you are both a task manager and a department overseer, be sure to toggle between your two views within the system when carrying out the responsibilities of each role.
• Verify you can see all Org Code assignments under your authority.
• Ensure task manager assignments are valid for each certifier. Update task manager assignments in PTA Manager if necessary. Keep in mind; it takes 24 hours for your changes to be reflected in this system. Respond to requests from RFCS and task managers to identify a primary task manager for each faculty and individual with a PI waiver.
• Review the "Overseer List" located in the "Reports" tab to verify that department overseer assignments, if any, are current. If updates are required, contact ecert-support@lists.stanford.edu with a detailed request.
• Use the Maintain Primary Task Manager function to identify a Primary Task Manager for each faculty or individual with a PI waiver under your purview.
• Verify that every task manager responsible for reviewing payroll distribution data for a certifier has "salary view authority" in the Authority Manager. Make necessary corrections in PTA Manager.
• If the task manager will be absent for a long period, identify a new task manager in PTA Manager, or complete the review for that task manger, and document it in the Notes & History Tab.

2. Monitor Task Managers' Review Progress (February 17 - March 30, 2015)

Ensure task managers complete their review by March 30th, 2015 . You cannot monitor the progress of department overseers from within the system. However, you can quickly access a department overseer's email from within the system in three tabs Certification by Employee, Certification Status by Certifier and Review Status by Task Manager. All three tabs have a column titled Overseers. Click View to display the email of a department overseer. 

3. Monitor Certification Progress (March 31 - June 5, 2015)

Ensure certifiers complete payroll distribution certification by the June 5th, 2015 deadline.

In the event certifiers do not meet the deadline, assist task mangers and RFCS with the escalation procedure.

Ensure certifiers leaving Stanford at anytime during the year complete payroll distribution certification. Certifiers who plan to leave Stanford must complete certification before leaving as their award and property under Stanford direction will not be transferred until certification is complete. As soon you are aware a certifier is leaving, contact RFCS.

4. Monitor the Recertification Process (ongoing)

A payroll adjustment that occurs after certification, whether it is during the certification period or after the June 5, 2015 deadline, may trigger a requirement to re-certify. If the adjustment occurs within the certification period, make sure re-certification is complete by the certification deadline.

If the re-certification requirement is triggered after the certification deadline, the certifier must re-certify within one month of notification. The task manager and certifier will be notified via an email from ecert-support@lists.stanford.edu

For more information about recertification please review the Research Policy Handbook section 3.2. 

5. Request a Reassignment (in rare instances)

In rare instances it may be appropriate to request a different certifier for a PTA to which an employee is charged. Overseers can send a request from within the eCertification Payroll Distribution System. Please include a message and alternate certifier you propose. RFCS will receive, review, and implement your request (if appropriate) after review and approval by the Associate Vice Provost for Research. If approved, the new certifier will be notified by RFCS. 

If a task manager makes this request within the eCertification Payroll Distribution System, you will receive a copy.

Monitor these requests with the reports: Request for Reassign Report (shows outstanding requests only), and Reassignment Report.  These reports are available in the Reports Tab.

6. Obtain and Upload a Signed Certification Document (as needed)

In rare instances you will receive an email from RFCS asking you to obtain and upload a signed certification document from a certifier in two circumstances. This is triggered by a request from a task manager for the following reasons. A certifier may not be able to login to certify into the eCertification Payroll Distribution System. During the review the task manager discovered an incorrect payroll amount that cannot be corrected in the system. 

How to Use the eCertification Payroll Distribution System

The Login Screen

Type your SUNet ID and password to login. This action opens the Home Screen. 

Type your SUNet ID and password to login. This action opens the Home Screen and Home Tab. 

The Home Screen

This screen opens whenever you login and whenever you click Home. The Certification Status by Employee Tab is always open on the Home Screen. Open the other tabs by clicking them. The numbered paragraphs below the screenshot correspond to the numbers in the yellow labels on the screenshot. They explain how to carry out your responsibilities in the system. 

1. The Red Banner which is available on all three screens contains navigation links to Home, Reports and Help, as well as your SUNet ID and Sign Out link. Click Help to find links to user guides, HelpSU, and contacts. Click Reports to find a list of reports.

2. The Green Bar displays the Certification Period and the Certification Due Date

3. Each tab displays certification status from a different perspective. You will review and monitor in these four tabs.

4. Organization List Search Box 

The search box will change for each of the three tabs:

1. Certification Status by Employee: Find Employee
2. Certification by Certifier: Find Certifier
3. Certification by Task Manager: Find Task Manager

5. Drill Down Section

4. Organization List

5. Drill Down Section

6 . The Confidentiality Statement is displayed only on the Certification Status by Employee Tab.

The eCertification System contains personal salary information. The reports and financial information in this system shall be used in compliance with Stanford Administrative Guide 1.1.1 University Code of Conduct: (3) Confidentiality and Privacy.

How to Carry Out Your Responsibilities in the Tabs

Tab: Certification Status by Employee (the Home Tab)

Here you can access the list of every employee in your organization whose payroll distribution must be certified. The list displays the employee's certification status. Keep in mind, an employee may be listed twice if he or she works in two or more departments or schools. You can access the Employee Detail Screen in two ways.

By Name

Click the grey Find Employee button to display the entire list of employees. From this screen, you can use the search box to search for an employee by name or scan the alphabetized list.

By Organization

To see all the employees in the parent organization, click the hyperlink in the column titled Number of Employees.

To see the employees in the underlying organizations, click the organization for a list of organizations. Then click the hyperlink in the column titled #of Employees. 

Drill down into the Employee Detail Screen

Request a Reassignment 

In rare instances it may be appropriate to request a different certifier for a PTA to which an employee is charged. Overseers can do this within the eCertification Payroll Distribution System. RFCS will receive your request, and you will receive a copy. On the Employee Detail Screen:

• Click the Other Action button

• Click Request Reassign

• Select RFCS-Admin from the list

• Type the name of the suggested certifier. Type your message

• Click the Send button

Monitor these requests with the reports: Request for Reassign Report (shows outstanding requests only), and Reassignment Report.  These reports are available in the Reports drop down menu.

Tab: Certification Status by Certifier

Click the tab to open it. Here you can access the list of certifiers and their certification status. You can access the list in two ways.

• Click the grey Find Certifier button to display the list. From the list screen, you can use the search box to search for a certifier by name.
• Click the hyperlink in the column titled #of Certifiers.

Tab: Review Status by Task Manager

Click the tab to open it. Here you can access the list of task managers. The list displays the task manager's review status. Ensure the task manager assignments on the page are current and accurate. 

A red Not Started icon indicates the task manager has not yet reviewed. 

An orange Partially Reviewed icon indicates the task manager has not yet completed his or her review. 

A green Reviewed icon indicates the task manager has completed his or her review.

You can access the list of task managers in two ways.

• Click the grey Find Task Manager button to display the list. From the list screen, you can use the search box to search for a certifier by name.
• Click the hyperlink in the column titled #of Managers.

Tab: Manual Certifiers List

Names of the certifiers will be displayed only after you upload a certification document. This functionality is not available unless it is required. RFCS-Admin will email you if this is necessary. This is triggered by a request from a task manager for manual certification.