We are sending our guidance again because OMB has released additional information about new data checks in its reporting software and made a few minor changes to the guidance you received on December 18, 2009. On January 6th we will hold a conference call to update grantees on enhancements to the Section 1512 report on FederalReporting.gov made by OMB. Please read this memo carefully because data checks may prevent you from submitting if you don’t follow the instructions below.

Another Reminder to Follow Corporation-Specific Guidance for Statewide Reporting

We know that many states have centralized the Section 1512 reporting process and are requiring all state agencies to submit their Recovery reports to a single office to be consolidated and submitted together to FederalReporting.gov. Please make sure your state recognizes that the Corporation has provided specific guidance for reporting jobs and activities which is unique to AmeriCorps grants.

OMB understands that AmeriCorps members are not employees and does not want them reported as such. However, because there is no other place to report AmeriCorps members, OMB staff understands we must include members in the jobs category. Therefore, when reporting on AmeriCorps Recovery grants, you must use the specific language we have provided explaining what jobs were created or retained. Use the following language from the “Description of Jobs Created” section of our guidelines:

“Due to Recovery funding, we created and/or retained X number of employee FTEs and X number of AmeriCorps Member Service Years (MSYs). While AmeriCorps members are not considered employees, they are providing the services described in the project description section.”

Copy Forward Option

OMB added a “copy forward” option to the Section 1512 report. The “copy forward” function promotes reporting efficiency by allowing recipients the option to copy forward the data from the Section 1512 report you submitted in October 2009 into the January report. If you choose to copy forward your data from the previous quarter, please be sure to update all fields appropriately and accurately. Instructions for using the copy forward function are available at the following website:

https://www.federalreporting.gov/federalreporting/documentation/FR-Gov%20User%20Guide%20Chapter%2015%20Copy%20Forward%20and%20Copy%20Function.pdf

Important Alert on New Data Quality Checks in FederalReporting.gov

OMB added several data quality checks in FederalReporting.gov. These are automatic checks which check several data fields in the Section 1512 report, such as the Award Amount, Congressional District, and Number of Jobs fields. Grantees may receive either “Hard Error” messages or “Warning” messages when data is incorrect or missing. A “Hard Error” message will prevent you from submitting the report until it is corrected. A “Warning” message will allow you to submit the report without modifying any data. We are calling your attention to three specific messages you may receive, and providing guidance on how to address each of them.

1. Warning Message: When you attempt to submit your Section 1512 report you may get the following warning message:

“Total ARRA Expenditure must be less than or equal to Total Federal Amount ARRA Funds Received/Invoiced” in the “Total Federal Amount of ARRA Expenditure.”

If you get this message, you should confirm the amount you reported as ARRA Expenditures (the amount of expenditures reported on your FFR) and the amount you reported as ARRA Funds Received/Invoiced (the amount you drew out of your HHS accounts). You do not need to change these numbers, just double-check to ensure they are accurate. If you get this warning message, you will still be able to submit your report.

2. Warning Message: One of the warning messages we know the majority of CNCS grantees will receive is related to the field called “Number of Jobs.” When you attempt to submit your Section 1512 report, most CNCS grantees will receive a warning which reads:

“Number of Jobs multiplied by $15,600 must be less than or equal to Amount of Award.”

OMB added this check to warn grantees that they may be over-estimating the number of jobs created or retained. This doesn’t apply to most AmeriCorps programs because of the cap on cost per member. If you get this warning message, you will still be able to submit your report.

3. Warning Message: When you attempt to submit your Section 1512 report you may get the following warning message:

“If Number of Jobs is greater than 0, it cannot equal or exceed Total Federal ARRA Infrastructure Expenditures.”

Since infrastructure expenditures do not apply to CNCS grantees, you should not report any amount in the “Total Federal ARRA Infrastructure Expenditure” field. You may ignore this warning message and still submit your report.

Reminder on Changes to Calculating the Number of Jobs Created and Retained

OMB revised its guidance on calculating the number of jobs created and retained with ARRA funds. As a result, Corporation staff updated our guidelines on how to calculate and report on jobs for the Section 1512 report. The revised guidelines are attached and will be posted on our Recovery website immediately.

ARRA recipients will no longer report cumulative jobs data; instead, recipients will report on specific jobs created and retained during each reporting quarter. Additionally, you will find expanded guidance for calculating staff and member positions. You must follow the revised guidance. Please read the “Number of Jobs” and “Description of Jobs Created” sections carefully before submitting your January report.

This guidance is effective for the January 15^th, 2010, Section 1512 report and all subsequent reports. You do not need to make any changes to the number of jobs reported in your October 10^th submission to FederalReporting.gov.

Quick Reference Information for ARRA Section 1512 Reporting

In an effort to simplify the Section 1512 reporting process and improve data quality, CNCS provided the following key award information on your Recovery grant by December 18, 2009. Please use this data when entering your next report on FederalReporting.gov.

1. Award Type
2. Award Number
3. Recipient DUNS number
4. Recipient Congressional District Code
5. Funding Agency Code
6. Awarding Agency Code
7. Award Date
8. Amount of Award
9. CFDA number
10. Activity Code
11. Program Source (TAS) Code
12. Sub Account Number for Program Source (TAS) Code

Reminder of Upcoming Due Dates

• FederalReporting.gov will accept submissions through *January 15th* for the next ARRA Section 1512 report. Please be sure you are prepared to submit the report no later than January 15th.
      
• The next Federal Financial Report (FFR) is due in eGrants on January 10th, 2010. Again, please plan ahead and ensure you are prepared to submit the report by January 10th.
      
• The next Progress Report is due January 30, 2010, which is a Saturday. Again, please plan ahead and ensure you are prepared to submit the report by January 30th. Just as during the previous cycle, you will receive customized spreadsheets from your Program Officer on which you will report your progress approximately two weeks before the due date.

Corporation Policy on Placing Holds on Funds for Failure to Report

As it does with other grants, the Corporation will place holds on grant funds if grantees do not submit required reports. If you fail to submit your 1512 report, we will place a hold on funds within two business days after the due date or within 48 hours of the Corporation obtaining the OMB information regarding recipients who failed to report. We will release the hold when you submit the following information to the Corporation:

• The data that was required on FederalReporting.gov
      
• Your procedures to ensure timely reporting on future reporting submissions to FederalReporting.gov.