NIFA – Planning Accountability and Reporting REEport – Advanced Adam Preuter NIFA – Planning Accountability and Reporting

Topics Tips and Tricks Financial Reporting Accomplishments Reporting Development Priorities Questions and Discussion

Tips and Tricks

Contacts Reminder to keep your REEport user accounts and contacts up-to-date. We use this to maintain current contact info for Site Admins, Financial Admins, and Deans/Directors Allows NIFA to connect with you on critical issues important to your organization. NOTE: we pull data from REEport quarterly. Not instantaneous.

Contacts Update Site Admin and Financial Admin user info in Portal. Helpful Hint: In addition to disabling a user account, also remember to remove the SA or FA role in order to discontinue auto-email notifications.

Contacts Update Authorizing Signatures in Site Administration.

Contacts

Contacts

Capacity Review Tracking Track the status of your Project Initiation and Project Change reviews Search “Capacity Review Tracking” on NIFA’s website https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/reeport-capacity-review-tracking

Capacity Review Tracking

Where is Our Competitive Project Initiation? AKA – The Reassignment Process

Shared DUNS CREEMS REEport Auburn University SAES Extension Vet Makes Award Recommendation Create Project Initiation and assign using DUNS Auburn University SAES Extension Vet Forestry Shared DUNS REEport can’t make assignment

REEport sends two simultaneous emails: Kellogg.edu 1. Project Initiation is ready – login and complete 2. Tell us where to assign this award. “Claim it” You must reply to the second email In order for NIFA to make the project available It is a manual process – 3 to 4 business days

Project Change - Draft

Project Change - Draft Project moves from “Active” folder, to “Draft” just by opening it. Done by PD, AOR, Site Admin, etc. Cannot be moved back to Active folder. As long as it is not submitted to NIFA, no change occurs

Project Change – Forestry % Used to exist in CRIS, but was taken out of REEport. Recently added back. Required field in project change.

Project Change – Forestry %

Project Change – Forestry %

Departments

Departments Beware of creating new departments on Award applications Any deviation from existing departments will show up as unique departments in searches

Departments

Unable to Delete Data Need to add a new line Deleted Data Here

Unable to Delete Data Now a blue minus button appears – delete the whole line, not just the data in it

Hatch Multi-States & NIMSS NIMSS is the repository of the “umbrella” Hatch Multi-State Research Fund (MRF) projects that have been approved by the regions and NIFA A RESEARCH participant on an MRF must document his/her individual contribution in a REEport Project Initiation before expending Hatch Multi-State dollars In order for the multistate to appear in the REEport dropdown menu, the station must have at least one person with an approved Appendix E in NIMSS

Operational Reports

Operational Reports Search projects in your site Export to Excel – Sort and filter Track and manage reporting due dates

Due Dates Report Type Capacity Competitive Project Initiation Any Time As soon as PD is notified of award recommendation Progress Report March 1 each year Within 90 days after the anniversary of the start date* Final Report March 1 after the final year of the project Within 90 days after the project end date Financial Report February 1 each year *If the project is a continuation award, the progress report is due within 90 days BEFORE the anniversary of the start date; NIFA program leaders send emails requesting the report usually 60 days beforehand

Financial Reporting

Workflow Set if you want Financial Admins to be able to submit financial reports

Financial Email Notifications Kellogg.edu Automated notifications for all reports past Feb. 1 due date One email to Partner sites that report in batch One email to PD and AOR on each award managed outside Partner sites

Financial Reporting – Options for Independent Management Utilize one common email address for the AOR on all awards. Still list different AOR names, just have common email. This allows one user login to manage and report on all projects in batch. Creates a quasi Site Admin.

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Director’s Reports and Pivot Tables

Accomplishments Reporting

Accomplishments Reporting The most important field on the progress report & final report is on the “Accomplishments” page.

Difference Between Progress and Final Reports Progress Report covers only the most recent 1 year period of performance. Final Report covers LIFE of project. Do not copy and paste or “re-list” all of your previously reported accomplishments in your Final Report Summarize what you previously reported and spend more time describing the overall/ultimate impact of the project.

Why are high-quality impacts so important to report? We really do read them! We use them at the federal level to demonstrate the public value of these federal funds Annual budget justification process USDA Secretary Congress White House

Output, Outcome, IMPACT? What’s the difference?

Think about it like this… The accomplishments section should include outputs, outcomes, and impacts; and these questions should be answered: What is your project about? What did you do about it? What were the results of your actions? / What are the benefits thus far? Why is this important? / What is the value?

Output Activities: conducting and analyzing experiments or surveys; assessments; facilitating; teaching; or mentoring. Events: conferences; demonstration sites; field days; tours; symposia; workshops; and trainings. Services: consulting; counseling; and tutoring. Publications: journal articles; books; conference abstracts. Other Scientific Products: methods, or techniques; data or databases; equipment or instruments; patents and patent applications; applications for Plant Variety Act protection; models; new germplasm, or genetic maps; decision support tools.

Output Communication Products: audio or video products; website(s) with the appropriate URL(s); information; media impressions (coverage); Policy briefings. Education Products: curricula; networks and/or collaborations fostered by the project or activity; physical collections or resources; train-the-trainer manuals Other Technology: software; technology skills; and apps Graduates: students graduated in agricultural sciences

Outcome Outcomes lead to project impacts. An outcome is defined as a measureable and documented change in knowledge, action, or condition as a result of the project. Outcomes relate directly to the project objectives and are supported with quantitative data. "Increase in the numbers of acres that..." "Decrease in the number of children that..." "Increased profits from the sale of..."

Change in Knowledge For a research project, a change in knowledge can be an incremental change in the understanding of scientific knowledge The genome for this plant species was annotated and markers for drought tolerance were found A new variety of plant seed has been released A sequencing of a portion of a plant or animal gene

Change in Action A change in action occurs when a change in behaviors or practices results from the project’s activities. A drought tolerant cultivar was released and planted by farmers on a trial basis. A new variety of plant seed has been accepted by farmers, with 10% of the farmers in Monroe County using this seed this past year. A significant increase in food safety practices was observed after a new website was posted that had over 10,000 unique users within the first year of posting.

Change in Condition A change in condition occurs when there is a measurable difference within a large group, community, region. There is a reduction in the proportion of youth who have overweight or obesity. The drought tolerant cultivar was planted on 35% of the acreage, resulting in a 50% reduction in irrigation. This saved 5 million gallons of water and reduced power consumption by 2.5 Kw. A trend in increasing healthy food consumption in grammar school children was paralleled with a 50% increase in school gardens from 2010 to 2012.

IMpact What did your project do about the problem that it addresses? Who or what will be helped by your work, and how? Think: PEOPLE!

Impact Occurs at Different Levels Individual: graduation rates, post-graduation plans University: Increased appreciation for other cultures evidenced by increased participation in Peace Corps, Teach for America; new methods of teaching/learning that result in more students graduating in 4 years. Societal: Train a Hmong veterinarian and now Hmong producers have improved veterinary services

Potential is OK! Potential Impact of Multicultural Program: As retention of students of color rises, what changes has that had on the university? Types and content of classes (new knowledge) New collaboration (new behavior) Motivated and supportive student body as evidenced by improved grades of minority students (new condition) Changes in how the university services the people of Minnesota, or the level of service to minority populations (new social value)

What is needed to convince a decision-maker? Concise and logical Context and interpretation Local, regional, national importance Public value

Helpful Hints State it for a broad audience and use general terms Explain things simply and directly Use quantitative values and/or trends to validate impact Consider a change in knowledge, action, or condition Remember most people who read these reports are not technically trained or educated in your field of expertise. Write in a manner that is meaningful to readers, stakeholders, USDA administration, and Congress.

Examples of Well Written Accomplishments Increasing the nutritional value of wheat: Researchers cloned a gene, GPC-B1, from wild wheat that increases the protein, zinc and iron content in the grain, offering a potential solution to nutritional deficiencies affecting hundreds of millions of children around the world. The researchers found that all commercial pasta and bread wheat varieties analyzed so far have a nonfunctional copy of the GPC gene, suggesting the gene was lost during the domestication of wheat. Reintroducing the functional gene into commercial wheat varieties could increase their nutritional value.

Examples of Well Written Accomplishments Air Heat Recovery System: A new system is being developed by researchers at the University of Missouri that saves up to 50 percent of energy expenses by recycling heat previously wasted. The Air Heat Recovery System works by capturing the air ventilated from poultry barns. The system can save the typical Missouri poultry operation about half of the 7,000 gallons of propane used each year, more than $10,000 in savings at today's prices. The cost reduction would be even greater in colder regions. The recovery system also improves the air quality going into the barn, reducing dust, ammonia and carbon dioxide levels. There is evidence that improved air quality helps birds gain weight faster, have greater feed conversion and less mortality.

Examples of Well Written Accomplishments Off-bottom Oyster Farming: Researchers at Alabama A&M University have established that off-bottom oyster farming is economically viable. In collaboration with Auburn University and other partners, eight commercial oyster farms have been established in Alabama with more than 12 acres in production. Since the aquaculture project began, over one million oysters have gone to market with a wholesale value of at least $500,000, and this is expected to more than double in the coming year. The oyster farms have created at least six long-term, part-time jobs.

Your Role? Communicate with Faculty and Agents Disseminate NIFA Guidance Process for “quality control” Helpful Hints Documents Checklists Internal Deadlines

Development Priorities

Maintenance Focusing to catch up on backlog of maintenance tickets Development temporarily on hold for a couple months POW redesign excepted

REEport Resources

NIFA’s Website The “Search” feature of NIFA’s website is helpful for finding whatever resource you need. For example, go to www.nifa.usda.gov and search for: REEport Guide for Project Directors REEport Quick Guides REEport Financial Manual The main REEport URL for all REEport related resources is: www.nifa.usda.gov/tool/reeport

Customer Support Help Desk: electronic@nifa.usda.gov This reaches at least 5 people at the NIFA “Tier 1” help desk, and you are assured to get the fastest response this way. The help desk works closely with the REEport team to troubleshoot issues. REEport Customer Service Team: Adam Preuter: apreuter@nifa.usda.gov, 202-690-0124 James Hultzman: james.hultzman@nifa.usda.gov, 202-690-0011

Questions?