Certification & Payment March 2, 2005

Outline Rules of Payment Certification and Payment by Program Documentation Cost Analysis Spreadsheet

March 2, 2005 Who Pays for What Program? FSA GRP SWCA (NRCS certifies practice & fills out CCC-1245) CRP NRCS EQIP - ProTracts WHIP 2004 and current – ProTracts 2003 and older – NRCS State Office CSP - ProTracts

March 2, 2005 Rules of Payment Pay: For a Practice that is complete and meets Standards and Specifications. Do NOT Pay: For materials not installed For a practice that does not meet Standards and Specifications For a duplication of payment Overbuilding GM Title 120 Part

March 2, 2005 Payment can be made IF… Payment recipient(s) does NOT exceed payment limitation (if applicable) Payment recipient(s) is in compliance with HELC/WC See Matrix GM Title 120 Part

March 2, 2005 Certification Guidelines Practice Meets Standards and Specifications. Certification/Calculation based on field checkout and bills/invoices. Done in ProTracts or hard copy depending on Farm Bill Program (see matrix).

March 2, 2005 Certification Guidelines Technician’s Signature (Block 16) Item 13F = Extent Performed

March 2, 2005 Certification in ProTracts Date Practice was Completed Block 15, if needed Who logged into ProTracts (block 16)

March 2, 2005 Calculating Practice Components Review Bills and Invoices Identify Components

March 2, 2005 Practice Payment Calculation … Cost Share Recap AC = Average cost (AC times % cost share equals producer payment) AM = Actual cost not to exceed a specified maximum cost AA = Actual cost not to exceed the average cost FR = Flat rate (no percentage applied) NC = Non-Cost Share

March 2, 2005 Payment Calculation Required Amount Amount must meet the practice standard for the component. If a minimum amount is entered, it is used to calculate the payment instead Actual Amount Performed = Installed Amount Actual Cost = Total Cost Caps Earned Amount

March 2, 2005 Participant Signs CCC-1245 Certification by Participant Maintain practice for its life span James Dell2/22/05

March 2, 2005 Participants and Shares … on the contract Participants are identified on the contract and the payment shares they should receive.

March 2, 2005 Participants and Shares …in ProTracts Participant(s) identified in ProTracts must coincide with the data on the contract. ProTracts

March 2, 2005 Participants and Shares (EQIP) … in Payment Limitation Database (web) Data came from FSA’s system and should reflect contract shares. Shows contract & summary of payments from other contracts. EQIP Only

March 2, 2005 Participants and Shares … in Payment Limitation Database (cont) Identifies: Participants – who is on contract Percent shares Obligation – max. amount for participant Payments/Unpaid Balance

March 2, 2005 Payment Instructions (ProTracts) Dictates who will receive practice item payment Can change payment shares Cannot exceed unpaid balance for participant. Might affect future payments

March 2, 2005 Rejected Payments Difference between Contract & Payment Limitation Database Contract Changes Causing Errors Changed participant Changed payment shares Changed Payment Instructions and individual exceeded limit on contract

March 2, 2005 Fund Manager ProTracts Payment Fund Manager Payment Limitation FFIS Contract: Smith Farms 50% Peter Coffey 50% Payment Limitation Database: Smith Farms 50% Peter Coffey 50% Contract: Bill Jones 100% Payment Limitation Database: Jones Farms 100% FFIS

March 2, 2005 What NOT to Do! Modify contract to change participants and/or shares for one payment. Should: Use Payment Instructions for a one time change Owner receives payment for structural practices, Operator receives payments for incentive payments – Must stay within the payment limitations.

NRCS Payment Process

March 2, 2005 Documentation SF-1199A * Signature page of CCC-1200 * Signature page of CCC-1245 * Bills/invoices Copy of CCC-36, Assignment of Payment (if needed) FSA-211 Power of Attorney (if needed) Evidence of Authority (if needed) Payment Limitations print off *Signatures need to be the same

March 2, 2005 Signature Documentation NRCS Processing Payment No additional signature documentation needed (e.g. evidence of authority), if signature of decision maker on CCC-1200 matches CCC-1245 signature. For Example… Contract was signed: Smith Farms by Bill Smith

March 2, 2005 Payment Schedule 1. Field office (time = 2 weeks, unless could not obtain signature of participant): Receives bills and SF-1199A Complete CCC-1245 and obtain signature(s). Submit all information to Area for review 2. Area (time = 5-7 days): Reviews CCC-1245 packet Approves in ProTracts Forwards to SO 3. State Office (time = 2 day): Makes payment in FFIS 4. Time for payment to arrive in bank account (time = 3- 5 days)

March 2, 2005 Immediate Pay Immediate pay Not subject to prompt pay rules and interest. Almost all participants receiving NRCS program payments are subject to “immediate pay”. Process payments as quick as possible. FSA has a business practice of paying interest on payments over 30 days.

March 2, 2005 NRCS Payment Notification Jim Andruszewski will notify the DC by when he has processed the payment. National Finance Center (NFC) still needs to release payment to participants bank account Participant is NOT notified.

Cost Analysis Spreadsheet

March 2, 2005 IDEA Let’s automate the collection of average costs.

March 2, 2005 ANOTHER IDEA Bill of Materials for contractor use Line items match contract Bills tend to resemble bill of materials Cost Estimate / Bill of Material tool FOs do cost estimates for each job already Same tool could collect actual cost data

March 2, 2005 Here’s the plan… 1. Create cost estimate and bill of materials 2. SAVE an electronic copy 3. Enter actual costs when submitted 4. Print for payment documentation 5. “EASY BUTTON” to store cost data

March 2, 2005 Storing Cost Data Database on FO shared drive One click from cost estimate/tracking tool sends job information: Practice, component & unit Quantity Actual unit cost Contractor Date County

March 2, 2005 What happens next? Once a year, DC sends stored data to Area Office AO creates area average SO creates state average Updated cost lists can be made with justification

THE END

March 2, 2005 Definitions Federal Financial Information System (FFIS) - Fund Manager - sits between the ProTracts and FFIS systems. Performs error checks, data translations, and data uploading to and from FFIS

March 2, 2005 Bloopers

March 2, 2005 Original Contract: Mary Smith 100% (Deceased) Modified in ProTracts Contract: James Dell 100% ProTracts Contract Payment Limitation Database Mary Smith 100% Example #1 Rejected Payment

March 2, 2005 Original Contract: Contract Total = $10,000 Cameron Farms 50% Peter Coffey 50% ProTracts Contract Payment Limitation Example #2 Rejected Payment ParticipantSharesUnpaid Balance Cameron Farms 50%$5000 Peter Coffey50%$5000 Practice Item #1 Payment Instructions: Cameron Farms 100% - $7000 Peter Coffey 0% - $0

March 2, 2005 Original Contract: Whole Farms 100% Entity Member include: Bill Collis George Collis Sally Townsend ProTracts Contract Payment Limitation Database Example #3 Rejected Payment Modified in ProTracts Contract: Bill Collis 100% Whole Farm 100% Who should receive payment

March 2, 2005 Checking HELC/WC EQIP Payments… Previously used MABDIG report from FSA Use FSA Subsidiary website now Check AD-1026 Section National Bulletin