1. PennSERVE Summer Webinar Series August 6, 2014
Member Timesheets
Good Morning, and welcome to the last of our summer webinars! Just in time for the new program year, we’re going to discuss member timesheets
PennSERVE Summer Webinar Series August 6, 2014

2. Housekeeping
Should be able to hear AND see the webinar. Use both the call-in number AND the web link provided
Handouts received
Please mute your phone when not asking a question; please do not put us on hold
Before we begin, the normal housekeeping items. First, you should be able to see and hear the webinar - please make sure that you have clicked on the log-on link and also called in via the number provided.
You should have received two handouts for today: a copy of the PowerPoint presentation, and the updated OnCorps User Manual. Does anyone needs those handouts?
And finally, please keep your phone on mute when you are not asking a question, and please do not put us on hold. If you need to hang up and call back in, that is fine.
Any questions before we begin?

3. Agenda Why timesheets are important – and what the OIG has to say
Putting Timesheet systems/processes in place for your program to avoid pitfalls
Review Timesheet set-up in OnCorps
We’re going to talk about several aspects of member timesheets today, including (read slide)

4. Why are Timesheets So Important?
Upon member exit, your program is required to state the number of hours the member has served
The full Education Award amount is awarded – or not awarded – based on the number of hours the member has served
Providing a false statement about the number of hours a member has served is FRAUD
Why are we having an entire training about nothing but timesheets?
Timesheets are an extremely important part of an AmeriCorps program. When your members exit service, your program is required to provide a certified statement as to the number of service hours they have completed. The members ed award – and whether or not they receive the entire ed award – is based on the number of hours they have served, and leads to them receiving – or not receiving – an education award paid for with public dollars.
Providing a false statement about the number of hours a member has served is fraud. It can lead to a member receiving funds that they may not be entitled to.

5. The Office of the Inspector General
OIG promotes economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in Federal Agency Programs and Operations
Most common AmeriCorps investigations:
Misuse of Grant Funds
Embezzlement
Time Sheet Fraud
The Office of the Inspector General – or the OIG – is the government watchdog for many agencies. Their official mission is to (read).
The OIG hosted a session at last year’s AmeriCorps Grantee Symposium that all state commissions are required to attend. The OIG stated that their most common investigations into AmeriCorps programs are for: (click and read)
The OIG considers time sheet fraud just as important as stealing from a program.

6. Timesheet Fraud Service hours are not properly documented
Member hours are not reasonable or allowable
Program officials are not verifying the hours or type of service
Multiple timesheets are prepared on the same day
Members are allowed to serve from home
What does the OIG consider to be timesheet fraud? They list these items as timesheet fraud (read)

7. Timesheet Fraud has Consequences!
Timesheet fraud is not an administrative problem that gets a slap on the wrist or that might lead to you losing funding – there can be criminal and civil implications as well. In one case a program director admitted to inflating timesheets to lead to education awards that members were not entitle to – the director was placed under 24 months of probation and the program had to pay back almost $58k.
In Georgia, a program director falsely certified service hours to allow members to receive ed awards, and also allowed members to receive service hours that were outside the scope of their grant. The OIG found that the program misapplied more than $370k in funds, and the program was debarred from participating in any Federal grants for a period of 3 years.
In another instance, a program operating at a college allowed members to log service hours for doing school work or allowed them to count work-study hours as AmeriCorps hours, and the program also allowed the members to serve outside of the scope of the grant. This is still being investigated.
In all of these instances, the investigation took months, if not years, the programs were required to pay back funds or lost future funding, and the program directors are out of a job. Please take these issues seriously, and impart to your staff the importance of properly recording member service hours.

8. Putting Systems in Place to Avoid Timesheet Issues
Regular Schedule for Submission of Timesheets
Training for Members
Process for Thorough Review of Timesheets
Process to Verify Hours and Type of Service
Now that we know all the bad stuff that can happen, how can we avoid it? Your program needs to put system in place to make sure that you avoid the common pitfalls of recording member service hours. AmeriCorps programs should put in place (read slides)

9. 1. Regular Schedule for Submission of Timesheets
STRONGLY RECOMMEND timesheets are due every two weeks
Required to have timesheets due once monthly
Consequences for members – and host site/program staff! – who do not submit/approve timesheets in a timely fashion
First is the regular submission of member timesheets. Your members are required to submit timesheets once a month, and we STRONGLY recommend that you require them to be submitted at least every two weeks.
You also need to put in place consequences for members who do not submit their timesheets, and for staff or host site supervisors who do not review them in a timely fashion. Under CNCS guidelines you are allowed to withhold living stipends from members if they have not submitted a timesheet, and that can be a good incentive to get them to submit on time.
Any questions about submitting timesheets?

10. 2. Training for Members on Timesheets
Understand what service categories to use
When using “Other”, member describes activities
When serving outside of normal hours, describes why
Understands disallowed service hours
Rest periods
Prohibited Activities
Second, you need to train your members on using timesheets. When you set up your program timesheets, you will select which service and training categories your members will choose from. Members should understand which of these categories applies to their service.
You may allow the option for members to choose “Other” when choosing a service category – in these cases, the members should use the comments field to describe the nature of their service. You must also require that members provide comments when they are serving outside of their normal hours. For instance, if a member typically serves from 8:30 – 4:30, but puts 8:30 – 7 p.m. on their timesheet, they should provide comments as to why they were serving past normal hours.
Finally, your members should understand which activities they may not earn service hours for, such as rest periods and any prohibited activities (which I’m sure would never take place at your service sites anyway)
Any questions about providing training for members?

11. Approved Timesheet Categories
Approved Service Subcategories:
Capacity Building: Program Development & Support
Capacity Building: Project Planning & Management
Community Building: Outreach
Community Building: Service Projects
Community Building: Tax Preparation/Financial Workshops
Disaster Preparedness and Services
Education: College Readiness, Access & Success
Education: Co-Teaching/Classroom Support
Education: Computer Instruction & Support
Education: Lesson Planning
Education: Teacher Training
Education: Teaching
Education: Tutoring/Literacy Instruction
Environmental Stewardship
Healthy Futures/Nutrition Education & Outreach
Social Services Support/Case Management
Volunteer Generation/Training/Management
Youth Activities: After School Programs/Recreational
Youth Activities: Mentoring/Life Skills
Other Service
Approved Training Subcategories:
Citizenship
Disaster Preparedness
Professional Development
Service Learning
**REMEMBER: No more than 20% of a member’s total service hours may be spent on training!**

12. 3. System in Place for Thorough Review of Member Timesheets
Timesheet is reviewed in a TIMELY fashion
Within one week of member submission
At least two people review each member timesheet:
Direct Supervisor
Program Staff
Third – your program should have a written procedure in place that allows for a thorough review of member timesheets.
The member timesheets should be reviewed in a timely fashion – within one week of the member submitting. The more timesheets staff have to review at a time, the more mistakes they tend to make, so its very important that the supervisors and staff are regularly reviewing these.
At least two people should review each member’s timesheet – the direct on-site supervisor, and a program staff member. If the member is required to be accompanied because all checks have not yet cleared, that person must sign off on the timesheet as well.

13. 3. Thorough Review of Member Timesheets (cont).
Dates/Times Reviewed in Detail
Not claiming hours before service start date/after service end date
Not claiming hours on holidays or weekends when no service was taking place
Hours are entered correctly with no typos (check a.m. and p.m.!)
Member not entering hours that haven’t been served yet
When your program staff reviews the timesheets, they should review them carefully to make sure there are no discrepancies. You should make sure that members (read slides).
I have seen all of these mistakes before. In many cases I don’t believe there was any intent on the part of the member or the staff to inflate hours, it’s oftentimes a simple case of the timesheet not being reviewed carefully enough. However, that’s not an excuse that can be used during an audit, so we need to make sure that the timesheets don’t contain any typos.

14. 4. System in Place to Verify Hours and Type of Service
STRONGLY recommend member sign-in sheets – they are your best and most reliable backing documentation for member hours!
Visiting host sites to make sure members are serving according to their position description
Talking with members about their service to verify they are serving according to their position description
Your program should also put in place written procedures to verify hours and verify the service that is taking place.
We strongly recommend that you require member sign-in sheets for all members when earning service hours. This is your most reliable backing documentation when verifying member service hours, and serves as a tool for your host site supervisors when it comes time for them to verify member timesheets.
You must regularly visit your host sites to make sure that your members are serving according to their position description, and should also be talking with your members on a regular basis – not only is this a good retention practice, it is also one of the best ways to determine if something is amiss at one of the host sites.

15. REMEMBER:
Your members’ activities must be within the scope of your approved AmeriCorps program grant!

16. 4. System in Place to Verify Hours and Type of Service (cont)
If allowing members to earn hours away from their host site, you MUST:
Document the location where the service took place
Document the nature of the service
Document whether or not the member had access to vulnerable populations
Obtain the signature of the on-site supervising individual verifying the service
There may be situations where your members are earning hours away from their host site – perhaps they are performing a special service project, or you’ve arranged for them to make up some missed hours. In these cases, you must (read slide)

17. REMEMBER:
Members serving away from their host site should have it approved by the program BEFORE serving!

18. OnCorps Timesheets
Each member is required to enter their timesheets at least once monthly into the OnCorps system
Timesheets must be approved by the on-site supervisor and by program staff
The OnCorps timesheets serve as the official record of service
ANY deviation from this process must be approved by PennSERVE

19. Before Setting Up Timesheets in OnCorps…
You must know:
The categories of training and service that you plan to use
How often members will be submitting timesheets
How many days after each time period members will have to submit timesheets