Hi Kim,
 We are investigating the same issues when it comes to a tolerance
threshold.  We currently use a
10% variance as our academic period is 9 month and the circular says a
fluctuation of 1 to 2 months
is allowable.  1/9 equals 11 %, so we went with the 10% variance.
 I am very interested in what other institutions are allowing!
We ask the faculty member to certify actual effort, then compare that to
actual payroll.  If it is within
the 10% variance for the entire time period, we leave it alone.  Our
internal audit teams is asking us
to consider the academic period as one semester and cut the tolerance to
5%.  Any ideas from anyone
on that?
 We don't (at this time) have a policy on how much effort can be
charged.  We have some research
faculty at 100% effort on sponsored projects.  We apply our T & E policy
to federal and
non-federal sponsored projects alike.
 We do allow re-certification, but only with permission and
documentation of extenuating circumstances
or error.
 Hope this helps.
Lori Johnson

Kim Dunbrook-Babbie wrote:

>I have the following policy questions related to time and effort.
>
>1. OMB Circular A-21 allows for a degree of tolerance for allocation of
>costs and effort
>
>   a. What tolerance thresholds does your Institution use for time and
>effort?   I have seen many that use 5%.
>
>    b. How is the tolerance threshold trained to staff?  For example if
>a time end effort report lists the PI effort at 25% and the PI believes
>their effort is 25-30% would you have the PI change the effort listed or
>leave it unchanged as it is within a 5% tolerance?
>
>    c. If a time and effort report for a research tech or a PI has
>payroll at 100% charged to a grant but the research tech/PI knows that
>their effort for the time period was only 97% to the grant and 3% was
>administrative time is it your policy to correct the payroll charged to
>97% or is the 3% variance within the threshold and therefore no
>correction is made?
>
>
>2. Do you have a policy regarding the maximum amount of effort that can
>be charged to a sponsored project for faculty members or any group of
>employees?
>
>3. Does your effort reporting apply to both Federal, (including federal
>pass through) and non-federal sponsored projects or only Federal?
>
>4. Under what circumstances do you allow changes to be made to the
>certification of effort form after it has been certified?
>
>Thank you for your help
>
>Kim Babbie
>(518) 262-5496
>
>
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--
Lori Johnson
Fiscal Officer
Grants & Contracts Accounting
Campus Box 8219
Idaho State University
282-3899

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