Effort Reporting

Effort

Effort is defined as the total scope of responsibilities expected of an individual’s appointment, regardless of the actual number of hours worked. Effort is the time spent on any activity by an individual, expressed as a percentage of the individual’s total University effort. Effort does not include activities such as consulting that are conducted outside the terms of employment or faculty appointment.

Effort Reporting Cycle

Appointing of Faculty & Staff: Employment terms are established including number of months and salary base.
Preparing the Proposal Budget: Effort commitment is proposed.
Accepting the Award: Effort commitment is finalized.
Charging Salary: Effort is charged in a real time manner consistent with activity.
Certifying Effort: Effort is attested to after activity has occurred. ORSP issues effort reports requesting certification of effort on sponsored projects.

Purpose of Effort Reporting

The federal government requires that institutions receiving federal funds for sponsored agreements maintain an effort certification process that complies with the requirements set forth in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, Section J.10.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette requires faculty and staff who work any portion of his or her time on sponsored projects or activities, whether compensated (funded) or uncompensated (cost share) by that project, to certify actual effort expended. This time is to be reported as a percentage of their overall University effort of 100%, which encompasses all of the activities assigned to the person. ORSP issues effort reports three times per fiscal year. Circular A-21 requires that the person certifying the effort report must have "suitable means of verification that the work was performed”. In most cases, this would be the employee and the employee's direct supervisor.