Effort Reporting Update: Business As Usual As We Consider Options

Many of you may be aware that there is an initiative underway to automate effort reporting and salary certification via a new University wide system.  The University-wide group working on this initiative is called HERSCI (Harvard Effort Reporting and Salary Certification Initiative) and meets biweekly; major decisions are guided and approved by an Executive Committee which meets every other month.  The HERSCI team is currently refining technical requirements for a new system.  A decision was recently made by HERSCI to include a way to enter and track committed effort as part of the new system.  HERSCI is consulting with departmental staff through focus groups, including school representatives at vendor demos and providing updates and discussions to help ensure end user input into system specifications.  In addition, HERSCI is contemplating “build vs. buy” and will review external options in vendor demos this March.  With help from departmental staff from four schools, we reviewed initial vendor demos last summer and then narrowed the field to two external vendors. We continue to consider an internal “build” option through GMAS with help from HUIT and FSS.  For the present time, we are still utilizing monthly effort certifications for non-faculty and annual salary certifications for faculty.  If you have any questions about this initiative or your local process, please contact us or your school effort coordinator.