Oracle Grants Accounting Expenditure Settings
What are Expenditure Settings?
Expenditure settings are a way for rules to be activated in Oracle Grants Accounting (OGA) that, once set, will not allow that type of expenditure to be initiated on the particular project in which the settings have been activated. In other words, it’s a way for SPA to help guide the Oracle system to only process the type of expenditures that are allowed on projects based on sponsor or institutional rules or regulations.
Why is SPA starting to use these expenditure settings?
SPA is starting to use these expenditure settings in order to better guide appropriate expenditures onto sponsored project accounts. Significant time is spent during and at the end of a project, both by departmental staff and SPA to move expenditures that are not allowed on a particular type of account. Stopping these expenditures up front will not only save time for us all, but ensure better compliance with OHSU and sponsor rules and regulations related to the type of spending that is allowed on projects.
When are these settings put in place?
SPA will generally set these settings at the time of account setup. SPA has also defined certain types of projects where we are starting to use these expenditure settings and we have set these up during the life of the project. A listing of the type of accounts on which expenditure settings are now in effect is below.Will I be notified at the time of account setup that my account has expenditure settings?
Currently, information about expenditure settings is not included on the Notice of Account Setup. SPA is working to add this information in the future. This OGA Expenditure Settings informational document will be maintained with the list of type of accounts that have expenditure settings in place.What happens if someone initiates a purchase or other charge with these settings in place?
When expenditures are initiated on projects where SPA has expenditure settings in place, an error message pops up letting the person know that “an expenditure transaction control has been violated” and the action can not be saved. View screen shots of this message for the various Oracle modules in which expenditures may be initiated.
What types of sponsored project accounts currently have these expenditure settings in place?
- Cost Sharing accounts where only payroll is being cost shared: Expenditure settings have been put into place to allow only payroll to be charged to these accounts. No non-payroll expenditures will be able to be processed on these accounts.
- VA Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement (IPA) accounts: Expenditure settings have been put into place to allow only payroll to be charged to these accounts. No non-payroll expenditures will be able to be processed on these accounts.
What other types of accounts could have expenditure settings in the future?
Other types of accounts that SPA is considering using these expenditures settings on in the future include:- Program Development Accounts (PDA’s): Expenditure settings could be put into place on these accounts to prevent patient or animal care related expenditures, per OHSU’s PDA Guidelines.
- NIH National Research Service Awards (NRSA) Institutional Training Grants and Individual Fellowship Awards: Expenditure controls could be put into place on these accounts to only allow stipends to process for the trainees on these awards. Payroll charges will not be allowed to process for the actual trainees on these awards, per the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Payroll for program directors, appropriate administrative staff or other appropriate faculty will be allowed.
