Transcription
vol 3 issue 1 march 2015FM WORKFORCE– GOING FROMGOOD TO oller CornerRound Two: WorkforceCompetency AssessmentSlated to Start in April 2Course Spotlight3Mini-course Guidance4Quarterly Quiz4Announcements5Reporting Live from theFM LMS5-6Tick-tockCertification TimeCertificationImplementationGot Courses?789For More Informationvisit FM Online or email us [email protected] Us HereComptroller CornerThe last few months have been eventful ones for the DoDFinancial Management community. Most recently, weexperienced a change of leadership at the top of DoD with theswearing in of Ash Carter as Secretary. In February, we rolledout the budget request for Fiscal Year 2016 which had been inthe works for months. And now, we are well into the season ofposture hearings to defend and justify that request.Meanwhile progress continues on audit readiness, looking tothe day in the very near future when we will satisfy statutoryrequirements. No doubt, the FM community is constantlychanging, adapting and preparing for the future.Through this constant change, we have maintained steadyprogress with the implementation in the DoD FM CertificationProgram, adding new names to a growing list of certified DoDFinancial Managers.Mike McCordUnder Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)and Chief Financial OfficerI recognize that in the midst of our daily responsibilities, competing priorities, and pendingsuspenses, dedicating time to complete FM Certification requirements requires leadership at alllevels. Your personal leadership is demonstrated by taking the initiative to analyze your outstandingrequirements and then taking steps to satisfy them. If you are in a supervisory position, your dailyleadership is displayed by being the first to brave the FM Certification path and model the way. Thiswill add credibility to your leadership credentials and you’ll see firsthand the quality, benefits, andsatisfaction of completing the certification.With each new certification, we are demonstrating to the American people our enduringcommitment to being a well-trained workforce and embodying part of what Secretary Carter hascalled “a beacon of quality in the Federal service.” This commitment is especially important becauseour work involves the management of the nation’s defense resources. As the Secretary added, “Ifwe’re going to convincingly make the case to our people that they need to spend more on theirdefense – which I believe they do – we need to, at the same time, show them that we know we cando better at spending that money.”That financial mission falls on us, the DoD FM Community. It’s our job to manage the nation’sdefense spending in an effective and efficient manner. I know from experience that we are up to thatchallenge. We are already performing at that high level. And I am confident we will continue in thesame fashion in the weeks and months to come.For all that you’ve done and all that you continue to do, thank you and keep up the great work.User Training:New User Training:Click HereJoin us on LinkedIn by clicking below!http://ow.ly/sZfDvpage 1
Round Two: Workforce Competency AssessmentSlated to Start in AprilRound two of the FM community workforce competency assessments will be held 6 April - 1 May 2015. This survey helps the DoDStrategic Workforce Planning team to identify gaps in the competencies (i.e., skill sets) and proficiency levels across the DoD FM enterprise.Last year, the tool was utilized to evaluate civilian mission criticaloccupation series (0501, 0560, 0510 and 0511). This year’s focus ison the remaining nine 05XX non-mission critical occupational series.What does this mean for me?Round two of the FMcommunity workforcecompetency assessments willbe held 6 April - 1 May 2015.Some of you will be selected to participate in this survey and weare asking for your support! If you are selected, you will receive anemail when the survey opens on April 6, 2015 with a subject linethat includes “Financial Management,” along with your occupationalseries number (e.g. 0503, 0505, etc.). In the survey, you will be askedto rate yourself against various competencies and proficiency levelsapplicable to your position, and supervisors will also be asked to rate employees against the same parameters. This survey is voluntary andconfidential; however, your feedback provides critical information needed to help us make informed decisions about how to ensure ourworkforce is trained and prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges. We strongly encourage your participation! You may complete the surveyduring duty hours.Will this be tracked?No, it will not be tracked. The assessment is anonymous and confidential. The FM OSD Functional Community Manager will only have accessto aggregate data. The results of this assessment will help us analyze and plan for FM workforce development across the DoD. The results arenot linked to performance appraisals, and your results will only be reported back to you and your supervisor. We encourage you and yoursupervisor to use these results to help guide your future training and professional development.If you’d like more information on this process, visit https://fmonline.ousdc.osd.mil/dcat.htm to learn more!Extra! Extra! Read All About It!You can now download a list of DFMCP awardees via FMOnline! We want to highlight over 3,000 DoD FinancialManagers who have shown initiative and led the way in theDepartment becoming a fully certified force. So now youcan download the latest list of certified FM members. Thisdocument will be updated weekly.Download yours at sdc.osd.milpage 2
Course SpotlightWe are pleased to announce the release of a new web-based course:Financial Statement Analysis for Leaders0 Certification Level 30 Course Hours: 40 Competency: Accounting Analysis0 Course Feedback: Excellent overview of the DOD Financial Statement requirements/methodology.This course explains the objectives of Federal financial reporting; interprets the Federal financial statements;describes recent changes to financial reporting under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-136(OMB A-136); explains strategic objectives and responsibilities within the DoD financial reportingprocess; analyzes the financial statements to support decision-making; and articulates the relationshipbetween end-to-end business processes and financial statements.Upon completing the course, you will be able to: Explain the objectives of Federal financial reporting Interpret the Federal financial statements Describe recent changes to financial reporting under Office ofManagement and Budget Circular A-136 (OMB A-136) Explain strategic objectives and responsibilities within the DoDfinancial reporting process Analyze the financial statements to support decision-making Articulate the relationship between end-to-end businessprocesses and financial statementsHow to Access these Courses:1) For those of you already participating in the Certification Programwith access to the DoD FM LMS, we recommend that you launchand complete OUSD(C) courses in the FM LMS where completion isrecorded automatically toward program requirements.* DoD FM .do2) For those without DoD FM LMS access, launch the courses from the FMmyLearn website, using the exact title as the keyword in the search bar.You will need to record learning and upload the completion certificateinto the DoD FM LMS to receive credit toward DoD FM Certification.* FM efault.aspx.* Click on the “My WBT” tab in the top left corner.If you have any questions, please contact the FM Certification Team atdodfmcertification[email protected] Don’t Take My Word For ItCourse Recommendations from the FieldLooking for courses? Below is sampling of courses that havereceived some of the highest course ratings to date. Findthese courses at http://go.usa.gov/MTQV.DoD FM 101 – Ethics0 Other Required Courses0 Certification Level 1 / Proficiency Level 10 Course Hour 1“Outstanding for basic ethics course. Greatstandardization for DoD FM Certification Program.Long overdue!”Principles of Civilian Payroll0 Competency: Payroll Concepts, Policies and Principles0 Certification Level 2 / Proficiency Level 3 - Course Hours 4“I strongly recommend new hires take this before anyother training! It was extremely helpful!”Decision Support for Leaders0 Competency: Decision Support0 FM Certification Level 3 / Proficiency Level 5 - CourseHours 4“Best online course I’ve taken thus far.”https://fmonline.ousdc.osd.milpage 3
Mini-course GuidanceAs the program continues to mature, many FM members are attending learning events and symposia to earn course hours that satisfy FMCertification requirements. We fully support these learning opportunities and want to provide a refresher for you and the sponsoringorganization so that participants may receive credit for these courses.ParticipantsIf you are attending the learning event as a participant and would like to receive course hour credit for your FM Certification, make sure youabide by the following two parameters:1. Follow attendance verification rules: To get FM Certification credit for the course, your name must be on the official event roster sentto OSD at the conclusion of the event. Organizations will use a variety of mechanisms to ensure control of attendance; pay attentionto the rules and be sure your attendance is recorded by the sponsoring organization.2.Fill out the evaluation: At the conclusion of each mini-course, fill out the OSD-standardized evaluation form. Completed evaluationswill be bumped up against the attendance roster as another way to verify attendance. Following the course, OSD will collect andrecord your comments for review.SponsorsIf you are sponsoring a mini-course, adhere to the mini-course guidelines below to ensure your attendees receive credit for attendance.1. Mini-Course Approval: If you are proposing a newly-developed mini-course, it must be approved by OSD and aligned to FMCertification competencies prior to the event. If the course is owned by a DoD organization, the course must be aligned to thecertification program in accordance with DoDI 1300.26. If the course is owned by a commercial entity, the course owner mustsubmit the course to OSD no fewer than 120 days before the event date to be approved, aligned and loaded into the FM LMS.Forms: Mini-course Submission Template2.Verify Attendance: Sponsoring organizations must have a system in place to monitor and verify participant attendance. For example,event sponsors may use monitored sign in/out sheets, scanners, or entrance/exit tickets to validate that an attendee was present forthe duration of the event.3.Course Evaluations: Distribute and collect the standardized OSD mini-course evaluation found at the link below. Organizations mayuse a hard or soft copy of the OSD mini-course evaluation form to collect feedback about the course.Forms: Mini-course Evaluation Form4.Issue Certificates to Verified Attendees: Use completed surveys and your verified attendance roster to determine who should receivea non-editable (i.e. PDF) course completion certificate. Course completion certificates should include the attendees name, thesponsoring organization, course hours, and the title and date of the mini-course.5.Send Documentation to OSD: After distributing completion certificates, send OSD soft copies of the course evaluation forms and theverified roster. These items will be used in the quality assurance process when auditing certifications.Still have questions? Contact us at dodfmcertificationpr[email protected] or click here to review additional guidance.Do I have to track my CETs in the FM LMS?A. YesB. NoC. What’s a CET?See page eight for the answer.https://fmonline.ousdc.osd.milpage 4
Reporting Live from the FM LMSNavigating the FM LMS can be challenging, but the DoD FM Certification Team continues to create tools to help you get the most out of thisoff-the-shelf product. Most recently, the team developed a series of reports available to both users and supervisors to help them track varioustasks to completion inside the LMS.We’d like to highlight three reports available to help you know where you stand in the certification process.FM Certification Scorecard – A single point of reference for reviewing recorded achievements and supporting documentationApprovals Pending Report – Users may run this report to display where their submission stands in the approval process; CAs can use thisreport to manage pending approvals in the organizationFM User Outstanding Requirements – Displays remaining FM Certification Requirements you still need to achieve to complete certificationLog in to the LMS and follow the steps below to access these reports.Link to LMS: http://ow.ly/Jlw1y.How to Run Reports as a User:1. Click on “Reports” in the “Easy Links” to the right of your page.AnnouncementsAlready Certified?!Don’t Forget about CETs!Your Continuing Education and Training credits (CETs)clock will be reset every two years from the day you earnedcertification. For some of you who have already achieved yourcertification, this means that you should now be focused onearning the required number of CETs for your level.Certificate Printing2. Click on name of the report you want to run.If you have earned your FM Certification we wouldlike to recognize your hard work by making availablea professionally printed certificate for you to frame orotherwise display in your home or work office.To obtain a printed certification, click on the link below to fillout a certificate request form via FM Online.Click here to est.aspxDefense Civilian Emerging LeadersProgram (DCELP) NominationsContinued on page 6https://fmonline.ousdc.osd.milAre you a GS 7 through 11 looking for course hours in theLead Self Level? If so, the Defense Civilian Emerging LeadersProgram may be for you! The DCELP mission is to recruitand develop the next generation of innovative leaders whopossess the technical and leadership competence to meetthe future leadership needs of the Department. The call fornominations was released on 5 March to CFCMs, so refer toyour leadership for additional application guidance.page 5
Reporting Live from the FM LMS (continued)How to run reports as a Supervisor:Supervisors have the option to run reports for themselves, direct subordinates as a group, or for an individual subordinate.1. To run a report for self or direct subordinates as a group follow the steps for running a report as a user above. (If “All Subordinates” or“All” is selected the report will return anyone who is linked through a supervisory chain, includes subordinates of subordinates. If asupervisor needs this type of report they should contact their Component Admin to run it for them.)2. To run a report for an individual subordinate, select the “My Employee” tab and locate the intended user from the list of employees.Hover over the User and select the reports link. Select the reports from the list provided.3. You can also click on “Reports” in the “Supervisor Links” on the right hand side of the page to run reports for subordinates.https://fmonline.ousdc.osd.milpage 6
Tick-tock Certification TimeMake your journey to FM Certification easy by following the quick tips below!Find Courses in FM myLearnThere are two ways to get the most out of your search on FMmyLearn:1.Use the Search Bar to find courses using: Key words Course Titles Course Identifier(i.e. F1234 or L1234)Gain Approval in the FM LMSFollow the DOs and DON’Ts below to get your certificationapproved the first time!DON’T – Document Surplus Hours in anygiven requirement. You only get credit for meeting theminimum number of course hours required, so save yourselfthe extra effort and only document what is needed.DON’T – Include documentation withpersonal information, such as SSN, home addresses,date of birth, or student IDs.DO – Consider using an MFR to documentexperience. This reduces the possibility of includingpersonal information such as that cited above.2.Use the Navigation Bar on the left to select multiple criteria tohelp narrow your search resultsDO – Attach ONE PDF per competencyrequirement. If you need to include more than onecompletion certificate to meet a competency requirement,combine all documents into one PDF and submit for approval.DO – Track your progress using the followingFM LMS reports: FM Certification Scorecard - A single pointof reference for reviewing the courses anddocumentation recorded Approvals Pending Reports - Displays whereyour submitted achievement stands in theapproval process FM User Outstanding Requirements – DisplaysFM Certification requirements still neededFind the LMS reports at http://ow.ly/Jlw1yFind the MFRs at http://go.usa.gov/FgqjView your search criteria here!Still have Questions?Check out the FAQ at http://go.usa.gov/ktBPor join us on LinkedIn at ge 7
Certification ImplementationAn UPDATE: Today marks the target completion datefor the implementation of National Guard and Reservemembers. We are happy to report that over 6,400 memberscomprising 97 percent of the Reserve/National Guardpopulation have officially been launched in the program.Evidence of the Program’s success mounts as more membersearn their certification and experience the benefits ofstandardized training in key areas like audit. Over 3,000members are certified to date with over 100,000 web-basedcourses completed in the FM LMS.In the winter edition of the FM Certification Newsletter, wenoted an issue with members who hold two CAC ID cards(i.e. FM Reserve Component members who are also fulltime FM civilians) not being able to log in to the FM LMS.There is a functional work around which will allow thesemembers to access the system by providing a memorandumnoting their status as an FM Reserve Component memberand a full-time FM civilian. Each service and agency hasinternal procedures for processing the information inthe memorandum to include updating civilian recordsand providing a copy to OUSD(C) to ensure that a lockout is avoided or resolved if it should happen. Withthe implementation of the National Guard and Reservepopulations behind us, we are grateful for thesteady Component leadership duringthe 6-month long process.As we work toward certificationof the entire force, we invite youto share your secrets to success(and your challenges) with over450 members of the DoD FMCertification Discussion Group onLinkedIn. This online discussiongroup crowd sources answers, gettingyou the answers you need without delay. Join the group athttps://ow.ly/sZfDv.Do I have to track my CETs in the FM LMS?A - YesIf you answered A, you are correct – The FM Certificationprogram requires that you must record these achievementsin the FM LMS. Use the job aid “How to Record CETs in theDoD FM LMS” at http://go.usa.gov/3CdfH for step-by-stepinstructions on this process.Please note that you do not need to upload completioncertificates to document the completion of CETs. Instead,keep a personal file with these certificates on hand in caseyou are audited.How to Record CETs in the DoD FM LMSAudience: FM Certification UsersOverview: The purpose of this job aid is to instruct users on how to complete the CET requirementsin the LMS.Prerequisites: How to Find and Record an External Course in the DoD FM LMSAdditional Support: NoneStepAction1Log into the DoD FM CertificationLearning Management System Login.doFor help with iCompass pleasecontact: [email protected] or at 1-800-735-1236.2The Home screen will appear.Selecting the Home tab will return you tothe Home screen.3You have two (2) Years from when youcomplete your Certification to completeyour first set of CET requirements.FM Certification: How to Record CETs in the DoD FM LMShttps://fmonline.ousdc.osd.milScreen Shot11/20/2015page 8
Got Courses?To help you plan your professional development for the next year, here is a list of courses planned for development in each quarter.The green check marks indicate that the course is complete and available in FM myLearn and the FM LMS.Courses Planned for FY2015Quarter 2232322223221CourseHoursCourse Title1Intermediate Finance Concepts, Policies, and Principles DoD Intermediate Budget Principles Revolving Funds and Internal Controls DoD Intermediate Accounting Principles Defense Business Systems Decision Support DoD Introduction to Defense Working Capital Funds The Basics of Making Payments DoD Introduction to Fundamentals and Operations of Budget Financial Statement Analysis for Leaders DoD Basic Fundamentals and Operations of Budget DoD Introduction to Fundamentals and Operations of Military Pay DoD Introduction to Fundamentals and Operations of Civilian Pay DoD Advanced Financial Management for LeadersDoD Advanced Accounting AnalysisDoD Intermediate Financial Management SystemsDecision Support Basics DoD Accounting Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDoD Budget Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDoD Audit Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesRisk and Risk ManagementDoD Intermediate Audit Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDoD Advanced Financial ManagementDoD Intermediate Payroll Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesAccounting AnalysisDoD Payroll Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesFinancial Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDoD Financial Management for LeadersDoD Commercial Pay Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDoD Intermediate Commercial Pay Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDoD Basic Fundamentals and Operations of cyFinancial Concepts, Policies and PrinciplesBudget Concepts, Policies and PrinciplesFinancial Concepts, Policies and PrinciplesAccounting Concepts, Policies and PrinciplesDecision SupportFundamentals and Operations of FinanceFundamentals and Operations of FinanceFundamentals and Operations of BudgetAccounting AnalysisFundamentals and Operations of BudgetFundamentals and Operations of Mil/Civ PayFundamentals and Operations of Mil/Civ PayAdvanced Financial ManagementAccounting AnalysisFinancial Management SystemsDecision SupportAccounting Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesBudget Concepts, Policies and PrinciplesAudit Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesDecision SupportAudit Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesAdvanced Financial ManagementPayroll Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesAccounting AnalysisPayroll Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesFinancial Concepts, Policies and PrinciplesFinancial Management AnalysisCommercial Pay Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesCommercial Pay Concepts, Policies, and PrinciplesFundamentals and Operations of AccountingCourse title is subject to change and not final until course is complete1Useful LinksDoD FM Certification Handbook - http://go.usa.gov/FYJFFM myLearn - http://go.usa.gov/BbaWFM LMS Job Aids - http://go.usa.gov/FYSmLinkedIn Discussion Group - http://ow.ly/sZfDvThree-Step Process - http://go.usa.gov/FYhQLearning History Worksheets - ilpage 9
FM LMS 5-6 Tick-tock Certification Time 7 Certification Implementation 8 Got Courses? 9 Comptroller Corner The last few months have been eventful ones for the DoD Financial Management community. Most recently, we experienced a change of leadership at the top of DoD with the
