March 2020

Important Dates	Important Messages	Small Agency Financial Services News	Travel Tips	Contact Us

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Please send your feedback about the Department of Enterprise Services' (DES) Small Agency Financial Services (SAFS). Your feedback helps us improve and better meet your needs. Finance welcomes your feedback at any time.

Important Dates

Mar. 31

• Correctional Industries (CI) 90 day order cut-off date for delivery by June 30. See website for more order cut-off dates.

Apr. 7

• To reflect in your agency's March financial statements, all invoices and travel reimbursement requests are due to Accounts Payable.

Apr. 20

• Allotments for the 2020 Supplemental are due to OFM.

Apr. 25

• Monthly Department of Revenue (DOR) Use Tax Filing due.

Apr. 30

• Performance measure actuals due for quarter ending March 31.
• Correctional Industries (CI) 60 day order cut-off date for delivery by June 30. See website for more order cut-off dates.
• Quarterly Department of Revenue (DOR) Use Tax Filing due.

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Important Messages

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource

Keep informed via Washington State's coronavirus response website Coronavirus.wa.gov

Time to think about the end of the fiscal year

• Be sure to get all fiscal year 2020 invoices so they can be paid promptly. Belated claims will apply against your fiscal year 2021 spending authority.
• Does your agency bill for its services or send out interagency billings? Create a plan to ensure that June's billings are processed promptly and mailed by mid-July.
• Reference the Office of Financial Management (OFM) year-end resources.

Time to think about capital assets

DES encourages small agencies to evaluate internal policies and procedures around capital assets and be sure they include the following:

• An internal written policy for managing small and attractive assets, timely removal of capital assets from inventory, and proper approval of disposal requests.
• A revolving schedule to perform physical inventories every other year. Inventories can be performed anytime - there is no need to wait until June.
• Procedures to follow if a capital asset is lost or stolen.

Visit these websites to find out more about capital assets:

• State Administrative and Accounting Manual Chapter 30.10 – capital assets
• Office of Financial Management capital asset resources

Time to think about the 2021-2023 biennial budget.

Here are some things to think about to when planning your agency's 2021-2023 biennial budget:

1. Is your Information Technology (IT) Security Policy and Standards Compliance Audit due? These audits are due at least once every three years.
2. Is your agency planning to submit any IT decision packages? Consider getting started on the concept review process required by WaTech/OCIO.
3. Is your agency considering a program structure change? Changes in program budget, allotment or accounting formats require a Program Structure Change Request. Changes that prompt a formal Program Structure Change Request include:

• A major shift of costs between programs.
• A program consolidation or separation.
• A title change, if the new title is substantially different from the current program or sub-program name.
• Any other significant revisions that would affect the comparability of staffing, expenditure, or revenue data over time.
• Program Structure Change Requests are due to OFM in early May. We will need some time to prepare these requests and may need a 10-year history analysis. If you wish to submit a request, please contact your DES SAFS budget analyst soon.

Supplemental Budget Allotment Adjustments due April 20

Your agency may need to amend your allotments to reflect legislative changes. Allotment amendments are due for expenditure, revenue, cash receipts and cash disbursement revisions related to 2020 supplemental changes. Your budget analyst will contact you soon after the legislative session to discuss adjustments.

Fund 03K Industrial Insurance Premium Refund Account

DES wants to remind agencies that they may have a balance remaining in Fund 03K Industrial Insurance Premium Refund Account — a fund used to account for all industrial insurance refunds earned by state agencies under the state fund retrospective rating program. Preference on expenditures shall be given to programs that provide incentives for employee safety and appropriate early return-to-work incentives for injured employees.

Below are some ideas about where you can request these funds be used:

• Electronics — such as loaner cell phones for personal safety while in travel status, and/or security cameras.
• Emergency planning and first aid — such as first aid kits and emergency evacuation supplies.
• Ergonomics — such as adjustable work surfaces, padded or gel wrist rests and keyboard trays.
• Facilities related items — such as warning signs, ice/snow supplies to prevent surface slips and card key entries.
• Indoor air quality — such as HEPA filter air cleaners and CO2 monitoring equipment.
• Lifting/materials handing devices — such as fork lifts and portable carts.
• Lighting — such as blinds to minimize glare and task lighting.
• Personal protective equipment — such as hard hats and back-belts.
• Training/education — such as safely videos.

Employee Self Service (ESS) Replacement Project - "MyPortal"

The Office of Financial Management is working on a replacement for ESS called MyPortal - modern user interface with improved accessibility using assistive technology. Learn more.

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Small Agency Financial Services News

Office Depot Recommended Supply Vendor

Office Depot is on the master contracts list and is the recommended vendor for purchasing office supplies. Purchases through other vendors, such as Amazon, is not recommended unless there is a justifiable reason for doing so. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact DES Accounts Payable at APquestions.safs@des.wa.gov.

DES SAFS will present our "Fiscal Year-End" and "2021-2023 Biennial Budget Build" workshop soon.

Watch for your invite!

New features! Interactive workshop! OFM Budget staff!

Our workshop will cover all you need to know about the fiscal year-end close such as:

• Important dates and deadlines
• How to identify expenses that need accrued
• What are overspends and how to avoid them

We'll also help you prepare for the 2021-2023 biennium by covering:

• The basic budget process
• What to expect from us
• What we need from you
• Timeline of budget due dates
• What makes a good decision package

A question and answer period will follow. If you have specific questions or topics you would like to see covered, please email Gwen McClanahan.

Small Agency Highlight

The Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs is providing helpful services during COVID-19. Here are a few:

• Translation of COVID-19 factsheets into multiple API languages, which are now available online through public health.
• Advised regional response team that all COVID-19 awareness materials be coupled with anti-stigma messaging.
• Being vigilant for reports of prejudice as well as discrimination.
• Recommended a statewide training for all superintendents, principals, administrators and nurses, which was subsequently conducted for over 150 people via zoom last month.
• CAPAA's Executive Director and Secretary Wiesman have co-authored a blog combating stigma.
• Promoting access to unemployment insurance support resources for English language learners.
• Promoting access to relief opportunities for immigrants and refugees.

SAFS (Small Agency Financial Services) Team Updates

Did you know? Your DES financial support team consists of ALL of our SAFS team members. Even though you may work with specific SAFS members regularly, other SAFS members often step in to assist and provide continuity of services. We would like you to know about our whole SAFS team. Below is a list of each work group within SAFS, the members you may hear from, and recent news or a message from each team.

 

Team	Members	News / Message
Accounts Payable	Sarah Parker May Davida-Jackson Ian Shelley Brailyn Pratt Sasha Sudirjo Amanda Overstreet	While teleworking, our team is prepared to keep AP services as close to normal as possible. We will be checking voicemail messages on our shared phone line daily, but the easiest way to get a hold of us with questions during this time is to email our APquestions inbox. Please continue to scan invoice batches to our Payments inbox and we will process accordingly.
Budget	Chad Johnson Diann Lewallen Paul Bitar Seth Flory	While teleworking, budget staff continuing to offer normal services. Please continue to contact us as usual via email or telephone. Most office telephones are forwarded to the teleworking location.
Payroll	Carrie Knudson Vanno Non Bona Blume Tasha Fitzgerald Whitney Brabant (benefits) Stephanie Davidson (shared leave)	While teleworking, our team is prepared to provide payroll services as close to normal as possible with some exceptions: Payroll will receive voicemail messages from our shared phone line via email. We receive an email with the audio from the voicemails. Payroll staff will check their personal voicemail multiple times per day, the fastest way to get ahold of us for questions during this time is to email our shared email at despayroll@des.wa.gov. Please continue to send us documents electronically. We can receive electronic signatures during this time and emailed from the employees. Those will be followed up with physical signatures for those documents that need them when operations resume to normal. Payroll will send PDF letters to SAFS liaisons for distribution to employees for bank account change confirmations.
Revenue Management	Kara Skinner Crystal Marshall Amy Johnson	While teleworking, all services are operating as normal except: Printing and mailing invoices for DES and SAFS weekly. Check payments received will be deposited once per week on Thursdays. Customers are able to call and make credit card payments during limited hours via phone Thursday mornings 8:30-11:30 a.m. at 360-725-5700.
Administrative Assistance	Danelle Guerin Vivian Lindenau

 

DES Payroll statistics for February 2020 (40 agencies served)

Total Employees Paid	1,245
New Hires / Rehires	24
Transfer In / Transfer Outs	5
Separations	16
Supplemental Payments / Walk Throughs	2
Overpayments	1

 

DES Accounts Payable statistics for February 2020 (31 agencies served)

Invoices Received from Agency	1,599	76.32%	$7,849,666.23
Invoices Paid on Delegated Authority	348	16.61%	$617,675.93
Travel Requests Paid through TEMS	137	6.54%	$43,675.65
Payments Reissued (SOL, Lost Warrant)	11	0.53%	$3.442.24
Total Payments Processed	2,095	100%	$8,514,460.05

 

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Travel Tips

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Advice

Experts advise cancelling all non-critical travel plans. The World Health Organization has tips about travelling if you absolutely must during COVID-19.

Contact Us

If you would like to know what budget analyst, payroll analyst and HR business partner is assigned to your agency, see our Agency Assignments webpage.

If you would like to get contact information for DES SAFS and HR staff, see our Contacts webpage.

If you have suggestions or feedback about the Small Agency Services Bulletin, please send your comments to SmallAgencyBulletin@des.wa.gov.

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