Overview


Share the Workload to Simplify Reporting
Parrascope collects data from vendors, sub-recipients, and software systems to dramatically reduce the ARRA reporting burden on states.

Building a Network

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A NETWORK OF VENDORS AND SUB-RECIPIENTS

Vendors and sub-recipients register for Parrascope and join the private network of the member states that they work with.

Using tools provided by the system, they provide their prime recipient with critical reporting details such as jobs created or retained and the quarterly project progress. This data, along with general profile data gathered at registration, is added to the federal award record for fast, accurate reporting.

Since all data collection and verification is done inside Parrascope, states can report on behalf of their sub-recipients, which reduces the workload for all parties.

PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, and FEDERAL AWARDS

In Parrascope, data management begins with a State Program, which enables a state agency (prime recipient) to apply for and receive a Federal Award.

The state agency may distribute the funds to vendors and sub-recipients using one or more State Projects . Data elements from State Projects are compiled with the data elements from the Federal Award to produce a quarterly ARRA report.

UNLIMITED STATE USER ACCOUNTS

Dividing the reporting workload goes beyond receiving assistance from vendors and sub-recipients. Parrascope allows states to create an unlimited number of user accounts with permissions that designate which areas of the site the individual can access.

This allows states to assign specific tasks to a large pool of state users that access the data in one central location. It also provides a new level of transparency by logging all activities performed by each user.

Organized Reporting

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STATIC VS. DYNAMIC DATA

Parrascope helps states gather and assemble the static and dynamic data required to generate a quarterly ARRA report.

The static data is unlikely to change from one quarter to the next, and represents the bulk of the report. The dynamic data is almost certain to change, and includes data related to job information, project progress, state spending, and federal funds received.

Parrascope captures the static data and makes the dynamic data easy to gather each quarter. Vendors and sub-recipients provide job and progress data, while imports provide the accounting information. States are left to write two narratives, choose a status, and review all data.

THE PARRASCOPE CONCEPT

The Parrascope concept revolves around collecting vital data elements from vendors, sub-recipients, and existing software systems as a method to reduce the reporting burden on state employees.

Vendors and sub-recipients are assigned to State Projects, which are linked to one Federal Award. For each project, they must providedata elements for jobs and progress, which are aggregated into the ARRA report. Using our Job FTE Calculator, this process is fast and easy. It standardizes the FTE calculation statewide and eliminates the possibility of miscalculations or misinterpretations of the FTE formula.

State spending and federal funding data is imported from state software systems and properly allocated across eleven dynamic reporting fields

The effort required by the state is greatly reduced while improving the accuracy of the data. After a multi-level approval, an XML file is created for FederalReporting.gov.

 

JOB DATA

Parrascope allows vendors and sub-recipients to submit job information with our simple FTE Calculator.

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STATE SPENDING

Import vendor and sub-recipient payments, admin expenses, and project awards under $25,000.

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FEDERAL FUNDING

Federal funding data, and the ARRA expenditure allocation, is imported and properly applied to each report.

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PROJECT PROGRESS

Select a project status and provide a narrative of the quarterly status using data from vendors and subs.

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STATIC DATA

Static data includes most award and project data. It is unlikely to change after the initial reporting quarter.

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Jobs


EASY JOB FTE CALCULATOR

FTE calculation is now incredibly simple. For each job, users enter an identifier like a name or job title, the hours in a full time week, and the hours worked that quarter. The system calculates and totals the FTE for the quarter, and saves the data for future reports. After the initial quarter, just enter hours worked that quarter to get cumulative FTE totals.

VENDOR & SUBRECIPIENT DRIVEN

Each quarter, vendors and sub-recipients submit their job totals, along with a description of jobs and the status of the project. The job totals are reviewed and certified by the state, and aggregated into the federal award FTE total. States may also enter their own jobs, or modify data submitted by other parties.

EASY CERTIFICATION

The system notifies states when a vendor or sub-recipient has submitted jobs data for review. A list displays all data, and allows the state to certify jobs individually or in bulk.

DESCRIPTION OF JOBS CREATED OR RETAINED

For each federal award, the state must provide a quarterly description of jobs created or retained. This is made easier since vendors and sub-recipients provide these same descriptions at the project level. Their entries are available for the state to duplicate or summarize for the final report.

 
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State Spending


THREE MAIN CATEGORIES

State spending can be broken down into three main categories:

1. Payments to Vendors or Sub-Recipients:
Project payments for awards over $25,000, added at either the State Project or Federal Award level.

2. Administrative Expenses:
Costs incurred by the prime recipient that will be reimbursed by the federal funding agency.

3. Awards Less than $25,000:
Awards to vendors, sub-recipients, or individuals under $25,000.

IMPORTING STATE PAYMENTS

Most state accounting systems store this data and are capable of some form of export. Level One will design custom import functionality to collect this data and properly assign it to the proper award.

REPORTING FIELDS

State payment information appears in the quarterly ARRA report in the sub-recipient and vendor payment amounts, and for all of the under $25,000 data.

           

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Federal Funding


FEDERAL AMOUNT RECEIVED

Federal funding fields are very straightforward, but very important for the quarterly report. States must report the total of all federal funds received for each award by the end of the reporting quarter.

TOTAL ARRA EXPENDITURES

Total ARRA Expenditure and ARRA Infrastructure Expenditure can be tricky fields to calculate, because it refers to federal expenditures not state. Parrascope handles this by collecting individual federal payments and then designating how much of that payment was an ARRA expenditure (reimbursement). Of the ARRA expenditure, how much was for infrastructure. In most cases it's all or nothing for these fields.

IMPORTING FEDERAL FUNDS

Like state spending data, federal funding data is often stored in a state's accounting system. If so, these can be imported as well.

 
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Project Progress


PROGRESS REPORTING

The project progress information is gathered using two basic fields: a drop down containing four status options, and an entry field to compose a brief narrative description.

Vendors and sub-recipients assigned to a State Project must update the project progress each quarter, and the prime recipient will use the collection of those updates to generate a master report comprised o the status and a progress narrative.

NARRATIVE

As in the case of the description of jobs created or retained, project progress narratives will be available to the state to duplicate or summarize for their own project progress report.

           

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Static Data


OVERVIEW

Most of the fields that appear on the quarterly ARRA report will remain static or unchanged for the life of the award. This includes all profile data related to states, vendors, and sub-recipients, as well as most of the award and project fields, such as award date, awarding agency, award title, etc.

COLLECTING STATIC DATA

The static quarterly reporting data is assembled from four main areas of Parrascope:

1. Registration/Member Profile

2. Member Databases (Agencies, Addresses, Users)

3. Federal Awards

4. State Projects

Excluding registration, each of the above elements can be imported from state software systems to further improve the accuracy and efficieny of the ARRA reporting process.

 

  
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