1. No category

How To Add name to Contact List on Referral Page
Part I:
-
Go to ‘Locations’ page
Select the County/Location Name that you want to add the contact person to
In the bottom left container select ‘New’ and key in the contact person’s
information
Select ‘Save’ and you should see the information appear in the bottom right
container ‘Contacts’
Part II:
-
-
Go to ‘Program Setup’ page
Select the Program that you want to add the contact person to
Select ‘Details’….a new box will open
In that box select the name of the contact person and then select the right
arrow key, which will then move the person over to the container in the
bottom right corner under ‘Program Contacts’
Select ‘Save’ in the upper right corner
You should now be able to go back to the Referral page and see the new
contact that you just entered.
ASSIGNING PERMISSIONS FOR REPORTS IN SECURITY MANAGER
All reports are assigned to groups the same way in the Security Manager.
Step
Number
Step Description
Notes
1
Navigate to the
Report Permissions
Link
Click on the “Report Permissions” link to the left of
the screen
Click the “Report Permissions” sub-link to view all
reports for this organization
2
Select Report Type
From the “Report Type” dropdown:
Select the appropriate report type (Application,
General, or Adhoc)
3
Grant Permission
Choose the report(s) you wish to grant permissions
in the “Report Name” list, and the group(s) you
wish to assign permissions to in the GroupID list.
Click ADD
Note: The report name and permissions will be
listed above individually. Click the “Next” and
“Previous” buttons to navigate through the list.
On the Adhoc Report screen, select the 50Fields List in the top dropdown, then select the desired
report from the Report Query dropdown – then click the “Load” button.
If you have run this report previously, then you can simply click “Show Report” or “Export as
Excel” to view the current version of the same report. If your report uses data parameters, or if
you want to make any other modifications to the data or fields listed in the report, then you’ll
need to click on the “Edit Query” button.
If you want a report that is completely different, click on the “Build New Query” to start with a
clean slate.
Either way, the next step is to select the View (data table), Fields, Criteria, and Sort order for your
report. This is done on four separate tabs of the Query Builder screen. Screen shots for each tab
are listed below. Your options will be different, but the sample report will generate a list of
homeless clients for an agency, sorted by county and then by client last name.
Note: There may be duplicates if the same client has duplicate Central Intake records (which
were not uncommon during the early months of MIS use). The duplicates can be eliminated
either by removing the excess Central Intake application (see Mark for Deletion instructions), or
by removing them from you output report.
This is the first Query Builder screen. Here you select the View that you want to use as the
source for your report data. The views are largely self-explanatory:
⎯
Customer Service Ticket is for System Admin use only (data from the online trouble
ticket tables)
⎯
Monthly FSD Detail contains data to analyze or support the Monthly FSD LIHEAP
Report on the Management Reports list
⎯
Customer and Program listing contains client and program data – this is the most
common report as it links client demographic data (address, housing, etc.) with the
program data
⎯
External Agencies lists the resource directory (external referral agencies) data
⎯
Unduplicated Customer Listing contains only basic customer data (no demographic data)
⎯
VendorList contains data from the Vendor setup pages
You can only select one Data Source Table for each report. The Data Source Table selected will
determine the fields that are available on the Select tab.
Select the fields you want to see on your report by clicking on the item in “Column Select” and
then clicking on the double-arrow button in the middle of the page. The right arrow moves that
field into the Selected Columns box, and the left arrow allows you to remove items (similar to the
Batch screen). To change the order in which these fields will appear on the report, select the item
on the right side, and click the Up or Dn buttons to move it to the desired order.
Please note that you must select all fields that you want to see on the finished report. However,
you do not need to select a field in order to sort by that field. In other words, if you wan to only
show people that are the Head of Household, you do not need to select the Head of Household
item on this screen. We will cover that in more detail in the next step.
The Where tab allows you to determine what criteria you want to match for this report. In this
case, we defined three items: AgencyName, Housing, and Program. Each of the fields on this
page are dropdown choices except the “Value” column, which allows any data to be entered.
You must make sure that the data you enter for a value is an exact match of the data you want to
pull from the system.
LeftBrack – required field with only the one option.
Column – defines which column (data field) you want to establish criteria for your report
Operator – determines how you want to compare your Value to the selected column. For
example, “=” looks for an exact match (Homeless = Homeless), “Like” looks for the value as part
of a string (Like homeless would return Homeless and At Risk Homeless)
Value – defines the data you are looking for. You can search for multiple values by using more
than one line for the same column (to find housing of Homeless or Shelter)
RightBrack – another required field with only one option.
Logical – tells the system if you are entering another line in the query, and whether or not that
line is to be an additional requirement (And) or an alternate value (Or).
If you want to find all clients at your agency that are either homeless or in a shelter, you would
change the housing line above so that the Logical (last) column reads “Or” and then on the next
line create a duplicate entry for housing but change the Value to shelter. If you wanted to include
at risk homeless, you would change the Operator on the homeless line from “=” to “Like”.
The final screen is the Sort tab:
This tab allows you to choose the primary sorting order, and any secondary sorting that you
would like. There is no limit to the number of fields you can sort by, but it is rare that you would
have more than 3 or 4 fields.
To select a field to sort by, simply click on the item in the Column Select (left side), and click the
double-arrow button to move that item to the right side. Use the left-facing arrows to remove any
unwanted items from the Selected Columns (left side).
To change the sort order, select the item you want to move and then click the UP or DN buttons
on the right side to move the item to the desired place in the order. The top item listed is the
primary sort item.
Once you have made all your selections on this tab, you are ready to return to the main Ad Hoc
report screen to complete the report using one of the three bottom buttons.
Create will create the new/modified query that you have just defined
Clear will erase all selections you have made (making this a blank query). Only use this if you
intend to completely reset the entire query.
Close will close the query builder, losing any changes that you have made
The final steps are back on the first screen. Here you need to select a Group Sort option
(normally All), a Number of Group (normally 0), and the Group By option. Group By determines
how the pages of the report will be separated (in this case, each County will have its own page or
worksheet on the report).
Group Sort – allows you to view all data or just the top or bottom portion (highest or lowest
common values of your report). This would be used if you are running a report on individuals by
zip code and you only want to see the zip codes with the highest (or lowest) number of matches.
Number of Group – determines the number you want to include if you use the group sort (such
as 5 or 10 zip codes in the above example). If you select All for the Group Sort, then the Number
of Group should be zero (0).
Group By – this contains the list of fields you selected when you built the query. You can
choose one of those fields to separate the report data. In the screen shot, we chose County, so
each county’s results would be on their own page. In the zip code example, if you select to group
by zip code, then each zip code would be on a separate page. In many cases, you may want to run
the report grouped by one category, and then run it again to sort by a different category.
Show Report displays the report in Adobe acrobat format. Export to Excel displays the report in
Microsoft Excel format. You will want to save the displayed report with a meaningful name
before you close the report display (Acrobat, Explorer, or Excel) window.
Saving the Report: Once you confirm that the report contains what you want, you will likely
want to save the query using the Save As button. This will allow you to run the same report in
the future to pull updated data without recreating the whole thing. You can also make changes to
select different data and then save that as a new report (without losing the original). If you
included date parameters in your report criteria, you will need to update those in your query for
any future instances of the report.
Ad Hoc report for LIHEAP records with missing/invalid Payment Type
(Payment Type is the key field for Service Code data on the Exhibit C Report)
Purpose: To create an agency listing of all LIHEAP payment records that have a missing
or invalid Payment Type entered on the Vendor & Payments page. The dropdown values
on the Payment Type field are linked to the Service Code on the LIHEAP Exhibit C
Report. Correcting the Payment Type field will correct the Service Code on the Exhibit
C Report. Please see the separate FAQ for instructions on correcting the Payment Type
field once you have pulled the listing of records that need to be corrected. If you have
more than 50 records, the listing from this ad hoc report can be submitted to the Help
Desk, and we can forward to Adsystech to run an automated update query (instead of
making the changes manually).
To open the Ad Hoc Report Query Builder in the MIS, click on the Report Menu at the
top of the MIS screen, and select Customize Report. This will open the ad hoc query
tool. Select “50Fields List” from the Report dropdown at the top of the page, and then
click “Build New Query” to open the AdhocReport Query Builder screens shown below.
Once you have created and saved the report, you can retrieve the saved report by
selecting the report name in the “Report Query” in the middle of the window. Be sure to
save the report before you close the ad hoc query screen, so that you will not have to recreate the basic report.
1. Choose the ad hoc view (TableName) VADHOCVendorPaymentsDayOld on the From tab
(must match screen shot):
On each tab of the report builder, please replicate the options on each tab as they appear in this
instruction. You can add other options if you need them, but the items listed in these instructions
are required to create the listing needed for Adsystech to run an update query on the Payment
Type field (which will update the Service Code field for the Exhibit C report).
2. Select the fields that you want in your query on the Select tab. You may select additional
fields, but the fields listed here are required for the update query:
3. Enter the criteria on the Where tab for the fields you selected on the previous tab. Note that
only a few fields are normally used on the Where tab. This will filter your report output based on
the values you enter. The Column field contains a dropdown list of all the available fields –
choose the ones you wish to use to find the data you need. The Value and Operator fields
determine which records show up on your report. Note the use of the % as the wildcard when
using the “Like” operator in the middle row: You can omit the second Program Date line if you
are looking for all records, but this format will limit your results to the 2008 operation year.
4. Choose the field to use as the primary sort for your report data. Click Create to close the
report builder and return to the main ad hoc report screen.
5. Give your report a Title, and complete the Group Sort, Number of Group, and Group By
fields. For the update query, you will need to select “Payment Type” in the Group By dropdown.
Don’t forget to save your report before you close the Adhoc Report screen. See below, or visit
the “How To” documents on the MIS page of the MACA web site for more details:
http://www.communityaction.org/MIS.aspx
Excerpted from “How To Build and Ad Hoc Report” http://www.communityaction.org/MIS.aspx
The final steps are back on the first screen. Here you need to select a Group Sort option
(normally All), a Number of Group (normally 0), and the Group By option. Group By determines
how the pages of the report will be separated (in this case, each County will have its own page or
worksheet on the report).
Group Sort – allows you to view all data or just the top or bottom portion (highest or lowest
common values of your report). This would be used if you are running a report on individuals by
zip code and you only want to see the zip codes with the highest (or lowest) number of matches.
Number of Group – determines the number you want to include if you use the group sort (such
as 5 or 10 zip codes in the above example). If you select All for the Group Sort, then the Number
of Group should be zero (0).
Group By – this contains the list of fields you selected when you built the query. You can
choose one of those fields to separate the report data. In the screen shot, we chose County, so
each county’s results would be on their own page. In the zip code example, if you select to group
by zip code, then each zip code would be on a separate page. In many cases, you may want to run
the report grouped by one category, and then run it again to sort by a different category.
Show Report displays the report in Adobe acrobat format. Export to Excel displays the report in
Microsoft Excel format. You will want to save the displayed report with a meaningful name
before you close the report display (Acrobat, Explorer, or Excel) window.
Saving the Report: Once you confirm that the report contains what you want, you will likely
want to save the query using the Save As button. This will allow you to run the same report in
the future to pull updated data without recreating the whole thing. You can also make changes to
select different data and then save that as a new report (without losing the original). If you
included date parameters in your report criteria, you will need to update those in your query for
any future instances of the report.
How To Change Address for Entire Household
If you change the address on the HOH Intake page, it will only take effect on the HOH
record only. To make the change of address effective on everyone in the household do the
following steps:
-
From the Client Demographics page, select everyone that you want the change
of address to be effective on
Click the ‘Change Client Address’ button (third button down) in the top left
container
-
The following pop up box will appear and you can then type in the new address
and select ‘OK’.
Verify that you are still viewing the same client.
Error when installing MIS
If you receive an ‘internal error 2908’ or ‘error 1935 HRESULT 0x800280F’ when trying
to install MIS and it then uninstalls it and displays ‘FATAL ERROR’ then you will need
to verify the DotNet Framework on the pc.
The MIS requires Microsoft DotNet Framework version 2.0 or later. The error codes you
are seeing (2908 and 1395) are related to this Microsoft product. Please verify the DotNet
Framework on the computer in question, and download the latest version for the OS from
the Microsoft web site.
Ad Hoc report for Demographic data or Exception Report
From the Adhoc Report window, select the 50Fields List from the Report dropdown, and then
click on the Build New Query button to create a new report. After you’ve gone through the
selection process (see below), you’ll return to this screen and complete the Group Sort, Number
of Group, Group By fields, and give the report a Title. When you have the report setup correctly,
remember to click Save As and save this template for future use. With simple modifications, this
template will serve a variety of uses (finding clients by Zip Code, City, demographic data, etc.).
Select the vAgencyListing on the From tab:
Proceed through the remaining tabs, selecting the fields you want to see, and entering the data
that you want to search for. I used “buc%” as my County name because there were several
spelling variations for Buchanan County. The report revealed several clients with an invalid
county name that should be updated, and a handful of clients outside the agency’s service area
that may need to be updated by a different agency to reflect their current county of residence.
Creating an Ad Hoc report to view activities without a contract number
The process is the same for all ad hoc reports. The selections on each screen of the Query Builder
determine what data your report will show. In this example, we start by selecting the Data Source
Table (view) for our report by clicking in the gray square to the left of the desired table. You can
select only one table for an ad hoc report.
Next, we click on the Select tab. The Column Select field displays all the available data fields in
the Data Source Table we selected. You can select fields one at a time, or use Ctrl+Click to
select multiple fields. Once selected, use the |>>| button to move the fields to the Selected
Columns field. You can use the |<<| button to move unwanted selections out of the Selected
Columns field. Use the Up and Dn buttons to change the order (fields will be displayed on the
report in the order they are displayed on this page).
On the Where tab, enter the criteria that you want your search records to match. This view
(activities without contract numbers), only returns activities without a contract number, so you do
not need to enter that criteria. You can search for a particular program or, as this example shows,
use the wildcard (%) to search for all agency programs at one time. If you use a second line, be
sure to select either And (match both lines) or Or (match either line) in the Logical column.
The Sort tab lets you define how the results will be sorted on the displayed report. Remember,
the order of the columns is defined on the Select tab. The Sort tab defines in what order the data
will be displayed. By default, data is displayed in alphabetical (or numerical) order. If you check
the box next to an item in the Selected Columns filed, the order for that item will be reversed. In
this example, the report will sort first by the Program, then Activity, then Funding Code, etc.
After you click Create, you should be back to this screen. You will need to fill in the Title, Group
Sort, Number of Group, and Group By fields, then click Show Report (for a PDF format) or
Export to Excel (for an Excel Spreadsheet). Once you confirm that the report provides the data
you want, you will need to use the Save As button to create a permanent copy of this ad hoc
report template. The template will then appear in the Report Query dropdown for any user/group
for which you grant permissions.
The output should look like this. The Export to Excel option will create a separate worksheet tab
for each Program (or whatever you select in the Group By field):
Program Exit Date and Closeout Mode
Program Setup page, Details popup screen (“Details” button in top container)
Program Details popup top section:
y Category
y Focus Code Service
y Focus Code
y Start and End date should be the
program dates. For most
programs, the Start Date is 10/1
and the End Date is 9/30. These
dates are the same for all years,
so no year is used in the date.
Program Details popup 2nd section:
y Exit Date
y Closeout Mode
AGENCY SECTION
y PROGRAM SETUP PAGE
‚ PROGRAM DETAILS
POPUP WINDOW- TOP
SECTION
REFERRALS PAGE/POPUP WINDOW –
y Categories appear as Filter choices for
internal referrals
DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT
y Focus Code Service determines who is
enrolled into the program
o LIHEAP = Individual
o Back to School = Family
o Others = Individual
INCOME SNAPSHOT AT PROGRAM ENTRY
y Focus Code determines which members
and income are included in program
snapshot (and thus who is considered to
be served by the program):
o LIHEAP = Household
o Others = Family
AGENCY SECTION
y PROGRAM SETUP PAGE
‚ PROGRAM DETAILS
POPUP WINDOW- 2ND
SECTION
y If and how Clients proceed to the next
Contract year
y How Program Exit is handled
y How Application and Milestones are
created for new year
The exit process functions based on the Exit Date and the Closeout Mode you select for each program.
The Exit Date may vary based on the program and the Closeout Mode selected. Here are the three
options for Closeout Mode:
1) RENEW: Exits the client from the previous operation year, makes a new application for the current
operation year and copies down the entry questions. Program components and milestones are not
copied for this process. When the time comes to use the new application you will generate the list of
current program components and milestones as if it were a new enrollment.
Programs: Life Skills (if class schedule spans across the fiscal/operation year change).
2) ONGOING: Changes the previous operation year on the application to the current operation year.
Programs: Family Support
3) EXIT: Exits the client out of the previous operation year. This will run overnight, triggered when the
current date is after the Exit Date. And the safeguard is in place to only exit applications from the
previous operation year. The Exit Date should be set so that applications started on 9/30 can be
completed and billed prior to the Exit Date. The recommended date for Exit is 11/15 of the new operation
year.
Programs: LIHEAP, Emergency Assistance, all others not listed as Renew or Ongoing
How to Exit a Client from a Program
-
In Enginuity, Select ‘Listing’ from the ‘Programs’ library on the left side of the
screen.
On the ‘Listing’ screen, select the ‘Program’ and name of the client you want to
exit. Make sure it is highlighted.
Select ‘Exit Program’ from the ‘Programs’ library on the left side of the screen.
Select the ‘Exit’ button.
* There is no specific information required to exit someone. The address is optional.
Disregard the Question section because we have not added any and there are no predefined questions for exiting.
** Once you exit a client from a program, you can no longer edit their service screens
(including Vendor & Payment page). You can still approve, batch and pay the payment or
billing units, but you can’t make any changes. IT IS BEST NOT TO EXIT ANYONE
WHILE THEY HAVE A PENDING SERVICE PAYMENT RECORD.
How To Export Management Reports to Excel & Sort to Find Which Records Need
To Be Fixed (Ex: Exhibit C)
1. While viewing report data select Export: To Excel
2. Will be asked if you want to Open, Save, or Cancel file.
3. When the spreadsheet comes up, click (one time) the "Master Control" key field in
upper left corner of spreadsheet to highlight the entire worksheet.
4. Click 'Merge & Center' icon to merge all (wait)
5. Delete rows above header and at end the end of spreadsheet (optional)
Delete this header
highlighted part (rows
1-10)
Delete this footer
highlighted part (rows
4454-4457)
6. Adjust width of columns as necessary so that all text is visible
7. Select 'All' (Can use master control key in upper left corner)
8. To Sort by Descending or however you choose: Select ‘Data’, ‘Sort’
HOW TO FINISH PROCESSING PAYMENT AFTER BEING KICKED OUT OF
SYSTEM:
If you were kicked out of the MIS while processing a payment, you will have to log back
in and go to the Reconcile page (see below) to finish the process.
If you look on the Reconcile page you will see the batch sitting on the right side of
the page, select it and move it back to the left side and then the system will allow
you to continue processing.
HOW TO JUMP BETWEEN CENTRAL INTAKE/PROGRAM LIBRARIES
&
USING PROGRAM HISTORY BUTTON
‘Jump To Program Entry’ button is marked in red below:
‘Program History’ button is marked in red below:
(If you enter a name here it will conduct a NEW search instead of opening a new window
displaying all the programs the client has been enrolled in. It is best to perform a new
search from the Programs Listing page.)
The following window opens showing all the programs that the client has been enrolled
in:
Linking a Username to Agency Location (outreach center)
Human Resource Library
This library allows the System Administrator to link agency staff (by username) to a
particular operating location or outreach center. This link will help agencies identify
the point of entry for our clients, and should help determine the impact (services and
referrals) that our outreach offices have on their communities.
At the agency’s option, you can explore other features of this library to track staff
information, including position and salary history, training, education, etc. However,
the only expectation is for this page to link usernames to agency locations.
Step
Number
1
Step Description
Find/Enter Staff using
Staff Information page
Notes
To find a staff member/user already entered
y Enter First Name, Last Name, or select Staff
username from the dropdown in the blue container
y Click SEARCH button
To enter a staff member not already listed
y Click New
y Select username from the Staff dropdown in the top
gray container (just below the blue container)
Step
Number
Step Description
Notes
y
Staff member name and e-mail should appear (as
entered on the Security Manager web page)
Note: This page will only show staff members or users
who have been entered through the Security Manager
y
2
Set default location
on Position & Salary
page
y
y
y
y
y
y
y
3
Change default
location
y
y
y
Username must be selected on Staff Information
page prior to opening the Position & Salary page
Click NEW in top container
Click NEW in second container
Select Agency from dropdown list
Select Location from second dropdown list
Enter Start and End Date as appropriate (optional)
Click SAVE
Select user on Staff Information page, then open
Position & Salary page
Click NEW in second container
Select Agency and Location from dropdown lists
Enter Start Date and End Date
NOTE: Activities recorded by this username will be
linked to the location based on the date range used.
Mark for Deletion Page
Page Overview:
This page allows the System Administrator to mark Clients or Applications for deletion.
It also allows the Client/Application to be unmarked. If a Client or an Application is
marked, it will no longer appear in its respective listing. A Windows Service will then
clean out all marked Clients/Applications after a specified period of time.
The top half of this page
applies to the entire client
record. Clients listed here will
be completely removed from
the system
The bottom half applies to
specific program applications.
Step
Number
Step Description
Notes
To find all Clients in an Agency
y Choose Agency in dropdown
y Click SEARCH button
1
Find Client
To
y
y
y
find one Client
Choose Agency in dropdown
Enter part or all of first and/or last name
Click SEARCH button
All matching Clients will appear in Customers grid.
Step
Number
Step Description
Notes
To see a Client Application Record:
y Click on the Client in the Customers grid
All related Application records will appear in the
Applications grid.
2
3
4
Mark Client Record for
Deletion – this is for
the entire client
record (all client data)
Unmark Client for
Deletion
Mark Client
Application for
Deletion – this is for
individual program
applications
y
y
Client record moves to Marked Customers grid on right.
y
y
Unmark Application
for Deletion
Choose Client in Marked Customers grid on right
Click CANCEL button
Client record moves back to Customers grid on left.
y
y
y
Choose Client in Customer grid
Choose Application to delete in Applications grid
Click MARK button beneath Applications grid
Application record moves to Marked Applications grid on
right.
y
5
Choose Client in Customers grid (top container)
Click MARK button beneath Customers grid
y
Choose Application in Marked Applications grid on
right
Click CANCEL button
Application record moves back to Applications grid on
left.
How do I modify a batch that has already been paid?
Send the batch # in to the Helpdesk with a request to unpay the batch. We will notify you after we
have unpaid the batch and then you are to proceed with the following steps:
1. Print batch report
2. Delete the batch
3. Correct records
4. Re-batch the corrected records
5. Re-batch the remaining records
HOW TO Populate Missing Contract Number
The most common reason for this is a missing funding code on the payment record
data table. Check the Vendor & Payment page to confirm that the Contract Number
appears in the middle of the screen (the blue field). If there is no contract number,
then the link between the activity and the contract failed when the record was saved.
You should be able to correct this record on the Vendor & Payments page, using
these steps:
Part 1 (remove the invalid contract link for this record):
Make sure you have selected the correct payment record.
If the payment has been paid, change the Approval Status to "Approved"
In the top row, change the fields to an incorrect option (you may be able to just
change the Activity, or you may need to change all three fields in the top row to
force the correction).
Save the record (this should force the blue contract field to update based on the
incorrect activity). If the payment was paid, the approval status will change back to
paid when you save the record.
Part 2 (make the correction to the payment record):
Make sure you have selected the correct payment record.
If the payment has been paid, change the Approval Status to "Approved"
In the top row, change the fields back to the correct data for this payment record.
Save the record. This should force the blue contract field to update based on the now
correct activity data. If the payment was paid, the approval status will change back
to paid when you save the record.
Once the correct contract number appears on this record, you should be able to
verify the correction by looking for the Funding Code on the Batch Info page (the
Funding Code column is on the far right side of the transactions grid on the Batch
Info page). This will also allow the record to be included on the Monthly FSD LIHEAP
report (if it was an ECIP payment).
Steps to complete an adjustment to a payment (Debit/Credit process)
1. Bring up the correct client and payment record on the Vendor & Payments page.
2. Enter the Debit/Credit information
• Click the NEW button
• Enter the amount; use the minus sign (-) to enter a negative amount
• Enter the date (some agencies use the original check date, others use the date
the refund was issued by the vendor – see local agency policy for details)
3. Save Adjustment
• Click the SAVE button
• The client application will be adjusted appropriately.
4. Adjustment must be Batched by itself to complete the process
• Go to the Batch page and search for the vendor
• Select only the debit/credit record and batch it by itself
• Reconcile the batch using either the original check data or other data as
determined by local agency policies
How To Process LIHEAP Payments For Multiple Individuals Within Same
Household
We can enter a second name on the vendor & payments page, but that name does not show on
all reports, therefore it could cause some confusion in the batching/fiscal process. Below is a
suggested procedure for processing LIHEAP payments for multiple individuals within the same
household:
• Since LIHEAP focuses on Households, not Families, we don’t want more than one LIHEAP
enrollment per household.
• We also need the MIS to be able to apply the program dollar maximum limits per
household; so again, we need to keep it together under one enrollment, regardless of the
names on secondary fuel accounts.
Normally, the enrollment is in the name of the person, or one of the persons, who’s name is on
the bill for the primary heating source – matching the EA case in the State system. Here is one
way to handle secondary fuel when the name is different.
• In the MIS it should be under the primary fuel name – though it probably has happened in
the reverse occasionally when the secondary was the first thing being paid by ECIP. In
any case, if the bill being paid is in a name different from the one enrolled in LIHEAP in
the MIS, use the “account in another name” field, and make a note in the comments
about it. But for MIS purposes, it is all under the name that was enrolled in the LIHAP
program.
• When sending the application to Fiscal for payment, have a copy of the bill with the
application. If not, have notes on the application showing whose name is on the bill, if
that is different from the enrollment, and of course who you talked to at the vendor to get
the information.
• Batch the approved applications, and print a batch report for each vendor being paid – that
report will show the name of the enrolled person, but if the bill name is different, Fiscal
has that also on the bill, and or the application.
• When Fiscal pays the vendor, they include the name of the enrolled person – the one on
the Batch report – AND, if the name on the bill is different, they include that with a /
between them so it goes on the check stub to the vendor, and also will print out on
account detail reports from Fiscal. That way you are able to easily keep track internally
because our primary names agree, and the vendor also gets a name on the check they
recognize.
**Some parts of this may vary by agency, for example:
- Don’t send the applications to your Admin Department, send Vendor Payment
Status report (for approved only), after comparing to each approved
application.
- Enter the person whose name is on the bill in the household. Then on the
Vendor Payment page in the box that asks about ‘different name’ key in that
name. The batch report is printed and sent with the check to the utility
company
How to put a client into a different household?
After removing a person from a household in MIS, to put them into another household use the following
steps:
If you are moving them into their own household:
1. Use the 'New Household' button on the Client Demographic page.
2. Select their name from the Household dropdown in the popup window. This dropdown will contain
the word 'Existing' and all the names of the clients you selected to move (you can select mulitple
clients by using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click).
3. Select 'OK'
If you are moving them into an existing household:
1. Use the 'New Household' button on the Client Demographic page.
2. Select 'Existing' from the Household dropdown in the popup window.
3. Enter the first and last name of the target Head of Household.
4. Select 'OK'
- If there are more than one, you will get a popup window listing the matches, so you can view more
details about the target household and select the one you want. You can also close that popup without
selecting any matches, which essentially cancels the move.
* Please see the User Manual (pages 10-12, steps 18-19) for more details.
Error message states: “Failed to create Program Components, Milestones, or Activity…”
Note the Milestone for this payment record:
The Milestones are written to the activity detail record when the first activity (payment) record is
saved for each program. This applies to all programs in the MIS. For LIHEAP and Emergency
Assistance programs, the system records this data automatically. For other programs, this is
recorded when users complete and save the Service Activity & Billing or Activity Details page.
Note the difference in the milestone for this payment record (sought vs saught):
The spelling of this Milestone was corrected sometime after the application was created, but
before this last payment was entered. The Milestone values here on the Vendor & Payments
page come from the setting on the Program Targets page, so we see the current values in the
dropdown list. However, the Activity Detail record was written using the original milestone
(before the spelling correction). Since those two items no longer agree, the system cannot write
the detail record.
Here is a screen shot of the Service Activity & Billing page. For the Activity Type of Energy
(all vendor payments), the system records this data automatically – users do not enter this data.
You can see the payment history listed under the first Milestone below. All these payments were
recorded prior to changing the Milestone. To get the new Milestone to appear on this page, we
need to click the “Refresh MileStones” button:
Clicking this button adds any current milestones that are different from the existing list. This is
normally used when a new milestone has been added into the process, but is also necessary if any
changes (such as spelling corrections) were made to any existing milestones.
If you make a change to an existing milestone text, you will need to submit the old and new text
so we can update all existing records to match the current milestone text. This does not apply to
newly created milestones, but is necessary to ensure that all prior activities are recorded correctly
with the new text. Otherwise, as in the example above, some activities will be listed under the
“saught” milestone, and others under the “sought” milestone, and the agency will have to
combine the data (and risk losing true unduplicated counts).
Contract Renewal in the MIS
“Renewing Contracts” refers to creating a new instance of an existing contract for the new
program year without having to go through all the setup again. It is a fairly simple process.
Please note that “Renewing” a contract is different than creating a whole new contract.
The process of renewing contracts will begin on the “Contracts” page under the “Agency”
library. We’re beginning there because there are updated drop-down lists that improve the
contract data (see Step 1 below), and this data must be corrected on the existing contracts
before doing the renewal process.
Follow the steps in the chart below and you should be able to quickly create all the contracts
for the new program year that will be repeating.
The following figures are for reference and illustration, and are referred to in the chart below.
Figure
•
•
•
1 – the “Contracts” page
Top oval – arrows to navigate through list of contracts (first, previous, next, last)
Second oval – Contract data that needs to be updated (see Step 1 below)
Third oval – Previous and Next now navigate through different years of the contract
selected. For example: ECIP Winter 07, ECIP Winter 08, ECIP Winter 09
• Bottom oval – FY Start and End Dates must match the Contract Start and End Dates
Figure
•
•
•
2 – the “Agency Listing” page
Should default to your own agency
Current contracts are in the grid on the bottom right. (See Step 2)
Selecting a contract in the grid below will display that contract when you return
to the Contracts page.
• Scroll to the far right of the Contract grid to see the Description field. This will
help you identify which contract you want to select. For example, you probably
have two LIHEAP contracts, the description distinguishes winter from summer.
Things to check as you renew your CSBG contract.
•
•
•
Even though CSBG is a two year contract, only the contract amount of the current year is
known, so it should be entered as a one year contract in the MIS. Also, reporting is done by
single years, so this makes annual reporting easier.
The CSBG Contract amount should be only the portion of the contract to be earned by FD
projects that are set up in the MIS. That will let you know the correct amount left to be
earned by those projects.
CCRD projects are not recorded or billed through the MIS, so their contract amounts should
not be included in the CSBG contract amount.
NOTE on Step 2: it describes renewing a number of contracts at once. If you prefer, you can
do one contract at a time. Step 6 will direct you to the right page for either method.
Step #
Where
Contract” page
under “Agency”
library. (See fig.
1)
1
Step
Description
Correct existing
data for: Contract
Type, Description,
Funding Source,
and verify the
start/end dates for
each contract,
before renewing
Notes
•
•
•
•
2
“Agency
Listing” page
(Fig. 2)
Create Renewal
Contract Record
•
•
•
Contract” page
under “Agency”
library. (See fig.
1)
Complete Renewal
Process
•
In
•
3
•
•
•
•
“Contract” page Check/Edit “Target
– third section
Area” grid items
4
Target areas will
have been copied
from previous
contract.
See Agency Admin
manual for more
details on Target
Area set up
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contract Type: The dropdown list has
changed and may need to be corrected – for
example, from “Initial” to “CSBG”. Choose
the one associated with each contract.
Description is key for multiple contracts, such
as EFSP (by county) or ECIP (summer/winter)
Funding Source is optional, but the dropdown
list has been updated with better options
Ensure the FY Start and FY End dates are for
a one-year time frame (See Comments above).
Click SAVE after updating each contract.
Select the contracts to be renewed in the grid
in the lower right. (Use Ctrl + Click, or Shift +
Click to select multiple contracts to renew.)
Click the “Renewal” button (New contract
records are created on the Contracts page.)
In top section, find correct Contract Record.
(Select the desired contract on the Agency
Listing page, or use the blue arrows on the
toolbar to move through the contract list.)
Contract Type, Funding Source, and
Description should not change.
second section:
Use “Next” button to find the new version –
still with some blank fields.
Enter “Contract Number” for the new contract
(include the 2-digit year for clarity).
Enter the Amount
Enter the FY Fund Amount – (likely the same
unless contract is multi-year and this FY
amount is less, see Comments above.)
Dates should be the same, but one year later.
Verify they are correct.
Click the SAVE button.
Click on each “Target Area” to evaluate for
accuracy in the new program year.
If not used in the new version, uncheck the
“Active” checkbox.
If new measures/Targets will be used, click
NEW, then click the “M” button to select the
new performance measure/National Indicator,
and then enter an appropriate Title (often this
is copied from the text of the Indicator)
“Performance” and “Investment” are not
fields currently in use.
Click SAVE button in third section for each
change to a target.
“Contract” page Check and Edit
– bottom section contract contacts
Contacts will have
been copied from
previous year’s
contract.
5
6
“Agency
Listing” page if
you’re doing
them one at a
time.
“Contract” page
if you renewed
as a group
Repeat steps 1
through 5 for each
additional contract
to be renewed.
Follow steps 2
through 5 for each
additional contract
to be renewed.
•
Check Contact information to make sure
details are still correct
To add a new Contact:
• click “New” to create new record
• enter details.
• Click SAVE button
To edit a contact:
• Select Contact in Contact grid
• Make appropriate changes to information
• Click SAVE button
To remove a contact:
• Select the Contact in Contact grid
• Click Delete button
If you missed Step 1 prior to renewing a contract,
or if you discover needed changes after the
contract was renewed, you can edit the data in
the top container at any time. Remember to click
Save in each container that you make changes.
Instructions for resetting the income snapshot
for a LIHEAP enrollment application
Q: Why does the Application Report not show the client’s name, address,
or income?
A: The most common cause of this missing information is due to an incomplete
snapshot during the enrollment process, which can be caused by a dropped data
packet or data entry error.
Here are the steps, including screenshots, to correct this.
From the Enrollment Application page, click on the $ button to open the snapshot page. This one
is blank, so we click on the Reset button in the left side of the bottom container.
There will be a small pop-up window asking you to confirm that you want to remove the previous
snapshots. Click yes, and it will bring in the client data from the Central Intake pages. The
snapshot will only use this intake data if you instruct the system to do so on the enrollment
questions.
If you are using the Central Intake data, you would just click on “Apply Deductions” and then
close this screen. Since the enrollment questions for this client indicate that we are not using
Central Intake data for LIHEAP eligibility, we’re going to skip the deductions step and close this
screen, taking us back to the existing enrollment application page.
Notice that the income and poverty level are at zero – because we haven’t confirmed what data to
use yet. If you need to change data on any of the questions, you would do that now. However,
since we’re just resetting the snapshot to use the current data, we just need to click the Finish
button and we’re done.
You can see that the income and poverty level are back in place for this client, which should
result in the correct data showing on the Application Report from the Vendor & Payments page.
Resource Distribution Billing Process
⎯
⎯
⎯
⎯
Enter, approve, batch, and reconcile (pay) the vendor payments (or other
activities that should result in Resource Distribution billing units)
Overnight, the system will create the appropriate RD billing units (only for
reconciled/paid activities)
Approve the FDRD records on the Billing Approval page, and then batch the
Resource Distribution units
(you may reconcile at this point, or you may wait for the transaction details to
be generated overnight)
Overnight, the batch details will be updated on the individual transactions, so
you can see the full details on the Batch Info page, and reconcile (pay) the
Resource Distribution batch.
How to pull MIS data to complete the
LIHEAP Household Report
To complete the LIHEAP Household Report using MIS data, you’ll need to run the MIS
LIHEAP Household Report two times each for winter and summer – once for assisted
households and once for all applicants (a total of four reports). The total time frame to
run all four versions of the report, save them locally, and transcribe the data to the state
LIHEAP form should be about 30-45 minutes.
Here is a sample of the report parameters from the Management Report screen:
•
To pull only the assisted household numbers, select “Paid” in the Status dropdown, as in
the shot above. For all applicant numbers, select “All” in the Status dropdown.
•
To include any ECIP Special payments, select the ECIP Type “ECIP%” for each report.
•
For all instances of the report, you’ll need to make sure you have the correct start and end
date, and the contract fields.
Most agencies have a single ECIP Summer contract and a single ECIP Winter contract.
If this is the case, you can select correct specific contract for your summer and winter
data. If you have more than a single summer and winter contract, you’ll need to use the
wildcard (%) in the Contract Number dropdown to capture all data from your LIHEAP
program (the date range will then be the guide to separate summer and winter data).
A screen shot of the resulting data is on the following page. Each month shows
unduplicated counts within that month, and the total line at the bottom also shows
unduplicated counts. The total is not a sum of each month’s data, as the same client may
have received benefits in more than one month.
You can simply view the data and input the totals onto the state LIHEAP form, but it is
probably best to export the file to a PDF format (using the options in the middle of the
report screen – see blue circle above), and then saving the file to your computer. Print
with caution: if you print the file, please be aware that after the summary page, each
individual client transaction is listed. This allows you to view each transaction to
validate the data against the individual client record should you find any data anomalies.
*** This means that the winter report could be well over 100 pages long ***
If you need to print the summary data, be sure to print only the first page
To run the speed test from the startup (Home) page, scroll to the bottom right corner and click on
the Speed Test icon:
If you do not have Java, it will ask that you install it.
When you click that icon, it will bring up the following page. Enter your MIS username or
agency location (ex. HDC_NorthSide, CMC_BooneCounty) (to be consistent for all users at one
location), then click on the button:
The test will run, and will display the results. This data is also recorded to a table at the
Adsystech hosting facility.
The route test identifies the connection quality by measuring the packet loss and latency for each
hop end-to-end.
Download speed graph: The higher the download speed, the better. If the graph shows a rapidly
changing speed then this indicates that the data is impacted and the quality of service degraded.
Quality of Service (QOS): Represents the level of consistent download capacity provided by
your ISP. The higher QOS percentage, the higher the overall quality of the connection - which
results in better connections high traffic applications.
Round Trip Time (RTT): Reports the total time in milliseconds (ms) to send a small data packet
and obtain a reply back. The faster (smaller) the RTT, the better.
Max Pause: The longest pause recorded during the download speed test. This should be a very
small number. If not, it could indicate Internet congestion or a bad Internet connection.
How to Select Client Programs or Change Operation Year
The Family Support program was flagged as an Ongoing Program, meaning that all activity is
considered current (no need to change Operation Year to view previous activities).
All other programs require a couple of steps to be located (to view previous year’s data).
The following steps illustrate how to locate prior year applications (for any program).
Programs Listing Page shows default Operation Year of 2008. The default is always the current
operation year (based on fiscal year calendar of October 1 through September 30). Whenever
you login to the MIS, you will be in the current Operation Year.
Searching by Program shows clients in that program in the current Operation Year:
Searching by client name shows all applications for that client in the current Operation
Year. In this search, note that there are no active program applications in 2008.
Switching to the Program Enrollment Application page still no Application:
Click on the Program History button to bring up a list of all programs for this client:
Scrolling across, note the Operation Year for the highlighted row: 2007. Clicking on the
Locate button locates the selected Application (makes it the active record). When you
click Close (to the right of Locate), this record will be the program appication you are
viewing on the Enrollment Application page (see next screen).
The client’s 2007 LIHEAP Application has been retrieved:
Note the Operation Year shows 2007. All actions in the MIS at this point will be in the
2007 Operation Year (until you change back to the current year).
A second method for changing the Operation Year starts on the Programs Listing
page. This option is recommended if you are processing more than a single client from a
previous operation year. Note the Operation Year shows 2008.
Clicking on the Set Operation Year button shows the following pop-up form:
Type in the desired Operation Year and click OK. When the pop-up closes, you will be
back on the Programs Listing page.
On the Program Listing Page, note that the Operation Year has been set to 2007. Note
that any previous search results are no longer displayed, but the search criteria is still in
the fields at the top of the page. Click on the Search button to bring up any matching
records from the Operation Year you entered.
There are 2 rows found for this client Abell for the Operation Year 2007. Once the 2007
tasks are completed, be sure to switch back to the current Operation Year before entering
any current client data or services.
Selecting the Payment Type for LIHEAP/ECIP Payments
There are seven new Payment Type values (on the Vendor & Payments page). These correspond directly
to the Service Codes required on the LIHEAP Exhibit C report. The next system patch will include a
filter so that these new values are only visible on LIHEAP payments (based on the Program Component
and Activity selected). In the meantime, please use the new values for all LIHEAP/ECIP payments, but
continue to use the original Payment Type values for Emergency Assistance payments (Dollar More,
Dollar Help, MHTF, EFSP/FEMA, etc.).
Here are the correct ECIP Payment Type choices for various Fuel Types (for LIHEAP/ECIP payments):
Fuel Type
Electric (Winter), Natural Gas, Propane, Wood,
Fuel Oil, Kerosene
Other
Rent/Housing
Furnace Repair
Furnace Repair
Electric (Summer)
Air Conditioner/Fan
ECIP Payment Type
Winter Energy Payment 1
Clothing/Blankets 2
Temporary Shelter 3
Furnace Purchase 4
Energy Related Repair 5
Summer Electric Payment 6
AC Purchases 7
In addition, there are some fields on the Vendor & Payments page that are essential to accurate
reporting. Those fields are highlighted below:
ECIP Type – required for a record to appear on the Exhibit C report
Contract Number – required for most reports (populated when saved, based on Activity)
Payment Type – sets the code for the Exhibit C report, if omitted or incorrect, requires manual
updating and rerun of the reports
DateAdd – defaults to the current date, should be the date the client submitted the application
Vendor – self-explanatory, required for batching and making payments
How to sort the “Client Listing” Report
The “Client Listing” report should be exported to Excel format.
But the resulting page can’t be sorted because the SSN# and client names are in merged cells, and
you can’t sort data with merged cells so the first step is to Un-Merge those cells.
• Highlight the combination SSA# and Name data to the bottom of the data chart.
• Click on the Icon for Merge/Unmerge. (The button on the tool bar is a small square with a small
case a in the center, and tiny arrows pointing to the outside edges from the a. It will be
highlighted because the cells you’ve chosen are merged.) Clicking on the button will un-merge
the cells.
• Because of spacing, it will look as though you’ve lost the name, but you haven’t. At the top of
the columns, put the cursor over the break between the A and B columns – the cursor changes
shape when it’s right – and drag it to the right, widening column A and exposing the client
names. But all of it is now in column A instead of A/B combined.
• On the menu bar click on Data – and then on “Text to Columns.” This will bring up the
“Convert Text to Collumns Wizzard.”
Choose “Fixed Width”, and click
“Next.”
It has handy instructions, so do
which ever you want, or if it’s ok,
click “Next.”
Again the instructions are pretty clear.
If you do nothing in this case, and just
click “Finish,” the wizard will go
away, and the data will all be in three
columns: A will have the SSN#, B
the last name, still with a coma, and C
will have the first name. As you can
see, you could delete the second
break, and have the full name in one
column.
Now the whole set of data can be sorted by whatever column you want. Remember that you will
loose the association of HOF and other members, so you might want to make a copy and work with
it so you still have the one showing families together, depending on what you’re after.
For example, if you sort by % of poverty, all the highest percents will wind up at the bottom.
Some of them will be in the same family, but if they have different last names that won’t be
immediately obvious. Heads of Family will still have (HOF) on their names though.
From the Client Demographics screen, look in the Income Container:
Clicking on the Non-Cash Benefit button brings up the following screen. Check the boxes that
apply for that individual client. This container should be completed for each family/household
member that receives any of the listed non-cash benefits. The Comprehensive Assessment script
will use this data to bypass certain questions, such as whether or not a family needs Food Stamps
– if they are already receiving Food Stamps, the script will skip that question.
These instructions create labels from excel worksheet using mail
merge-Word 2007.
1. Retrieve report data and prepare the file.
• Run Adhoc Weatherization report from MIS system
• Export to Excel
• Save in folder-wherever you normally save MIS reports
• Create copy (I like to keep a copy untouched for reference purposes) and
rename file
• Remove report heading lines but not the header/row titles
• Rename, copy and paste it into “My Documents\My Data Sources” - this just
makes it easier to pull the file into the merge document
1
2. Mail Merge Process.
• Open Word document
• Click on Mailings tab
• Locate the Start Mail Merge on the ribbon.
• Click on Start Mail Merge, select labels as the document type from the drop down
box
•
When you select labels, the format box for labels displays. I know that Avery
5160 is the label type needed - 3 across, 30 to a page.
•
Click OK to accept label options.
2
•
•
•
Template is created (see screen shot below)
Click on Select Recipients
Select Use Existing List option in drop down box
•
•
Locate file in the “My Data Sources” folder
Highlight and click the OPEN button
•
Click OK to select this table
3
•
Merge field box is displayed. You will select the fields for the label.
Select the following fields from the
list and click insert after each
selection:
(FIRSTNAME), click insert
(LASTNAME), click insert
(CLIENTADDRESS1), click insert
(CLIENTCITY), click insert
(CLIENTSTATE), click insert
(CLIENTZIP), click insert
•
The fields are inserted in the first label on the template
4
•
Format label as shown below
•
Click Update Labels
•
The format is transferred to each label
5
•
•
•
•
•
•
Click Preview Results
Labels will be displayed (Noticed the zip data needs additional formatting and/or
cleanup)
Click Finish & Merge
Select Print Documents from drop down box
Select all records
Click OK (you might want to print to paper first just to check the format)
•
Don’t forget to save the file for future use or reference.
6
These instructions create labels form excel worksheet
using mail–merge Word 2003.
- Run Adhoc report from MIS system
- Export to Excel
- Save in folder
- Remove rows above Column Headings (Example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6)
- Remove Additional Blank Columns (Example, A, C & D)
- Rename copy and paste it into “My Documents\My Data Sources”
- Open a blank Word document.
- Select Tools>Letters and Mailings>Mail Merge
- Select document type Labels from the Mail Merger Helper dialog (on right side of screen)
- Next
- Choose the appropriate button:
- Active Window (if the document you want to use is the active window)
- Change Document Type (if you want to convert the current main document to Mailing
Labels format)
- New Main Document (to create the labels in a new Main Document)
How to create mailing labels from an excel worksheet using Word 2003.
- Click on Label Options to choose the desired Avery label Product Number 5160 from the list -
- Click OK.
- Click on Browse to Select Your List.
- Click Open once you have selected your list
2
How to create mailing labels from an excel worksheet using Word 2003.
- Click OK. . (Please note that each tab in excel will be a separate data source.)
- Click Next Arrange your labels.
- Click on More Items.
- Click on the Insert Merge Field button and choose from the fields in the list.
PLEASE NOTE: Include the appropriate label spacing and line breaks by using the keyboard
space bar and enter key where needed.
- You will need to select the field (FIRST NAME)
- Click Insert,
- Then Click Close
- Press the space bar
- Click on More Items
- Select the field (LAST NAME)
- Click Insert
- Then Click Close
3
How to create mailing labels from an excel worksheet using Word 2003.
- Press enter.
- Click on More Items
- Select the field (CLIENT ADDRESS1
- Click Insert
- Then Click Close
- Press enter.
- Click on More Items
- Select the fields (CLIENT CITY)
- Click Insert
- Then Click Close
- Comma and a space.
- Click on More Items
- Select the field (CLIENT STATE)
- Click Insert
- Then Click Close
- Add two spaces.
- Click on More Items
- Select the field (CLIENT ZIP
- Click Insert then Click Close.
- Click Update all labels.
- Click Preview labels.
- Click Complete the Merge
- File,Save and name the new Main Document and Print your labels.
4
Process review for completing MHTF enrollment
and generating the application report
Missouri Housing Trust Fund (MHTF) payments that are processed through the MIS are
considered part of the Emergency Assistance program. However, due to requirements from the
funding source, the income calculations are different, and additional information is captured
during the enrollment process. These instructions cover the details of the enrollment process,
where and how to collect the income and additional required information, and how to complete
the application for the client and staff to sign. These instructions include changes for the 2009
program year for MHTF funds.
Enrollment process – Enrollment Application page:
Complete Central Intake First! Ensure all demographic data (address, age, SSN, disability,
veteran status, etc.) is updated prior to starting the enrollment process. If not, then you may need
to redo the application to ensure the current data is included on the application report. Referrals
entered into Central Intake prior to starting the enrollment process (and dated within 7 days
before or after the MHTF payment’s “DateAdd” field) will be included on the printed application.
On the Enrollment Application page, when you select “Emergency Assistance” from the Program
dropdown and click Enter Program, you will see a list of questions appear on the page. If
answered correctly, this information will print automatically on the MHTF application report
generated from the MIS. Please see below for a description and instructions for each question.
Enrollment questions for MHTF applications (in the order in which they appear on the screen):
1. “Was a Photo ID captured for the Applicant (Y/N)?”
o Select answer Yes or No. If No, answer question 2
2. “If not, please explain:”
o Answer with typed explanation. This explanation will appear on the MHTF
application exactly as it is entered here.
3. “Was a Photo ID captured for all household members age 18 and older (Y/N)?”
o Select answer Yes or No. If Yes, all members age 18 and older will be marked
on the application as having ID verified. If No, answer question 4
4. “If not, please explain:”
o Answer with typed explanation. This explanation will appear on the MHTF
application exactly as it is entered here.
5. “Do all household members have a valid SSN?”
o Select answer Yes or No. The individual SSNs will no longer appear on the
application report. However, the funder requires that each household member’s
SSN is verified and a copy of the SSN card or other verifying documentation be
retained in the client file by the agency. Other verifying document examples
include income tax forms, benefit letter, etc.
6. “What is the AMI% for the household income?”
o Select answer from the two listed options: 0-25% AMI, or 26-50% AMI. This
answer will appear on the printed application.
7. “What is the status for this household?”
o Select from three available answers about the status or situation of the applicant:
ƒ 1 – Homeless (includes sheltered or unsheltered)
ƒ 2 – Domestic Violence
ƒ 3 – At Risk
For questions 8 – 15, if there is no income for a particular source, there is no need to answer that
question. If there is no income for the household, please select No Income as the answer for
question 12 and enter zero as the amount in question 13. Also, a Zero-Income Certification Form
must be signed by the applicant and kept in the client file.
8. “What is the total 90-day total income for Wages?”
o Answer with the total household income for wages (including salaries and tips) in
the last 90 days. Do not use a $ or comma, just enter the numeric value.
9. “What is the total 90-day total income for Disability?”
o Answer with the total household income for disability (including SSI and SSDI)
in the last 90 days. Do not use a $ or comma, just enter the numeric value.
10. “What is the total 90-day total income for Child Support?”
o Answer with the total household income for Child Support in the last 90 days.
Do not use a $ or comma, just enter the numeric value.
11. “What is the total 90-day total income for Social Security?”
o Answer with the total household income for Social Security in the last 90 days.
Do not use a $ or comma, just enter the numeric value.
12. “Specify 1st additional income source that is not Wages, Disability, Child Support or
Social Security?”
o Select from the income sources listed
ƒ Worker’s compensation
ƒ Public Assistance (TANF, etc.)
ƒ Alimony
ƒ Unemployment or severance pay
ƒ Interest/dividends
ƒ Pension, insurance, or annuities
ƒ Gift
ƒ No income
13. “What is the total 90-day total income for this 1st additional income source?”
o Answer with the total household income for this source in the last 90 days. Do
not use a $ or comma, just enter the numeric value.
14. “Specify 2nd additional income source that is not Wages, Disability, Child Support or
Social Security?”
o Select from the income sources listed (same as question 12 options)
15. “What is the total 90-day total income for this 2nd additional income source?”
o Answer with the total household income for this source in the last 90 days. Do
not use a $ or comma, just enter the numeric value.
For example, if a family has one person that earned $600 in wages and another that earned $1200
in wages (for the past 90 days), you would enter 1800 for the total 90-day wage amount. If the
household income also included $200/month in child support, you would enter 600 for the 90-day
child support amount. Use only numbers for the amount fields (no text or punctuation).
When finished, click the Finish button at the bottom.
Completing the payment application – Vendor & Payments (V&P) page:
MHTF payments are processed on the Vendor & Payments (V&P) page in the same manner as
any other payment application. Once you click Finish to save the data on the Enrollment
Application page, proceed to the V&P page to complete the information about the vendor and the
payment. MHTF requirements include a description of the client’s situation, which should be
entered in the Comments field on the V&P page. Please see additional key fields identified
below. Completing these items will help ensure an accurate application report for the client’s
signature, as well as the Homeless Prevention Detail Report Form that is sent to MACA each
month.
The vendor payment data from the V&P page will appear on the application. This includes the
Vendor name, address, and telephone number, and the requested payment amount. Once the
payment has been batched and reconciled, the date paid (check date), check number, approval
authority, and amount paid will also be included on the application.
1
2
4
3
5
6
1 – Activity should be MHTF Vendor Payment (this may vary by agency, but should contain
MHTF in the activity name, and ties the payment into the MHTF Contract Number).
2 – Fuel Type filters the list for the correct vendor (contact Admin Team to add new vendor).
Please note that Fuel Type includes options such as rent/housing, groceries, gas/automotive,
as well as more traditional energy sources such as electricity, propane and natural gas. Please
be sure to select the option that is most applicable to the individual payment being processed.
3 – ECIP Type must be set to MHTF to produce the MHTF application
4 – Payment Type describes the individual payment made, and is required by MHTF funding.
For example, a rent deposit and first month’s rent would be two separate payments, each with
their own payment type, even if both payments are made to the same landlord/vendor.
5 – Approved Amount is the final amount approved for payment (this is copied from the
“Obligated” field when the record is first saved, but can be changed if necessary)
6 – Comment section is required by MHTF funding to describe the client’s situation
Generating/printing the payment application – from V&P page:
This report is an application report, and is available on the V&P page in the same manner as the
LIHEAP application report. When you right-click anywhere on the main container of the Vendor
& Payment page (for example, near the “Approved Amount” field) and select “Preview
Application Report”, you will see two options (one for LIHEAP and one for MHTF). Click on
the MHTF option, and the application report will open in a new window.
NOTE: This report is only available when the ECIP Type is set to MHTF.
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 – 90-day income is pulled from the enrollment questions for each income source with a value greater than
zero (0). The annualized total household income is calculated on the application report.
2 – AMI% and Status are pulled from the enrollment questions. To protect the client, only the code for the
Status question is included on the application. See above for more details on these questions.
3 – Explanation for not having a photo ID comes from the enrollment question for the applicant and the
question for all household members age 18 and older. This question should explain why a photo ID is
not available, rather than explaining how ID was verified.
4 – Explanation for the Housing Emergency comes from the Comment field on the V&P page.
5 – The vendor details, amount, payment type, approved date and check information is included. Note that
most applications will be printed prior to the check data being entered into the system, but the
application report updates automatically once the data has been entered.
6 – Referrals made within seven days of the MHTF application (Date Add field on V&P field) are included
on the report. The Estimated Value of Service is pulled from the Description field on the Referral page
when the referrals are made. In the new v4.4 release, the label will be changed on the Referral page
from Description to Estimated Dollar Value.
Process for completing the
MHTF Homeless Prevention Detail Report Form
The MHTF Homeless Prevention Detail Report Form is one of the standard Management
Reports in the MIS, found on the Management Report listing as “MHTF Detail Report.”
If you do not see this report in your Management Report listing, you will need to ask your
Agency Administrator Team to set your permissions so you have access to this report.
This report lists the recipient (head of household) name, ID, County, and payment
information for each transaction during the reporting period (typically one month). The
report also provides summary information during the reporting period. This information
comes from the individual payment activities entered into the MIS through the Vendor &
Payments page. For details on how to complete the enrollment and payment activity, or
how to generate the individual application report, please see separate instructions for the
MHTF enrollment and application process.
The MHTF Detail Report requires a small number of variables to be identified before the
report will run. These variables are entered through the report interface as follows:
• UserID, GroupID, and SessionID are system fields (populated automatically)
• CheckDateStart and CheckDateEnd are the date range that the report will use
to include payment records. Typically, this is the first and last day of a month.
• Agency is your agency (select from the dropdown)
• ContractNumber is the contract for which you are running the report
We are also working on two new filters for this report, one for County, and one for
MHTF Region. These additions should allow agencies to quickly run the monthly reports
by the MHTF-defined region, and also allow more meaningful local data.
The report will look something like the screen shot below. The fields at the top will
contain data from your agency and program setup tables, just like the current version.
The new field “Region” will be populated automatically once the MHTF Region
dropdown is added as one of the report parameters. Please note the totals for amount
paid and unduplicated count of adults and children served, as well as the new Summary
Totals section below the detailed list of recipients. The final change is an addition to the
certification statement to meet MHTF/MHDC requirements for data collection.
These instructions will be posted on the MIS Resources section of the MIS page of the
MACA web site: http://www.communityaction.org/MIS.aspx
Setting Up New Contracts, Funding Codes, and Activities
This document walks through the steps required to create a new Contract, Funding
Code, and Activity within the MIS. This process is for creating new contracts – not for
renewing existing contracts for another year. Please see separate instructions for
Renewing Contracts.
The steps below are presented with the system pages used for each step. It may be
helpful to take a screen shot of existing setup data to help with specific fields. Many
fields are not required, and it is up to the agency to determine if they should be
populated and what values, if any, they should contain. To take a screen shot of your
desktop, press and hold the Control (Ctrl) key and the Print Screen key on your
keyboard at the same time. This captures an image of whatever your computer screen
is displaying at the time you press the keys. The image is stored in your computer’s
memory. Open a Word document, and then right-click/paste (or use Control + V on your
keyboard) to paste the image into the document. You’ll probably want to do this for the
Contract page and for the Program Setup page (it may not be necessary for the Funding
Code page, but you can certainly do this if it helps). For more details, see the
Organization Setup Guide on the MACA web site MIS manuals page.
Agency Listing page: Find and select an existing similar contract. Click on the column
title to sort the list by that column. The first column (Contract Type) is the best option.
Use the bottom scroll bar to view the Description column for more details. The
Description column is the last one in the grid, all the way to the right side.
Contracts page: Take a screen shot of your sample contract and paste the image into
a Word document. Starting at the top container, click New and fill in information about
the new contract. Complete information for all containers, using your sample contract
image as a guide. Be sure to include the 2-digit year in the Contract Number field
(second container) to distinguish different instances of this contract in future years. Also,
be sure that both Start Dates are the same and both End Dates are the same.
To add performance measures (third container), click New, then click the M button to
open the Select Performance Measures window (below). Click on the Content column to
sort the NPIs,
select the
desired NPI,
and then click
close. Click
New to add
additional NPIs,
and click Save
when they are
all added.
Finally, add
contact
information in
the bottom container of the Contracts page.
Funding Codes page: Create a new Funding Code for the new contract. Click New at
the bottom of the left container to create a new record. Enter a name in the Code field,
and a description.
The name should
match (or be close) to
the contract name
(Contract Type). Use
the same description
from the Contract
page for the Funding
Code description (left
container) and the
Funding Code
Contracts description
(bottom right
container). This will
ensure consistency
wherever this
information is needed.
Program Setup page: Determine the program and program component that will be
used to deliver services under the new contract. Click New in the bottom container, and
fill in the fields as appropriate for the new service/activity. See the Activities section of
the Organization Setup Guide (http://www.communityaction.org/Manuals.aspx) for more
details.
How To Change The Funding Code
As part of the transition to the ARRA contracts, agencies are not able to batch the
Resource Distribution records from the end of the 2009 year. This e-mail covers the
process to complete the batching, and briefly explains why this is necessary.
If your agency is billing Resource Distribution for the end of FY09 and was able to
approve records but not able to batch them, here are the steps to take to complete the
batching process. These steps are necessary due to a data validation step that requires
the Funding Code setup to match the Funding Code on records being batched. Since
most agencies changed the funding code to ARRA CSBG Funding, the existing
Resource Distribution records do not match the current setup, which is halting the batch
process. This is a one-time requirement due to the transition to ARRA contracts (though
it may be required again when we transition to the FY2010 contracts later in the year).
As discussed during today’s MIS training call, this is a simple process that should only
take about 5 minutes to complete (including the time to batch and reconcile the
Resource Distribution records). However, there is a critical time-sensitive aspect related
to the Funding Code. When you make this change, you must complete the batching and
change the funding code back to the ARRA CSBG Funding before the end of the day.
Failure to change the funding code back to the ARRA setting could result in lost billing
units from the overnight process. If you are not using ARRA funds for Resource
Distribution (or if you do not have any Resource Distribution records to batch), then you
may ignore these instructions as no changes are required for your agency.
Steps to complete batching for 2009 Resource Distribution records created under
the CSBG contract (Agency Admin permissions required:
Go to the Program Setup page (in the OrganizationLA application role). Find and select
the Activity named “FDRD”. For most agencies, this will be under the Program named
Resource Distribution. For some agencies, this may be under the Emergency
Assistance program. Notice the Funding Code for the FDRD Activity. If this is set to
“ARRACSBG Funding”, then you will need to change this to your previous CSBG
funding code.
From the dropdown list, choose the previous CSBG funding code. It should look similar
to this example. After making the change, save the Activity, and you should be able to
proceed with batching the Resource Distribution records that you have approved.
When you are done batching and reconciling, remember to change this funding code
back to the ARRACSBG Funding so that new records will be created under the correct
contract. It is essential to your future Resource Distribution billing that the funding code
is set to ARRACSBG Funding at the end of the day. Failure to change the funding code
may result in lost billing units for Resource Distribution.
Finding ad hoc report templates and granting agency permissions
To find available templates for new ad hoc queries, go to the Security Manager
library, located under the SecurityLA option from the Application Role dropdown
above the Navigator menu (page listing).
Select the page “Adhoc Query Permission” (in the Report Permission library) and
filter for the desired report using the Application and Report Template dropdowns.
Most queries will be under the Application “HEAP”, but other options are possible
depending on which query template you’re looking to use. The screen shot
below shows the template for the eFactory ad hoc query to view eFactory tickets.
Most ad hoc Report Templates will be created under the 50Fields List option, but
other options are possible. The Report Name field allows you to filter by the
name (if known), but you can leave this field blank to view a full listing of all
available queries. When the Statewide System Administrator publishes new ad
hoc queries for agencies to view, they will normally start with the word Template.
Using this as your Report Name will limit the list to only the templates that we
publish. However, there will be other useful templates published by individual
agencies that may be useful, so be sure to look through the full list to find the
latest shared queries from your peers around the state.
If you receive an error message (like the one below) when you assign the report
to a user group, you’ll need to switch to the Report Permission page and ensure
that the group identified in the message has access to the report template used.
This message is telling you that the group (CMCAgencyAdmin) does not have
access to the report template (50Fields List). You can grant access
(permissions) on the Report Permission page. When you select a User Group
(top right container), the current report permissions are listed in the bottom right
container. If the report you need is not listed for the group, use the dropdowns
on the left to filter by the type of report, the application, and the name (if known).
To grant access, select the report on the left and the group in the top right, and
click the green button in the middle of the screen to push (assign) the report to
that group. The left-facing green button removes permissions from the group.
As a general rule, the Agency Admin Group should have access to all published ad hoc tables or
views. These views link various database tables so that we can retrieve different combinations of
data. You can see the views available to your admin group, and grant permissions to other views,
using the Adhoc Report View List page. Just like many other pages, when you select the group
(top right container) and the item from the View List (left container), you can use the green arrow
to push the item to the bottom right container, granting permissions to that item for the group.
Here is a before and after screenshot, granting permissions to the vAdhocCustomerSupport view
for the Agency Admin group:
Agency Admin Teams should grant themselves permissions to all views for the eFactory, HEAP,
Organization, and Security Applications (from the dropdown on the page shown above).
How to Submit a Trouble Ticket in MIS MIS provides a way to submit trouble tickets within the MIS system. The process takes a few moments and does not require you to visit any external site or use additional software. When should you submit a ticket? •
•
•
•
If you encounter an error or if a feature of MIS is not working and need to pass it on to Tech Support If you have questions as to what process to follow If you need to perform an administrative task (deleting an application for example) If you have a suggestion to improve MIS (some feature is missing or you would like to see it changed) When you submit a ticket, most of the time it is helpful to provide a screenshot. This provides Tech Support with information they’ll need to resolve the issue. There are two ways to provide a screenshot, and, depending on what your issue is you’ll want to use one of the two specific methods. These are the two methods to include a screenshot. Step by step instructions are included further down. Method 1: If you encounter a pop up error, you will need to use the print screen button on your keyboard to capture an image of the error and then paste this image into the ticket window. Method 2: If your issue does not involve a pop up error, there is a ‘screenshot’ checkbox in the ticket window that automatically adds a screenshot to the ticket when you check it. *PLEASE NOTE YOU CANNOT INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE SCREENSHOT PER TICKET To open the ticket window: 1. Click on the Ticket button. This will open the ticket window where you can enter information… 2. The Ticket Window. Let’s go over the anatomy of the ticket window… The ticket window contains the following items 1. Comment area. Add your comments here. DO NOT PASTE SCREENSHOTS INTO THIS AREA. THIS WILL NOT INCLUDE THE IMAGE WHEN SENT TO TECH SUPPORT. 2. System Request. If your ticket has to do with a suggestion for improvement, check this box. 3. Screenshot. This is referenced above as Method #2 for including a screenshot. If you check this box, an image of MIS will be pasted into this ticket automatically. You will see the image appear and the box expand below. 4. Attachment. This is referenced above as Method #1 for including a screenshot. If you check this box, you will see the ticket window expand with a blank area below. In that blank area, you can paste your screenshot. 5. Severity. Select the severity level for your issue. A scale is included in this document. 6. Send and Cancel. These should be obvious. Click send to send your ticket it. Click cancel to cancel. When you click Send, you should receive a confirmation notice that includes the ticket number: Severity Scale. When you submit a ticket, you will need to assign a severity level. Here is the guide: How to submit a ticket when you have a pop up error: 1. If you encounter a pop up error and need to include the error in the ticket, first you need to create a screenshot of the error. This is because to open the ticket window, you will need to close the pop up error. To capture a screenshot of the error before you close it, use your print screen button on your keyboard. Here is an image of your printscreen button: 2. Click the pop up error window to be sure it is selected 3. Press Alt+ Printscreen. This means to hold your Alt key down and press the printscreen button. You won’t notice any visual effects or cues, but the image will be captured on your PC. 4. Now click ‘OK’ or whatever option you have to make the pop up error go away. 5. Click the Ticket button near the top of your MIS screen. Again, this will open the ticket window. 6. When the ticket window opens, put a check in the Attachment checkbox. The ticket window will expand with a white box below. 7. Click in the white area below and press Ctrl+V (Ctrl+V is the keyboard shortcut for Paste). Again, this means to hold the Ctrl key down and press the V key. This will paste your error message into this window. YOU CANNOT CHOOSE RIGHT CLICK AND PASTE IN THIS WINDOW. ONLY THE CTRL+V KEYS WILL WORK HERE. 8. Enter any appropriate information in the TOP box. Include basic information that will help Tech Support such as what you are trying to do, what is not working, the name of the client and what page you are on. 9. Assign a severity level to your ticket (refer to the severity guide above) 10. Click send. You should see a pop up box that tells you a ticket was submitted and what ticket number it is. Tech Support now has access to your ticket and will review it. To submit a ticket when no pop up error is involved: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click the ticket button. Put a check in the in the Screenshot checkbox. You will see the image appear below the ticket window. Enter any information that is relevant to the issue in the TOP box. Put a check in the System Request checkbox if this is a suggestion. Assign a severity level to your ticket (refer to the severity guide above) Click send. You should see a pop up box that tells you a ticket was submitted and what ticket number it is. Tech Support now has access to your ticket and will review it.