Staff Development Opportunity Program Model
Development Plan
The Staff Development Opportunity Program provides the opportunity for development through professional employment for a period of up to two years, increasing the new employee’s skills, knowledge, and abilities in such a way as to increase the likelihood of a successful
Candidacy for future P&S vacancies.
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This development plan must be submitted to Judie Hermsen, University Human Resources, within 30 days of the participant’s hire date.
Individual providing oversight for the plan:
Name:
Position: Senior Accountant
Plan for 1:1 meetings between person above and SDOP participant:
Frequency Duration: Formal meetings are on a monthly basis. Individual opportunities for process questions/clarification exist on a daily basis through an open door policy.
Skills/knowledge to be developed:
Methods might include courses, projects, meetings, etc.
Skill/knowledge item (Budget Preparation & Reporting)
Method of development: EMPLOYEE will work side-by-side of the accounting manager who will explain the budget process as is applies to the College. Reporting happens on a monthly basis at the department level, and a bi-annual basis at the college level. EMPLOYEE will learn how to download account information from the university GLDSS and import in to a database for report distribution. EMPLOYEE will have a hard copy, step-by-step, instruction document to assist her in her development of this skill. A more formal training will be presented through the Skillsoft course: PRACTICAL BUDGETING SKILLS FOR BUSINESS – “Creating & Analyzing an Operating Budget.”
Timeframe: One Year. Initial experience will begin with the monthly budget reporting to the various programs. During the months of Jan/Feb EMPLOYEE will have the opportunity to assist in the preparation and presentation of the mid-year budget reports to the college. In Jul/Aug EMPLOYEE will again have an opportunity to participate in the final close preparation for fiscal year 2011. In Aug/Sept EMPLOYEE will learn how to create a proposed annual budget. This timeframe will take her through an entire budgeting cycle of one fiscal year.
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager
Skill/knowledge item (Statement of Account Auditing & Reconciliation)
Method of development: EMPLOYEE will observe the initial audit/reconciliation of the monthly statement of accounts process with the accounting manager which will include researching of charges, follow up on missing documentation, correcting via change vouchers and/or coding in the internal database as required. Currently the University does not offer any type of formal training for this process, however, EMPLOYEE will enroll in the ICON course: “GL Accounting Code” to familiarize herself with the coding system used by the University.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year. The initial observation period will be over a couple of months after which EMPLOYEE will be given an opportunity to audit & reconcile on her own with guidance and spot checking done by the accounting manager.
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager
Skill/knowledge item (GLDSS Systems)
Method of development: EMPLOYEE will learn how to process change vouchers (CV’s) for both web and pay as well as how to move funding from one account to another through the GL Journal Entry system. Development of this skill will be through observation in the beginning as these systems are live and errors cannot be deleted. The accounting manager will process any changes through these systems while explaining the process each step of the way to EMPLOYEE. Once EMPLOYEE has had the opportunity to observe several of each of these processes, she will be asked to initiate the process on her own with the accounting manager standing over her shoulder for guidance and assurance. Currently the University does not have an “in person” training session available for this skill set. EMPLOYEE will have access to hard copy user guide documents for each of these applications to refer to as needed. These guides are also available online through Self-Service access of these systems.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year.
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager
Skill/knowledge item (MARS System)
Method of development: EMPLOYEE will learn how to use the university MARs system for charging to student university bills. As this system is a live system with a very small window for correction, EMPLOYEE will initially observe the Account Specialist who will do the initiating and explain the process as she goes. After several opportunities for observation, EMPLOYEE will be asked to initiate the charges herself with close observation by the Account Specialist to ensure accuracy of the charges before posting to the university MARs system. A formal opportunity for training will be offered through a LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT COURSE: “What is MARs?”
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year.
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Account Specialist
Skill/knowledge item (Microsoft Access Database Management)
Method of development: Side-by-side training with the accounting manager will occur each month after the audit/reconciliation process is complete. Database management for the monthly budget reports to the various programs and Study Abroad programs is quite complex. EMPLOYEE will observe the process while the accounting manager walks her through the process. The structure for the College budget reports is built from within and takes a complete understanding of all the budgets and the various funding sources that make up a particular budget. This process is recorded on a hard copy document with step-by-step instructions. Although this is a “home-grown” product of the college, the database skills learned will be completely transferrable to another department’s Access database management system.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year. Once EMPLOYEE has gone through a couple of months with the accounting manager she will be asked to initiate the process alone with a double check provided by the accounting manager prior to report distribution.
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager
Skill/knowledge item (Microsoft Excel - Advanced)
Method of development; Excel spreadsheets are used in creating the budgets presented to the Tippie College of Business. Almost all financial analysis projects are done using Excel spreadsheets. EMPLOYEE will have the opportunity to work on such projects as they present themselves during her employment. EMPLOYEE already has a working knowledge of Microsoft Excel utilizing formulas and linking. She will be asked to grow her knowledge in this area by enrolling in the Skillsoft course: DESKTOP CURRICULA – “Microsoft Office 2010, Advanced Excel.”
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year.
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager
Skill/knowledge item (Procurement Card Reconciliation)
Method of development: The programs and the Study Abroad programs have over 25 procurement card holders that the accounting team reconciles for. EMPLOYEE will work directly with the account specialist in learning how to reconcile the p-cards. She will learn specific tips on reconciling from a veteran of the university with 31+ years of experience. EMPLOYEE will also enroll in some formal training through ICON: “Procure Card Training” and “Reconciling a Procurement Card”.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Account Specialist
Skill/knowledge item (Travel Expense Voucher Processing)
Method of development: The programs and the Study Abroad programs have complex travel situations that include a large amount of international travel. EMPLOYEE will work directly with the account specialist in learning how to work the university p-cards first when applicable, before creating the expense voucher. She will learn specific tips on converting foreign currency and what to watch for in international travel. EMPLOYEE will gain valuable instruction and learn how to get information from university sources from a veteran of the university with 31+ years of experience. EMPLOYEE will also enroll in some formal training through a LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT COURSE: “Traveling on UI Related Business.”
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Account Specialist
Skill/knowledge item (eVoucher & Preq Systems)
Method of development: EMPLOYEE will learn the way in which a new vendor enters in to the university system and how to process an invoice or reimbursement to a vendor through the ePro system. There are confusing ways to pay a vendor and knowing the policies and procedures are key to knowing which form should be processed. EMPLOYEE will have the opportunity to learn this with hands on processing under the direction of the account clerk on the accounting team. EMPLOYEE will have the privilege to train under an account clerk who was a former staff member of the accounts payable & purchasing office for 10+ years and has valuable skills in this area. She will be able to impart short cuts and resources that will prove invaluable to EMPLOYEE’s development. Once familiar with the process EMPLOYEE will be able to initiate on her own with oversight coming through the approval process by the accounting manager.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager and Account Clerk
Skill/knowledge item (Interdepartmental Requisition/Purchasing Processing)
Method of development: Internal purchasing happens both in online forms and through a hard copy, manual, submission. EMPLOYEE will learn how to purchase through Printing, Copy Centers, IMU, Facilities Services, Fleet Services and other departments that bill for their services. EMPLOYEE will assist in her own training by building a training document that currently does not exist in the department. She will be instructed by the accounting manager and the account clerk in the ways we purchase within the University and asked to list these along with their respective websites/forms/processes for each entity. This method of development will assist both EMPLOYEE in cementing her knowledge and the college who will use this for future trainees.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager and Account Clerk
Skill/knowledge item (Cash Handling & eDeposit System)
Method of development: EMPLOYEE will receive instruction on the various ways the programs receive monies from the accounting manager. She will need to first understand the specific MFK coding used by the programs in order to get the revenue recorded in the correct accounts. Monies received by the various programs must follow a very rigid cash handling procedure. EMPLOYEE will have formal training through ICON: “Cash Handling”. Once she understands the policies on handling monies she will observe the account clerk as she processes a deposit. A very large portion of monies come through the Study Abroad program and requires a complete understanding of a very complex coding system in order to administer the budget lines correctly. Once EMPLOYEE has observed this process several times she will be asked to enroll and take formal training through ICON: “E-Deposits” to further her development. The last portion of training will be to initiate the deposit with the Account Clerk observing and providing guidance.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: Accounting Manager and Account Clerk
Skill/knowledge item (General Office/University Policies)
Method of development: General office knowledge will be developed through assigned daily tasks and in the day-to-day operations. EMPLOYEE will be instructed on procedures for financial record filing, scanning and storage; operation of office machines, supply ordering, etc. She will enroll in the following ICON coursework: “Conflict of Interest” and “Ethics & Responsibilities”.
Timeframe: 6 mos – 1 year
Person(s) responsible for teaching/directing, if applicable: All members of the Accounting Team
Updated December, 2011