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DPA MEETING NOTES
May 2002

TOPICS

DPA TRAINING JUNE 24TH
JUNE MEETING SCHEDULE
PROPERTY OFFICE SCHEDULE
EXCESS STORAGE IN PROPERTY CAGE
DELL SERVICE TAG NO. = SERIAL NO.
PROPERTY MANUAL
STATUS OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON UPDATE
STATUS OF INVENTORY SCHEDULE
UNAUTHORIZED DISPOSALS
DPA ANNUAL STATUS MEETINGS
REDUCED RP UPDATE SCHEDULE
HOW OWNERSHIP IS ASSIGNED TO ASSETS
HOW DPA IS ASSIGNED TO ASSETS
PROPERTY USER GROUP (PUG) UPDATE

NEXT DPA TRAINING SESSION - DPA Training is scheduled for Monday, June 24th, 9:00 am to Noon, at PS-CTTC. This includes training in the Fixed Asset Database. There is still room in the class so if you are interested but have not yet signed up, let Chris know by Friday, June 14th.

JUNE MEETING IN FL3-2072 - The June 2002 DPA meeting will be held at FL3-2072.

PROPERTY OFFICE SCHEDULE - Janet will be on vacation June 10-14 and attending the National Property Management Association conference June 17-21. Please direct all questions to Chris during that two-week period. If something comes up that requires my attention, he will be able to reach me. If you can wait for a response, please feel free to e-mail and I'll respond when I return.

EXCESS STORAGE IN PROPERTY CAGE - Items to be put through the U.S. Government Excess process are stored in the Property Cage until that process is complete. Such items must be cleared with the Property Office before they are sent to the Cage.

The reason is that, in the past, many items were sent to Property storage for Excessing that were not appropriate for that disposal method. Items that are dismantled, broken, or generally obsolete should not be Excessed. (Exception is items that have so many reusable parts that it is probable another entity can use them.)

Therefore, please be aware that if you send equipment to the Property Cage without first clearing it with Chris or Janet, the equipment will be returned to your division.

DELL SERVICE TAG NO. = SERIAL NO. - Thanks to CGD and MMM, we have learned that Dell equipment usually has a "service tag no." instead of a "serial no." Those of you who have Dell fixed assets are aware of this but for those who are not, look for a "service tag no." when you are asked to provide a "serial no."

PROPERTY MANUAL - The new UCAR Property Manual, and updated Web site, has been posted. It is at http://www.fin.ucar.edu/property/index.html.

RESPONSIBLE PERSON UPDATE - All Responsible Person Update forms must be returned to the Property Office by end of business Friday, May 31st. The Property Office will follow up Monday morning with any divisions that have not returned all their forms.

11 divisions have completed their Updates and returned all of their forms.

4 divisions are partially complete, having returned some but not all of their forms.

5 divisions are working on the Update but have not yet returned any forms.

INVENTORY UPDATE - Inventories must begin at least 2 months before their scheduled completion date. This date is determined by the completion of the Division's last inventory. If this two-month period is inconvenient for you, be sure to schedule your inventory for an earlier time frame that works better for your division.

Scheduled completion dates for all divisions are on the Property Web site, DPA Inventory Schedule, under DPA Information.

DIV	INVENTORY SCHEDULE
ATD/DFS (machine shop)	Completed
ATD/RTF	In process
CGD	In process
JOSS	Completed
UNAVCO	begins June 10, to complete by July 31, 2002
SCD	begins approx. July 1 or in time to complete by August 31, 2002
ASP	begins by Aug 1, to be completed by Sept 30, 2002
RAP	begins by Aug 1, to be completed by Sept 30, 2002

UNAUTHORIZED DISPOSALS - all disposals of UCAR-accountable property (fixed assets) must be reported to the UCAR Property Office through their DPA prior to the disposal action (dismantle, trade-in, title transfer, etc.) so that 1) appropriate authorization may be obtained from the funding entity, and 2) the asset can be removed from UCAR's inventory of active assets as soon as disposal occurs. We can usually get the okay to dispose within a day but some funding entities take longer.

Different Sponsors and agreements have different requirements regarding how equipment disposal may occur and who must issue prior authorization. Your divisions does not want to be in the position of having violated your Sponsor's requirements.

Assets not removed from UCAR's active inventory list when disposed may be reported on UCAR financial statements causing a misstatement or to the funding entity causing them to have a misstatement. If this occurred and caused an audit problem, the DPA and Administrator would have to provide an explanation as to how it occurred and how they will ensure that it will not occur again.

DPA ANNUAL STATUS MEETINGS - Starting in FY03, annual status meetings will be scheduled with individual DPAs and Division administrators, if appropriate, with 50 or more assets. The purpose is to discuss their property management issues and how the Property Office can better help in that process. This will allow more direct and specific discussion of the division's unique (each division has unique issues) property management issues. This will be a two hour meeting once a year.

At this time, divisions with 50 or more assets are:

REDUCED RP UPDATE SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN DIVISIONS - As inventories are conducted in the 2002/03 inventory cycle, we are able to see which divisions have accurate FADB records and which do not. Based on what we are able to observe, those divisions whose records are accurate will be able to conduct the Responsible Person Update on a reduced schedule.

The critical issue is that records be accurate at year end. Since UCAR is required to perform the 100% inventory at least every 2 years, these divisions will perform their RP Update on the off year from their inventory. This means they will alternate; one year Inventory, next year RP Update, and so on.

We will determine who moves to this schedule based on each 2002/03 inventory so until your inventory is conducted your division will remain on the 6 month schedule.

Chris conducts the first round of each inventory based on location and identifying information in the FADB. Therefore, we can tell how accurate this information is based on the quantity of assets that can be readily located and inventoried in this first round.

HOW ASSET OWNERSHIP IS ASSIGNED - On the FADB, FASUMM screen for each of your assets you see an "Ownership" field just above the "Comments" field. Here is how the ownership appearing in that field is assigned.

NOTE: It is extremely important to be aware that "Ownership" does not mean that entity can do whatever they wish with the equipment. Nearly all funding that comes to UCAR/NCAR/UOP is contingent on compliance with U.S. Government regulations for managing property and financial reporting. UCAR is accountable for more than $150M in property and since our primary funding source is the U.S. Government our property management system must comply with their regulations.

HOW DPA IS ASSIGNED TO ASSETS - On the FADB, FAIDNT screen for each of your assets you see a LPAID and name field just above the Comments field. Here is how the DPA name appearing in that field is assigned.

PUG participants are Dorothy Bustamante, Jose Castilleja, Kim Webster, Gaylynn Potemkin, Chris Knoetgen, and Janet Campbell. Please feel free to contact any of these individuals with your suggestions or requests for DW Property Reports.

Contact the Property Office at anytime with questions or for assistance.
We're here to help you manage your division's property.
Janet Campbell, ext 8858, janetc@ucar.edu; Chris Knoetgen, ext 8573, knoetgen@ucar.edu