Operations & Workflow Management
The Role of Shared Services and Department Administrators in Sponsored Programs
Spotlight Story
The Shared services Office (SSO) plays a vital role in applying for funding and managing sponsored projects. SSO helps reduce the administrative burden on faculty and departmental staff, while providing subject matter expertise to bridge communications and expertise between faculty and the central Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP).
The Shared Services Office (SSO) plays a vital role in applying for funding and managing sponsored projects. These are centralized offices serving multiple departments or centers within colleges. They consolidate specialized services in both pre- and post-award processes. Their support includes streamlining administrative tasks, enhancing compliance, and ensuring alignment with sponsor and institutional requirements.
According to Squilla, 2017, there are three primary models for SSOs:
- Model A: Cradle-to-Grave Grants administrators handle both pre- and post-award responsibilities.
- Model B: Specialized - Grants administrators focus solely on either pre- or post-award.
- Model C: Hybrid - Some units have grants administrators who manage both pre- and post-award; others split the responsibilities between specialists.
This article discusses the key service provided by SSOs and highlights their value in supporting central offices and faculty.
Pre-award services provided by SSO:
- Identifying funding opportunities.
- Supporting proposal preparation, including eligibility checks and compliance with Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) terms. This includes reviewing special sections required in the research strategy, restrictions such as budget caps, limits on the number of proposals per organization, indirect cost rate limitations, and other compliance requirements outlined in the FOA. SSO also provides support in developing budgets, budget justifications, biographical sketches, Current and Pending (Other) Support (when applicable), Facilities information, Data Management and Sharing Plans, and other supporting documents as needed.
- Gathering compliance documentation such as information on human subjects, export control, conflict of interest, intellectual property, and foreign collaborators.
- Conducting subrecipient risk assessment at pre-award stage and developing subaward documents.
- Supporting Just-In-Time (JIT) submissions, including certification collection, budget revisions, and routing to Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP).
Post-award Services provided by SSO:
- Facilitating award set-up.
- Managing finances: budget reconciliations, modifications, invoice assistance, cost analysis (fringe and indirect costs applied correctly to match agreed upon rates with the sponsors), cost transfers, voucher approvals, participant payments, and consultant onboarding.
- Assisting with effort certifications.
- Assisting faculty with preparation of project reports and central offices with preparation and verification of financial reports.
- Coordinating no-cost extensions.
- Assisting central offices with award closeouts.
The SSO administrators coordinate these tasks within their colleges or units and route them to central offices for a final approval.
Responsibilities of Central OSP:
As the institution’s authorized representatives, central OSP staff hold signatory authority. Their core responsibilities include:
- Conducting compliance reviews and submitting proposals.
- Submitting Just-In-Time (JIT) materials to sponsors.
- Negotiating and executing agreements.
- Setting up awards.
- Issuing invoices and drawdowns.
- Maintaining institutional policies.
- Ensuring grant compliance.
- Closing out awards.
Role of Department Administrators (DAs):
In some institutions, DAs support faculty directly by managing tasks like:
- Creating purchase vouchers for supplies and equipment.
- Processing consultant payments, travel, salary allocations.
- Assisting with new employee hiring and onboarding, and employee re-appointments.
Organizations may adapt depending on the size and complexity of their grant portfolio. In smaller portfolios, DAs may provide both grant and operational support. In hybrid models, some units may rely on specialized pre- and post-award SSO staff, while others lean on DAs for both grant and operational support. Where no SSO exists, central OSP typically handles all grants management functions.
Advantages of the SSO model:
- Improved Internal Controls: Aligns with COSO framework (Commission, 2023) by ensuring segregation of duties. For instance, a DA may initiate a voucher, while SSO reviews it before routing for final approval. Proponents of moving all functions to central offices may not see the issues that come with centralizing all the functions. OSP typically manages the entire organization’s portfolio so working directly with faculty in pre-award and post-award will increase OSP’s workload and introduce challenges in maintaining segregation of duties.
- Increased efficiency: Standardized processes across departments lead to cost reduction and operational scalability.
- Capacity building: SSOs provide training for junior faculty and new administrators on sponsor guidelines and institutional policies.
- Enhanced Reporting Accuracy: The SSO model can increase reporting accuracy due to the close knowledge of the departments or centers.
- Consistent Communication: SSOs facilitate dissemination of updates on changing sponsor policies or regulations.
- Improved User Experience: Faculty benefit from working with a dedicated point of contact, leading to more personalized and responsive services.
In conclusion, SSO are integral to the research enterprise. By collaborating with central offices, they ensure a compliant, efficient, and faculty-friendly environment for managing sponsored programs.
References
Commission, C. o. S. O. o. t. T. (2023). Achieving Effective Internal Control Over Sustainability Reporting (ICSR): Building Trust and Confidence through the COSO Internal Control—Integrated Framework. https://www.coso.org/_files/ugd/3059fc_a3a66be7a48c47e1a285cef0b1f64c92.pdf
Squilla, B., Lee, J., and Steil, A. . (2017). Research Shared Services: A Case Study in Implementation. The Journal of Research Administration, 48(1), 86–99.
Disclaimer: The views presented in this article do not represent those of any organization. The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the article or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in the article for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
#Spotlight