GENERAL UPDATES George McDonald and John Noran

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GENERAL UPDATESGeorge McDonald and John Noran

Train-the-Trainer Workshop September 9-10,
2002 Schools Libraries Division
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Overview

• Statistics on Funding Years
• New tools
• Reference Area documents
• Changes to forms, instructions, letters
• Questions

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Statistics

• Demand by Year Entity Type
• Demand by Year Service Type
• Commitments vs. Disbursements
• Funding Threshold by Year
• Online Form 470/471 Filers
• E-certifications

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Demand by Year Entity Type
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Demand by Year Service Type
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Commitments vs. Disbursementsas of 08/30/2002
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Funding Threshold by Year

• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002

• Internal Connections at 70
• All approved requests funded
• Internal Connections at 82
• Internal Connections at 86
• Internal Connections at ??

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Online Filers by Year Form 470
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Online Filers by Year Form 471
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Online Filers by Year Form 471
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E-certified Forms in FY 2002
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New Tools

• Form 471 Application Status
• Form 471 Certify Complete
• Enhanced BEAR/SPIN Search
• Technology Plan Approver Locator
• Funding Request Data Retrieval Tool
• Copy Block 4 (Form 471)
• Search Engine

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Form 471 Application Status

• Access from Apply Online button
• Enter Entity Number and Funding Year
• Search returns Forms 471 filed by that entity for
  that Funding Year, together with the most recent
  status of each form
• Key provided at top of search results page to
  explain each status

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Form 471 Certify Complete

• Allows applicants to certify an application
  submitted online but not yet certified
• Access from Apply Online button
• Enter Form 471 Application Number and Security
  Code
• Follow the instructions to complete your
  certification online

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Enhanced BEAR/SPIN Search

• Provides additional information on service
  providers
• Full service provider name
• Service provider contact information (contact
  person, mailing address, phone number)
• Eligible Telecommunications Services provider (Y)
• Updated only by service provider filing a revised
  Form 498

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Enhanced BEAR/SPIN Search (contd)

• Access from BEAR/SPIN Search button or title in
  Reference Area
• Enter one of the following
• Service provider name
• Partial name plus wildcard ()
• SPIN

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Technology Plan Approver Locator

• Access under Technology Planning title in
  Reference Area
• Search by State and Entity Type
• Search returns contact information for certified
  Technology Plan approvers who can review and
  approve your Technology Plan

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Funding Request Data Retrieval Tool

• Provides information from Forms 471
• Can view requested (as originally filed) or
  committed (as funded)
• Search results sent to tab-delimited data file
• Access from Data Requests menu button
• Must enter state and Funding Year, other criteria
  also available to narrow results

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Copy Block 4 (Form 471)

• Can copy a Block 4 worksheet from one Form 471 to
  another in the current funding year
• Can copy a Block 4 worksheet from a Form 471
  filed in a previous funding year
• Can then edit entries to accurately reflect those
  entities receiving a particular service

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Search Engine

• Limited operation for now
• Returns up to 50 results
• Search Tips explains how to do searches
• Will be expanded to cover more areas of the web
  site as content is reviewed

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Recent Developments

• Minor changes to SLD section of web site
• SL Overview Button
• Applicants Button
• Reference Area topical list
• Schedule of appeals and original commitment runs
  for past funding years

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Reference Area Documents

• Eligible Services List and Eligible Services
  Framework (October 2001)
• Sample letters (October 2001)
• PowerPoint presentations (October 2001)
• Online Submission of Certifications (November
  2001)
• Appeals Procedure (December 2001)

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Reference Area Documents (contd)

• Proof of Postmark or Delivery (January 2002)
• Free Services Advisory (January 2002)
• Cost Allocation Guidelines Eligible and
  Ineligible Components (January 2002)
• Wide Area Network Fact Sheet (January 2002)
• Guidelines for Submitting Item 21 Attachments by
  Fax or E-mail (March 2002)

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Reference Area Documents (contd)

• Information Request Process (March 2002)
• New Terminology for Numbering Funding Years
  (April 2002)
• Summer Contact Procedures (update to Information
  Request Process May 2002)

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Reference Area Documents (contd)

• Deadlines Information (June 2002)
• Service Delivery Deadlines and Extension Requests
• Form 486 Deadlines
• Invoicing Deadlines and Extension Requests
• Good Samaritan Guidance (July 2002)
• Four-page Program Overview (July 2002)

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Reference Area Documents (contd)

• Beneficiary Audits Preliminary Auditors
  Observations (August 2002)
• New Guidance on CIPA Certifications (August 2002)
• Contact Information Changes (August 2002)
• Invoice Error Codes (August 2002)

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Forms, Instructions, Letters

• Form 470 / RNL
• Form 471 / RAL
• FCDL
• Form 486 / Form 486NL
• Form 479
• Form 500 / Form 500NL
• Form 472 / Form 472 NL

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Forms, Instructions, Letters

• Forms and form instructions will have Privacy Act
  information removed
• Letters contain more detailed information on
  processes, including appeal information, next
  steps, and deadlines

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Form 470 / RNL

• Form 470
• Can be posted when available on web site
• Warning box at the bottom of page 5Service
  provider involvement with preparation or
  certification of a Form 470 can taint the
  competitive bidding process and result in the
  denial of funding requests.

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Form 470 / RNL (contd)

• Form 470 Instructions
• Minor changes for clarification
• Minimum Processing Standards added
• Instructions for filing online added
• Extended warning box on aspects of competitive
  bidding process (next slide)

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Form 470 / RNL (contd)

• Purpose to open competitive bidding process
• Form 471 category of service must match
• Form 470 must be completed by entity that will
  negotiate with service providers
• Form 470 cannot be completed by a service
  provider who will participate as a bidder
• Must ensure an open, fair bidding process and
  select most cost-effective provider
• Save all competing bids

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Form 470 / RNL (contd)

• Form 470 Receipt Notification Letter
• Contains the same warnings as the Form 470
  Instructions
• Remember also contains Allowable Vendor
  Selection/Contract Date

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Form 471 / RAL

• Encourage filing for EITHER Priority 1 OR
  Priority 2 services on a Form 471
• Will result in faster decisions on Priority 1
  requests
• Plan to have scannable version, but wont reject
  current version
• Can submit Item 21 attachments by fax, by e-mail
  or by mail

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Form 471 / RAL

• Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter
• Remember Can change certain information
  pre-commitment by marking up and returning RAL to
  SLD
• No three-week deadline for funding reduction
  requests

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Form 486 / Form 486NL

• Form 486
• Separate CIPA certifications for schools and for
  libraries
• Scannable format
• Form 486 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter
• Sent to both applicants and service providers

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Form 479

• Separate CIPA certifications for schools and for
  libraries
• Remember submit this form to your Billed Entity,
  not to SLD or FCC

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Form 472 (BEAR) / Form 472NL

• Form 472 Notification Letter now tells status of
  each Funding Request Number (FRN)

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Form 500 / Form 500NL

• Form 500 Notification Letter shows changes for
  each Funding Request Number (FRN)
• Always sent to service provider
• Sent to applicant if change in funding (reduction
  or cancellation), not sent if change in date
  (Service Start Date or Contract Expiration Date)

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QUESTIONS