USDA Financial Metrics

Scorecard Definitions

*Updated 2/10/2005*

*Point of contact for general information regarding the Financial
Metrics is\
Donna Bateman, Quality Assurance Division Director, OCFO, (202)
720-8977. The point of contact for more specific information regarding
each metric is listed after the definition of the metric.*

USDA Internal Financial Metrics:

METRIC: **Understated Budgetary Resources**

> Definition: Status of resources is negative (SGL accounts 4450, 4510,
> 4540, 4610, 4620, and 4650 have debit balances).

Green: 0 understated budgetary resources exist in agency's Treasury
Symbols.

Red: Agency has understated budgetary resources in 1 or more Treasury
Symbols.

*Point of Contact: Marcie Herringshaw (504 426-5114)*

METRIC: **Clearing Account F3885 (IPAC)**

> Definition: Measures timeliness of clearing transactions recorded to
> F3885 through the Intra-governmental Payment and Collection System
> (IPAC).

Green: All transactions to be cleared current (*0-59 days in age*).

Yellow: Transactions exist that are between *60 and 89* days in age.

Red: Transactions exist that are greater than *90 days* in age.

*Point of Contact: Eddie Reso (504-426-5064)*

METRIC: **Property Suspense Clearing and Inventories**

> Definition: Measures the timeliness of clearing property suspense
> items and keeping property inventories current.

Green: Property reconciliation with general ledger accounts is current.
No significant prior month reconciliation activity outstanding. All
items in Property Suspense are current (60 days or less old). Property
Inventories are current.

Yellow: Property reconciliation with general ledger accounts is
generally current. Moderate amount of prior month's transactions have
not been cleared. Property Suspense contains transactions are greater
than 60 days and less than 180 days old. Property Inventories are
current.

Red: Property reconciliations are not current. Significant numbers of
prior month transactions have not been cleared. Property Suspense
contains transactions 180 days old or greater. Property Inventory(ies)
is delinquent.

*Point of Contact: Karen Morrison (504 426-5462)*

Government-wide Metrics:

METRIC: **Fund Balance with Treasury (Net)**

> Definition: Measures the difference between the fund balance reported
> in Treasury reports (FMS Forms 6653, 6654, and 6655) and the agency
> Fund Balance with Treasury recorded in its general ledger -- SGL
> account 1010.

Green: All reconciling items are current (0-60 days in age. Note --
government-wide standard is greater than 90% of items are current. USDA
standard is more stringent).

Yellow: Agency has unreconciled items older than 60 days and less than
(or equal to) 180 days old.

Red: Account contains reconciling items greater than 180 days in age.

*Point of Contact: Charlie Burns (504 426-5003)*

METRIC: **Budget Clearing Account (Net) F3875**

> Definition: Measures the timeliness of clearing and reconciling F3875
> (Budget Clearing Account) and F3880 Unavailable Check Cancellations
> and Overpayments (suspense).

Green: All reconciling items are current (0-60 days in age. Note --
government-wide standard is greater than 90% of items are current. USDA
standard is more stringent). Agency uses only SGL accounts for Cash and
2400 (Liability) to record transactions unless permission to record
other business transactions has been granted by OCFO.

Yellow: Agency has unreconciled items older than 60 days and less than
(or equal to) 180 days old. Agency mostly records transactions to Cash
and Liability.

Red: Account contains reconciling items greater than 180 days in age.
Agency uses clearing account to process unapproved business transactions
other than Cash and Liability.

*Point of Contact: Charlie Burns (504 426-5003)*

METRIC: **Delinquent Accounts Receivable from Public**

> Definition: Measures the percent of total receivables from the public
> that are greater than 180 days delinquent.

Green: Less than 10% of total receivables from the public are greater
than 180 days delinquent.

Yellow: Ten (10) to 20 percent of receivables from the public are
greater than 180 days delinquent.

Red: Over 20% of receivables from the public are greater than 180 days
delinquent.

*Point of Contact: Dale Theurer (202 720-1167)*

METRIC: **Electronic (EFT) Payments**

> Definition: Measures the percent of electronic payments made to
> vendors (as a percentage of total payments to vendors made via check
> and EFT).

Green: Greater than 96% of vendor payments are made via EFT.

Yellow: Ninety (90) to 96% of agency vendor payments are made via EFT.

Red: Less than 90% of an agency's vendor payments are made via EFT.

*Point of Contact: Dale Theurer (202 720-1167)*

METRIC: **Prompt Payment Statistics (for non-credit card payments)**

Definition: Percent of agency's non-credit card invoices paid on time.

Green: Greater than 98% of non-credit card payments are made on time.

Yellow: 97-98% of non-credit card payments are made on time.

Red: Less than 97% of non-credit card payments are made on time.

*Point of Contact: Dale Theurer (202 720-1167)*

METRIC: **Interest Penalties Paid**

Definition: Interest penalties paid as a percentage of total dollars
paid that are subject to the Prompt Payment Act.

Green: Less than 0.02% paid in interest penalties.

Yellow: 0.02% --0.03% paid in interest penalties.

Red: Greater than 0.03% paid in interest penalties.

*Point of Contact: Dale Theurer (202 720-1167)*

METRIC: **Travel Delinquency Rates (Individually Billed Account)**

> Definition: Measures the percent of outstanding balances in
> individually billed accounts over 61 days past due.

Green: Less than 2 % delinquent.

Yellow: 2%-- 4% delinquent.

Red: Greater than 4% delinquent.

*Point of Contact: Dale Theurer (202 720-1167)*

METRIC: **Travel Card Delinquency Rates (Centrally Billed Account)**

> Definition: Measures the percent of outstanding balances in centrally
> billed accounts over 61 days past due.

Green: 0% delinquent.

Yellow: 0% - 1.5% delinquent.

Green: Greater than 1.5% delinquent.

*Point of Contact: Dale Theurer (202 720-1167)*

METRIC: **Timeliness of** **Treasury FMS 224 Reporting**

> Definition: Measures timeliness of reporting transactions to Treasury
> via the FMS 224 (and SF 1218/1220; FMS 1219/1221)

Green: Statements are submitted by the 3^rd^ workday.

Yellow: Supplemental Statements are submitted by the 4^th^ workday.

Red: Original Statements are submitted after 3^rd^ workday, and
Supplemental Statements are submitted after the 4^th^ workday.

*Point of Contact: Ella Robertson (504 426-5453)*

METRIC: **Accuracy of Treasury FMS 224 Reporting**

> Definition: Measures the timeliness of reconciling Statement of
> Differences (FMS Form 6652). Note: Treasury's Statement of Differences
> (SOD) timeliness measurement is greater than 90 days unreconciled.
> USDA's measurement is greater than 60 days unreconciled.

Green: Monthly FMS 6652 has aged differences that are less than or equal
to 60 days old.

Yellow: Monthly FMS 6652 contains differences older than 60 days but
less than 180 days old.

Red: FMS 6652 contains differences older than 180 days.

*Point of Contact: Ella Robertson (504426-5453)*

METRIC: **Material Weaknesses**

Definition: To receive a minimum of Yellow on the President's Management
Agenda for Financial Performance, an agency must have no material
auditor-reported internal control weaknesses or FMFIA Section 2 or
Section 4 weaknesses that impact financial reporting or financial
systems.

Green: Agency has no material weaknesses.

Red: Agency has material internal control weaknesses.

*Point of Contact: Ava Lee (202 720-1179)*

METRIC: **Compliance with the Federal Financial Management Improvement
Act**

Definition: To receive a minimum of Yellow on the President's Management
Agenda for Financial Performance, an agency must report in its audited
annual financial statements that its systems are in compliance with the
Federal Financial Management Improvement Act (FFMIA).

Green: Agency's systems are in compliance with FFMIA.

Red: Agency's systems are not in compliance with FFMIA.

*Point of Contact: Ava Lee (202 720-1179)*

METRIC: **USDA Trading Partners with "00" Identification**

> Definition: Measures unidentified trading partner '00' usage. Treasury
> grades Departments based on whether or not their usage of '00'
> constitutes less than 10% of total intragovernmental activity.
>
> Green: Agency's use of '00' trading partner is less than 10% of the
> agency's total intragovernmental activity.
>
> Yellow: Agency's use of '00' trading partner is between 10-20% of the
> agency's total intragovernmental activity.
>
> Red: Agency's use of '00' trading partner is 20% or greater of its
> total intragovernmental activity.

*Point of Contact: Robert Darragh (202 720-0994)*