Full documentation from "Budget Reserves Process" available at the FAMIS Services website. More information on Departmental Budget Requests (DBR) is available at our website.
Unit Financial Obligations (UFO) provide the ability to set aside budget in designated budget pools to cover commitments for future activity. These commitments are not contracts or encumbrances, but rather internal designations or reserves of balances. This process allows departments to transfer budget to/from designated "Reserve Pools" either within an account or between accounts.
The following list shows some examples of Budget Reserve Pool Codes; the complete list is available by viewing object codes in the 9400 range in the SL Object Code Table in CANOPY, Screen 806 in FAMIS or by clicking here.
Examples:
- 9465 – Capital Projects
- 9473 – Furnishings/Equipment
- 9485 – Sponsored Project Commitment
- 9487 – Faculty Initiatives
Entry
To process a UFO, create a DBR document using CANOPY/FAMIS. All the DBR module edits and restrictions apply. Justification code selection remains the same, i.e. GL to mapped SL would be "FB"; SL 1000 pool to same SL reserve pool would be "EP"; SL or GL to different SL reserve pool would be "OT". These documents follow the DBR routing and approval paths for the department assuring proper authorization. Adding notes or attaching a PDF file to the DBR document is a good way to record any detail specifics of a particular commitment.
Suggested Tracking References
FMO does not require any reference numbers when transferring funds into or out of the Reserve Pools. DBRs automatically are assigned a Ref 2 beginning with "U" and the fiscal year number (i.e. U9xxxxx). Adding a departmentally assigned reference number or that same U# to the Ref 4 (dept) field when creating the DBR will help assign multiple transfers into or out of a Reserve Pool to a particular commitment. Both the Ref 2 and Ref 4 are searchable in FAMIS/CANOPY.
The Contracts and Grants account range does not utilize the DBR module. Please contact Gregory Allen for transfers in the 4xxxxx range.
Things to Know: Rules and Restrictions
- The designated UFO/Budget Reserve Pools are budget only — no revenue or expense codes are allowed using these codes. Transfer funds back to the All Expense Pool via a new DBR to access the funds for spending.
- Reserve Pool codes do not need to be included on ABR rules to be used for UFO transactions. For specific pool restrictions per account range, see screen 527.
- Reserves are protected and removed from the calculations when a pool "borrows" from the others.
- UFO transfers cannot take a Budget Pool below zero; there is no override.
- UFO/Budget Reserve Pools are included in the BBA (Budget Balance Available) totals both in viewing (Screens 34 and 19) and in reports.
- For SL entries, the appropriate 27xx GL "reserve" account control is updated indirectly with an offset to the appropriate 4700 or 5700 account control (Year End Fd Bal Reclassification); also updated is the appropriate 3xxx GL Fund Balance account control.
- UFO/ Budget Reserve Pools display in the normal flow of subcodes for viewing and reporting purposes.
- To reserve GL Fund Balance (not already budgeted at the SL), process a DBR with FB justification code with the GL as the source and the SL – Reserve Pool as the destination.
- On screen 18 balances in the GL account controls 9270 (Unrestricted Budget Reserves Summ) and 9280 (Restricted Budget Reserves Summ) should match the total of the Reserves Pools in the S/L accounts (94xx)
Year End
At year end, all UFO/Budget Reserve Pool Codes roll forward to the New Year with a transaction code of 027 (Budget Forward). However, the original transaction identity is not preserved. The total accumulation of the 94xx object codes results in one transaction in the New Year. As these are not encumbrances, there is no comparable Screen 021. Screens 34 and 19 will give totals. Screen 23, searched by the Ref 4 departmentally assigned reference, can give specific transactions. Any notes or PDF files can be accessed by changing to the original fiscal year and DBR document.