May 2013Volume 31, Number 2

Inside

The Administrator

March Bimonthly— 6 Dates & Bills of Interest — 7 May Bimonthly— 8

CFO Corner:How to Avoid the Most Common Audit Findings

Every agency wants to reduce the number of problems found in a post-payment audit. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By making small changes in the way you do business all year, you can eliminate many of the issues that auditors commonly find.

Here are some tips:

• The Comptroller’s Fiscal Management Division regularly updates the list of the top post-payment audit errors Please see page 2 for a summary of this year’s list to be posted soon.

• It may be helpful to become familiar with the Post-Payment Audit Process. Also available on FMX is an earlier article with still sound advice on how to Be prepared for a successful audit.

• You may also review the quarterly Fiscal Management Post-Payment Audit Report Summaries.

• The Fiscal Management Division offers training related to many of these post-payment audit findings. Go to Training Center (login required) to view descriptions of Web-

based and classroom training options and schedules.

Spark Ideas for the Future at 44th Annual Summer Conference

Do you ever think that government innovation requires a team of secret agents rather than the talents of state agency business administrators? Learn how to turn mission impossible into mission possible with the tools available to you at the 44th Annual TSABAA Summer Conference set for July 25-26 at the Sheraton Austin at the Capitol.

You do not want to miss:• Keynote address by Representative John Otto• Briefings on cybersecurity and

privacy guidelines• How to improve professional

relationships between the genders

• A synopsis of the “Communicating Upward” presentation from the Texas State Fiscal Officers’ Academy

• The always illuminating employee benefits panel and legislative update/bills of interest report

In addition to stimulating plenary sessions, the conference will feature breakouts so you can zero in on the skill-builder that best fits your portfolio. To ensure adequate seating, you will be asked to choose the breakouts you will attend when you register. Please see the chart on page 4 to peruse your options.

Our Mission Possible ForceThe Summer Conference lets you hear

from state agency leaders, including:

continued on page 2 continued on page 2

Recognize Your Agency’s Retirees

Each year at our Annual Conference we recognize all TSABAA members who have retired during the year at the Awards Breakfast on the last day of the conference.

Please let us know of any employees at your agency who have been active in TSABAA and who retired during fiscal year 2013 so that they may be recognized. You can submit their names to yolanda.hall@texasattorneygeneral.gov.

We appreciate your help in identifying retirees who have faithfully served Texas state government.

Please send us agency retirees.

CFO Cornercontinued from page 1

2 May 2013

• BrianEngle, Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Information Resources

• StephanieMuth, Deputy Executive Commissioner, Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

• LesButler, Associate Commissioner for Business and Regional Services, HHSC

More About the Topic: “Strategic Thinking + Robust Tactics = Innovation A Roadmap for Making it Happen”

Stephanie Nestlerode, Omega Point International, Inc.

Gone are the days when government agencies were exempt from competition. Outsourcing government functions to private firms is a daily reality. It appears that no core services are exempt. In the military, contractors serve as soldiers and cooks. What does the private sector understand about competition that government needs to grasp – and quickly? Learning to design and deliver innovation faster than your rivals gives you the competitive advantage. What unique role can finance play in fueling innovation within Texas state government? Tools related to best practices will be explored, and a handout with resource materials will be provided.

ThispresentationisscheduledforFridayafternoon.

• TerriWare, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Family and Protective Services

• MikeReissig, Associate Deputy Comptroller for Tax and Fiscal Policy, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

• ElizabethRogers, Chief Privacy Officer, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

• RonnieJung, former Executive Director, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

You will have opportunities to participate in workshops taught by top training professionals, such as:

• RoxanneGruhlke, Management Training Specialist, Texas Workforce Commission

• RalphDisher, Senior Investigator, Texas State Auditor’s Office (SAO)

• JoDaleGuzman, Manager of Professional Development, SAO

• PamelaVillars, Curriculum Designer, American Cancer Society

• MarnyLifshen, Marny Lifshen Communications

• Dr.ErinCarlson, University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Health Management and Policy Department

You can also learn tips and techniques from private sector consultants, including:

Be proactive and use this summary of common problem areas to double-check your agency’s procedures.

Payroll • Longevity Pay Not Verified

• Incorrect Salary Amount

Purchase • Insufficient Documentation

• Purchase Orders Created After the Invoice

Security• Termination of Expenditure Approval Needed

• Segregation of Tasks to Control Expenditure Processing

• CTIA Form Not Signed Before Access Granted

Travel • Exceeding Allowable Meals and Lodging Reimbursement

• Potential Cost Savings to the State Not Considered

Payments• Paying Past the Prompt Payment Deadline

• Payments Not Scheduled for Latest Proper Distribution

Top Findings in Post-Payment Audits and Help Desk Numbers

Summer Conferencecontinued from page 1

Fiscal Management Help Desks Ifyouhavequestionsaboutstateagencyexpenditures,here

aresomehelpfulnumberstokeepcloseby:Expenditure Assistance Help Desk: (512) 475-0966

Payment Services Help Desk: (512) 936-8138

Statewide Human Resources and Payroll

Assistance Help Desk: (512) 463-4008

See Annual Summer Conference for the agenda and online registration and register today.

Note: The next page lists the conference breakout choices. You need to commit to the session you will attend when you register.

Summer Conferencecontinued from page 2

May 2013 3

• MikeWyatt, Director, Center for Security and Privacy Solutions, Deloitte & Touche LLP

• MichaelDBeck, President and Chief Executive Officer for North America, IQ Business Group

Enlist More Members on Your TeamTSBAA conferences are as much about productive networking

with colleagues at other agencies and vendors as they are about excellent continuing education. Eminent career consultants provide these words of advice:

“New connections are the life blood of your career that can open up new worlds of opportunity to you.”

ElizabethGraceSaunders

“The power of connections still holds strong, especially when it comes to developing strong networking relationships with those regarded as thought leaders in your industry.”

PatrickRichard

“I firmly believe that a big part of anyone’s success is their network.”

EkaterinaWalter

“Sure, to be successful you need to have the talent the job requires, but talent alone won’t get you the job. You need to know the right people.” Dr. Brian Harke

Meet the Speaker:

“Yoga and Authentic Workplace Communication”

Lisa Feder, Yoga Instructor, Personal Trainer and Corporate Wellness Consultant

Lisa Feder has been teaching Yoga since 2003. Prior to that, she held positions in marketing management at Fortune 500 companies in Cincinnati and Dallas, while teaching group exercise classes and leading personal training sessions part-time. Feder has been teaching and training for more than 20 years and understands the challenges of maintaining wellness while leading a busy, full life.

Feder is passionate about health and wellness and believes Yoga is the perfect avenue to bring more of everything you want into your life. She helps her clients develop strength and flexibility, and more importantly, an awareness of breathing and living in the present moment.

ThisbreakoutisscheduledforFridaymorning.

Conference Breakouts

4 May 2013

Thursday, July 2510:00a.m.–10:50a.m.

Objectivity: A Matter of Maintenance Roxanne Gruhlke, Texas Workforce Commission

When making important decisions, it is critical to remain objective and rational. Objectivity leads to reliable, consistent and repeatable results. No matter how hard we try, we are not always objective. Objectivity requires self-awareness and maintenance.

This session will cover how to distinguish between psychological and rational objectivity, identify the warning signs of diminished objectivity, and manage attitudes, behaviors and situations that can reduce your objectivity.

Let’s Make a Deal! Which Fraud Door Should You Be Worried About? Ralph Disher, State Auditor’s Office

Are you focusing in the right areas when it comes to fraud, or are you just waiting to be zonked?

Fraud in Texas is on the rise, and the criminal element continues to expand operations. This presentation will help you identify the next “big deal.” It is time to be proactive and keep the fraudster’s hands out of the cookie jar.

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Building Leaders Through Coaching Pamela Villars, American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society has built an award-winning coaching program focused on building a leadership bench. Coaching is a cost-effective, powerful and virtual development opportunity with a trickle-down effect that accelerates a cultural shift toward coaching as an everyday management practice.

This program targets specific high-impact groups such as current and future leaders, and uses assessments to drive coaching goals. Coaches are supported with continuing education, and 95 percent are satisfied with the program. Most say it is the best developmental opportunity they have personally experienced.

Creative Agency Solutions: Improving Performance and Reducing Office Space Through Telework/Alternative OfficingStephanie Muth, Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)Les Butler, HHSCTerri Ware, Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)

Reducing leased office space costs and improving employee recruitment, retention and productivity are the outcomes of a recent Health and Human Services initiative on telework and mobility.

Thousands of DFPS caseworkers spend most of their time out of the office in homes, schools, courthouses, facilities, etc. In conjunction with Texas Facilities Commission and HHSC, DFPS has designed new lease space appropriate for this mobile model, which includes wireless technology and business cell phones. The redesigned new Round Rock DFPS office opened in October 2012.

Friday, July 2610:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Return on Investment Dr. Erin Carlson, University of North Texas

Return on investment (ROI) is defined as a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. To calculate ROI, the benefit (return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment; the result is expressed as a percentage or ratio.

In this session, you will learn how ROI can be used to better justify funding requests for the investment the state makes in new or enhanced programs.

Controlling IT Costs LANdesk

Establishing a genuine, user-oriented IT management system that works for your organization is a challenge. This session will provide an overview of strategies to:

• Increase management intelligence for more proactive and timely action

• Give users more choice while increasing the level of IT control

• Deliver and automate higher levels of services and support

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Yoga and Authentic Workplace CommunicationLisa Feder, BeingWell Yoga

Can the knowledge and practice of Yoga principles enhance your effectiveness at work? The answer is “Yes!”

This workshop will examine the four “limbs” of Yoga and relate them to effective communication in the workplace. You can develop your competitive edge while bringing the mind, body and spirit into balance.

Cloud Computing Technology: How the Feds and Other State Agencies Do It Michael Beck, IQ Business Group

For a public agency, what are the advantages of cloud computing? With attacks by hackers and intrusions from other sources, how can you ensure proper information management and security?

This session will provide an overview of the technology, governance policy practices, challenges faced by agencies and practical guidelines on where to start. IQ Business Group has helped a number of agencies reap the benefits of cloud computing.

May 2013 5

President’s Letter

Message from the PresidentDear TSABAA Members,I want to take a few minutes to encourage you to consider nominating a deserving Texas state

agency business administrator for this year’s Administrator of the Year Award. I think everyone knows at least one outstanding leader at your agency who has made significant contributions to our field. As the Academy Award nominees often say, it is an honor just to be nominated.

The nomination process is not difficult. The nomination form is available in Microsoft Word, and you can add as many pages as needed. The questions can be answered based on your own experience along with a copy of the nominee’s resume. If you are not the agency head, your supervisor needs to sign the nomination form. You can also submit a nomination in concert with your co-workers that can be from the agency rather than an individual.

Here are the areas to describe in the nomination:• Educational Background • Length of Service with Agency and State • Reason for Nomination • Specifics of Accomplishments• Impact of Long-Range Effects • Participation in TSABAA • Comments of Nominator

The nomination form includes these guidelines:• Include a complete description of the nominee’s accomplishments and when they were achieved.• Cite specific, recognizable actions or programs rather than opinions or conclusions.• Describe separately both achieved and anticipated services, efficiencies or increased

management capabilities.

The postmark deadline is June 14. Send nominations to Yolanda Hall, Chair of the Awards Committee, at the TSABAA mailing address included on the form.

Presentation of the Administrator of the Year Award is one of many highlights of the Annual Summer Conference. As you read in the story in this issue, this year’s conference is full of opportunities to expand your horizons. You are sure to find the training and camaraderie very worthwhile.

Thank you to Conference Chair Carol Oberrender and the Annual Conference committees for such an outstanding job. The rewards that the attendees will receive from the conference are the direct result of the hard work of these dedicated volunteers. I salute you. In my mind, the members who work so hard to bring you these quality educational opportunities are all administrators of the year.

I look forward to seeing you at the conference.

2013 TSABAA President

“The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates

6 May 2013

March Bimonthly

Jeff Johannigman, Human Dynamics Trainer with the Texas Workforce Commission, gave a presentation on “Turning Work into Play: Ideas to Boost Productivity, Innovation and Fulfillment” at the March bimonthly meeting.

Johannigman has more than 12 years of experience in game design and worked on more than two dozen games, including MasterofOrion. He said the goal of the game industry is to get customers to spend many of their recreational hours on game play. “But, can we use games for good?” he asked the group.

“We are the only animal stupid enough to separate work from play,” he said, noting that animals such as dogs and cats learn through play. The cycle of play is: Surprise → Pleasure → Understanding → Strength → Poise → Anticipation.

Johannigman said play is voluntary and seems purposeless, but it provides freedom from time and provides a diminished awareness of self. He said the opposite of play is depression. “We have an epidemic of depression in this country because we all take our work too seriously,” he said. He recalled the motto used by game designers: “Cogito Ergo Ludo” — I think, therefore I play.

Greg Costikyan defines a game as “a form of art in which participants, termed players, make decisions in order to manage resources through game tokens in the pursuit of a goal.”

Johannigman referenced the book Drive by Daniel Pink several times during his presentation. Driveexplores what inspires people — and how that information can be used to work smarter and live better. Pink states that cash incentives work well in assembly-line types of repetitive work. However, in a creative environment you can only motivate to a certain extent with small rewards; larger rewards tend to impair creativity.

Creativity itself is often the best motivator for employees. Johannigman said Google allows its workers to spend 20 percent of work time on any project they want. “More innovation has come out of that 20 percent than the other 80 percent,” he said.

Johannigman agrees with Pink’s theory to take money out of the equation: “Pay people enough so they are not worried about money,” he said; the employee’s own motivations will then kick in.

According to Johannigman, people are motivated in games by decision-making, challenges and goals.

Pink cites similar motivators: Autonomy, mastery and purpose.

The challenge, said Johannigman, is to design a game called “work.” He said the role-playing game DungeonsandDragons was successful because each person played a different role, with each getting a moment to shine. Employees should have that opportunity.

While scores are kept in games, Johannigman said the scorekeeping performed by most organizations is in the annual performance review, which is largely subjective. To make scorekeeping truly meaningful, the measurement must be objective, frequent, reflect mastery of skills, be in the person’s control, be aligned with larger goals, balance quality and quantity, and not be directly tied to extrinsic reward or

punishment, he said.Computer science

professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University graded his students on teamwork by asking the team:

• How hard did he/she work?

• How creative were the contributions?

• Was the student easy to work with?

One or two responses might be considered subjective, but more than a dozen evaluations give a fairly objective picture, said Johannigman. And recognizing that innovation often requires risk, Paush honored “the group that failed in the most ambitious and spectacular fashion” with his Penguin Award.

Johannigman said colored belts awarded to martial art practitioners and merit badges earned by Boy Scouts have no intrinsic value, but demonstrated an earned skill or mastery by the recipient and therefore held great value. And, he said, rewards offered as an unexpected surprise at the end of a project can be the sweetest, mentioning a box of Tiff’s Treats cookies he and colleagues received in thanks for helping with a class.

In conclusion, he offered a quote by author James Michenor: “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure … He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his version of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he’s always doing both.”

Ideas to Meet the Challenge of Designing a Game Called ‘Work’

“Cogito Ergo Ludo” — I think, therefore I play.

May 2013 7

Dates and Bills of Interest

Fourth Quarter — Fiscal and Legislative Due Dates Alsowatchforlegislativeupdateson:• Accounting Policy Statements

• Funds Consolidation

• Changes to Article IX of the GAA and Other Bills of Interest to State Agencies

• Changes Affecting Salary Administration

June 1• Only newly authorized state employees may request

Changes to Statewide Payroll and Personnel Systems.

June 16• Last day the Governor can sign or veto bills passed in

the last 10 days of the Regular Session

June 28• Annual Conference late fee applies after 5 p.m. today

June 30• Cost allocations from Temporary Administrative and

Support Appropriations due (APS 025)

• Enter encumbrances and payables Into USAS for AY 2013 third quarter ended May 31 and submit quarterly certification (APS 018)

• Cost allocation entries and bookkeeping error corrections due (APS 021)

• AlsoinJune: Watch for information on the USAS Profile Rollover

July 1• The Prompt Payment Interest Rate will be one

percentage point higher than the prime rate published in the WallStreetJournalon the first business day of July

• AlsoinJuly: Watch for information on the USAS Annual Close Process and Schedule, USPS Fiscal Year-End Close Process and SPRS Fiscal Year-End Processing Instructions

August 26• Bills without specific effective dates, also called 90-

day bills, become law. (The 91st day following final adjournment falls within the current biennium. Consider the ramifications on agency operations and budgets for bills effective on this date.)

• AlsoinAugust: Watch for deadlines relating to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-4 Report

Bills of Interest Awaiting Action by the GovernorFollowthesequicklinksforthelatestactiononbillsofinterestto

stateagenciesthatpassedtheLegislature.

Link Description

HB 6 Funds consolidation bill

HB 7 Reduces reliance on general revenue dedicated funds

HB 480 Expands the educational activities that parents can use leave for

HB 1487 Requires agencies to make information on certain state grants available on their websites

HB 2020 Allows agencies to adopt wellness programs including on-site clinics and financial incentives for participation

HB 3116 Adds "purchasing" to the definition of ERP in statute and allows the CPA to run TxSmartBuy.com rather than Texas.Gov

HB 3188 Appropriates money from various accounts to pay outstanding claims and judgments against the state

SB 1 Budget bill for the state

SB 59 Modifies or eliminates certain required reports prepared by state agencies

SB 984 Expands the permissible uses of videoconference calls in meetings of governmental bodies

SB 1458 Changes some retirement and insurance benefit provisions for TRS members

SB 1459 Changes some retirement and insurance benefit provisions for ERS members

Carolyn Burns, who many TSABAA members may know as an expert on the Uniform Statewide Accounting System in the Comptroller’s Fiscal Management Division, accepted a position with the Teachers Retirement System of Texas effective April 1.

Personnel Moves

8 May 2013

TSABAA2013 Officers

PresidentDaniel Benjamin

Manager of Fiscal IntegrityTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts

<daniel.benjamin@cpa.state.tx.us>(512) 936-6295

First Vice PresidentCarla James

Supervising ManagerAppropriation Control

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts<carla.james@cpa.state.tx.us>

(512) 463-4068

Second Vice PresidentLori Trank

Manager of Accounting OperationsHealth and Human Services Commission

<lori.trank@hhsc.state.tx.us>(512) 424-6527

TreasurerPaul Campbell

Director of Payments ManagementTexas Department of Transportation

<Paul.N.Campbell@txdot.gov>(512) 486-5678

SecretaryPhillip Ashley

Director of Fiscal ManagementTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts

<phillip.ashley@cpa.state.tx.us>(512) 463-4275

ParliamentarianRebecca Trevino

Chief Financial OfficerTexas Water Development Board<rebecca.trevino@twdb.texas.gov>

(512) 936-0809

Past PresidentSandra Woodruff

Manager of Statewide Fiscal SystemsTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts

<sandra.woodruff@cpa.state.tx.us>(512) 463-4947

Credits

EditorDavid Galanski

Contributors Daniel Benjamin, Ann Fowler, David Galanski, Jerell Lambert, Joni Sager and Ben Strauser

Art DirectorJulie Vela

Masthead GraphicMary Helen Shuff

May Bimonthly Becoming a Fair Minded Thinker

Diane Schoenert, Training Specialist and Curriculum Developer with the Texas Workforce Commission, provided her gifted insights into how to become a more critical thinker at the May 15 meeting. Schoenert’s honest approach was both refreshing and stimulating. The key point to remember is that becoming a critical thinker is a journey — a journey of self discovery.

The objectives of Schoenert’s half-day course (trimmed down to 2 hours for the TSABBA training) are to enable you to:

• Recognize the mind’s three distinctive functions—thinking, feeling and wanting

• Identify the elements and standards of thinking necessary to become a critical thinker

• Practice critical thinking

• Examine how to become a fair-minded thinker

• Assess yourself as a fair-minded thinker

Along with her well researched narrative, Schoenert challenged the audience to consider how we infer situations and what type of assumptions we draw from our experiences. In addition, Schoenert shared Richard W. Paul and Linda Elder’s definition of fair-mindedness from their book, CriticalThinking:

…consciousness of the need to treat all viewpoints alike, without reference to one’s own feelings or selfish interests, or the feelings or selfish interests of one’s friends, company, community, or nation. It implies adherence to intellectual standards (such as accuracy and sound logic), uninfluenced by one’s own advantage or the advantage of one’s group.

Schoenert has generously provided TSABAA not only with the PowerPoint slides from her class but also with:

• The workbook on BecomingaFairMinderThinker:AnIntroductiontoCriticalThinking

• A self-assessment tool for “Developing Intellectual Dispositions”

These resources can be found the Bimonthly Meetings page of the website.

TexasWorkforce

Commission

Training

and

Development

Becoming a Fair minded Thinker

AnIntroduction

toCritical Thinking