This guide helps you navigate common questions and tasks within the Project Management Center (PMC). We'll focus on how you can effectively manage your projects, rather than just explaining the system's technicalities. 

What do the different award statuses mean?

• PN - Pending; project started but not active
• AA - Active; contract in performance from award date to completion date 
• CA - Completion date passed; no final acceptance of deliverables - still open
• CO - Completed with final acceptance of deliverables; closeout action initiated 
• RA - Closeout completed. Retirement/aging begun. 2CFR 200.334 requires CMEI to retain project records for 3 years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report (SF-425)
• RD - Retired - file destroyed

Who is responsible for updating the “Award Status” within the PMC award record as a project proceeds throughout its life cycle?

The status does not update automatically. Technology Office staff are responsible for updating the award status in the PMC in consultation with the CO if necessary.

Can I update the technical contact and/or business contact in the award record before a mod is processed to formally change this information on the assistance agreement?

While it's best practice to update contacts in the PMC after the modification is processed in STRIPES, you can update them sooner to ensure notifications reach the correct individual. Please note that should you choose to update the technical contact and/or business contact in the PMC, you must formalize this change through a modification in STRIPES as soon as possible.

Is there a way to see what the recipient is seeing when it comes to the deliverable upload site?  

CMEI staff can create a recipient-facing account to understand their view:

1. Select "Financial Assistance Applicant and Recipient Users" as the Login Location.
2. Select the "Create New Account" link.
3. Accept the Rules of Behavior.
4. Fill out the "Recipient/Applicant Site Access" new user form. You can use your DOE email.

What external users can view reports submitted to the PMC? 

External users assigned as the Technical Contact, Business Contact, and Additional Contacts can view reports for projects where they hold that role.

What is the size limit to upload document to the PMC?

 The size limit for uploading documents is 50 MBs.

How do I add a new announcement number to the announcement dropdown options? 

1. Open the CMEI Procurement Plan from the left-side menu.
2. Click on "Create new Procurement Plan Requirement".
3. Enter the necessary data, ensuring you put the announcement number in the "7 Digit STRIPES-Generated Number" field.
4. Click "Submit". The record will save. (Note: It may say SOL, but it will appear as FOA in Project Management.)
5. Open the Project Management menu and verify that the new announcement number is now in the dropdown.

Why can’t I create a new mini-req?  

PMC prevents you from creating a new mini-req if an existing one is "open" (either pending or signed with only the first acknowledgment applied). To create a new mini-req, ensure that you have applied both the "Acknowledge Requisition Approval" and the "Acknowledge Award Action Approval" to all existing mini-reqs. If an open mini-req was created in error, email the CMEI Help Center to request its deletion.

How do I tell which mini-req is open if they are all showing as signed?

The system considers a mini-req 'open' until the second acknowledgment ("Acknowledge Award Action Approval") is applied, even if its status changes to 'signed' after the first acknowledgment. Click the magnifying glass icon on the far right of each mini-req to view details and determine if any acknowledgments are outstanding.

How do I add a mini-req for a previous fiscal year? 

Create the mini-req for the current year, then contact CMEI Help Center to update its fiscal year.

Who is responsible for acknowledging a mini-req? 

The Tech Office is ultimately responsible for acknowledging mini reqs, though practices vary. Consult your specific Tech Office for their process.

While CMEI does not standardize responsibility for acknowledging a mini-req, the following guidance on when to acknowledge a mini-req is encouraged:

1. Acknowledge Requisition Approval: Select this after both the PO Non-Budget (Program Specific) and Budget Approving Officials have approved the requisition in STRIPES. The acknowledgment date should match the action date in STRIPES.
2. Acknowledge Award Action Approval: Select this after the CO has approved the award modification in STRIPES. The acknowledgment date should match the action date in STRIPES.

How do I revert back to a previous version of the FARC? 

A new FARC is generated by the act of submitting the FARC in the PMC. Once this action is taken, the project becomes associated with the current FARC and the Report Type dropdowns available to the recipient also correspond to the current FARC. This action cannot be undone, and you cannot revert back to a previous version of the FARC. If the FARC was updated in error and a recipient needs to submit a report that is no longer available as a Report Type in the current FARC, instruct the recipient to submit under the report type “Other” for the appropriate reporting section (Project Management, Award Management, or Closeout). If the recipient should be submitting a Progress Report, instruct them to submit under the report type “Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR).

What are the different FARC frequencies? As of March 2022, the frequencies are as follows:

A5 – As Specified or within five (5) calendar days after the event.
F – Final; within 120 calendar days after expiration or termination of the award.
O – Other: See instructions for further details.
P – Post-project (after the period of performance); within five (5) calendar days after the event, or as 
specified. 
Q – Quarterly; within 30 calendar days after the end of the federal fiscal year quarter.
S – Semiannually; within 30 days after end of the reporting period.
Y – Yearly; within 90 calendar days after the end of the federal fiscal year.
Y180 – Yearly; within 180 calendar days after the close of the recipient’s fiscal year.

What frequencies are automated in the FARC? As of March 2022, Scientific and Technical Reporting, Intellectual Property Reporting, and Demographic Reporting all have frequencies automatically assigned to them in the PMC. These reports and the assigned frequencies are applicable to all CMEI projects and were automated to ensure standardization.

When does the PMC send deliverables notifications? 

PMC sends three types of automated notifications based on your FARC selections:

• Reminder notifications: Sent 30 days and 5 days before the due date.
• Delinquent notifications: Sent 5 days, 15 days, and 20 days after the due date.
• Non-compliant notifications: Sent 60 days after the due date.

When is it appropriate to exclude a report(s) in the PMC?

Generally, it is best practice not to exclude reports, except for fully conditional awards. If you see erroneous notifications, investigate the FARC for incorrect completion first. If issues persist, the CMEI Help Center can troubleshoot. For fully conditional awards, exclude all reports until conditions are met and the project can begin work. 

How do I exclude the recipient from receiving deliverables notifications? 

To exclude notifications, you must do so at least 30 days before the report's due date to prevent the first set of notifications. Follow the steps below to exclude a report(s):

1. From the "Project Overview" page, select "Award Information and Documents."
2. From the "Project and Award Document" page, select "Manage Deliverables Tracking."
3. From the "Manage Deliverables Tracking" page, select "Edit" for the reporting requirement you want to exclude.
4. Select "Exclude Requirement" and optionally "Send Email" to notify the recipient.
5. Add a note in the "Excluded Comment" field, including today's date and your initials, explaining why it's excluded.
6. The reporting requirement will then move to the "Excluded Deliverable Requirements" section

Why did my deliverable dates not update correctly when I extended the project end date on the mini-req?  

This problem most likely occurs if:

1. You did not fully submit the FARC within the mini-req to link the deliverables to the new end date. (The FARC can take one to two minutes to fully submit; look for an "Update Successful" notice.)
2. Both acknowledgments for the mini-req have not yet been completed.

How do I reject a deliverable? 

1. Select the "Edit" button for the deliverable you want to reject.
2. Select "Reject Report" and optionally "Send Email" to notify the recipient.
3. Add a note in the "Notes" field, including today's date and your initials, explaining why you are rejecting it.
4. Select "Update."
   **Please Note: If you use this process after the report was due, the revised report will display as "late" even if the original was submitted on time.

How do I reject a deliverable after the reporting period without the revised report being marked “late”?

1. Instruct the recipient to manually submit the revised report using the "Click here to Upload a Report Not Listed as a Deliverable Requirement" option.
2. Instruct the recipient to select the same Reporting Period, Frequency, and Type of Report from that page.
3. Once the recipient uploads the revised report, you can reject the original without triggering delinquency notifications.

How do I approve a deliverable?

Select "Approve Report" and then "UPDATE." This changes the status to "Approved." Optionally, select "Send Email?" to send a notification of approval with any notes.

Why do I not see a report that the recipient said was uploaded? 

Two common reasons why a report might appear to be missing are:

1. The recipient uploaded the report to the wrong award.
   • Resolution: Email CMEI Help Center with the award number, submission date, and report title. With the DOE award official's permission, the Help Center will delete the report from the incorrect award. The recipient can then upload it to the correct award.
2. The recipient uploaded the report to their personal directory in PMC.
   • Resolution: The recipient can delete the report from their personal directory and then upload it to the correct award.

What should I do if a recipient uploads their deliverable under the incorrect deliverable type (e.g. an RPPR accidentally gets uploaded as the SF-425)? 

There are two options to correct this:

• Email CMEI Help Center: Email CMEI Help Center with the award number, submission date, and report title. The Help Center will delete the report, and the recipient can then upload it under the correct deliverable type.
• Reject and Resubmit: Reject the submission yourself and ask the recipient to resubmit it to the correct deliverable type.

When should I review, approve, or reject uploaded deliverables?  

As a best practice, review reports promptly and thoroughly:

• Review reports within 15 days after the submission deadline.
• Check reports for completeness, accuracy, and consistency before approval.
• Reject reports with errors in PMC (or other applicable systems) and return them to recipients for resubmission.
• Recipients should revise or resubmit within the 30-day submission window or no more than two weeks from your rejection notification.

• For technical assistance with the PMC, contact CMEI Help Center.
• For more information on the mini-req process, review the PMC Mini-Req Desk Reference.

Project Management Center - Service project