Project Accounting

Overview of Project Accounting

Project accounting, which is also sometimes referred to as job cost accounting, allows you to create financial reports specifically designed to track the financial progress of projects. These reports can then be used to aid in project management. Project accounting differs from standard accounting in that projects can often cross organizational (and financial) boundaries, can last from a few days/weeks to a number of years, and can also be one of a number of projects that make up a larger project or program. Project accounting allows reporting from multiple levels (as defined), and allows comparison with historical as well as current budgets.

Within DDI-Connect, the initial setup of Project Accounting requires assistance from a DDI staff member. If you are interested in configuring Project Accounting, please contact DDI Client Support for assistance.

Step 1: Setting up Project Management

The first step in configuring Project Accounting is to link Project Management to Connect-FR. This allows incoming gifts to be linked to the project. You will set up this linkage within Project Management Setup. Select the options to "Enable project code functionality" and "Link Project Management to Connect-FR". When you select the Link Project option, you have the option of selecting up to 2 Designation fields to Project Management fields.

Step 2: Setting up Subledger Information

This step requires input from a DDI Staff Member. Within DDI Connect, you have the ability to configure up to 10 subledger segments. These segments are set up within FundWriter Codes Maintenance. The code sets are 0020-0029. Each set must be specifically configured with information that will allow the General Ledger to tie Connect-FR to Project Management.

You are now ready to begin adding and tracking projects. The Project Accounting setup process adds additional tabs to the Project Maintenance screen, as seen below:

To set up a new project:

• From the DDI Connect main menu, double-click Project Management
• Double-click Project Management Maintenance
• On the screen that appears, click New to start entering a new project. The fields will enable for data entry:

The Project # will automatically default to the next available project number. However, if you wish to assign a specific project number, this field can be overwritten.

The following fields are available on this screen:

Field	Description
Project #	Enter the project number you wish to assign to this project, or leave it at the automatically assigned project number
Project code	Enter the project code you wish to assign to the project. You can NOT assign an existing project code to a new project...it must be a unique code
Category	Click the drop down arrow to select the project category (project or sub-project)
Title	Enter the title of the project
Start dt/thru	Enter the beginning and ending dates for the project. You can type the dates in mm/dd/yyyy format or click the calendar icon to select the date
Summary	Provide a brief summary of the project
Fiscal yr	Enter the fiscal year that this project begins in
Funding start yr	Enter the year that funding is first applied for this project

In addition to these fields, there are multiple tabs available on this screen.

Attributes tab

The Attributes tab is where you designate certain information, such as the area, country, GL account, and other information. The attributes listed here can be configured by your organization within code set 1406 - Project Attributes. You have the option of making some or all attributes required, meaning a project cannot be saved until the information is added. The following fields are available on the Attributes tab:

Field	Description
Attribute	The attribute is the field that you are configuring
Value	The value of the attribute that you are modifying

There are certain default attributes that appear on the Attributes tab, based on how you have set up your system. To add a value to an attribute,you can click the Edit button and select the value or you can click in the Value column on the line of the attribute that you wish to modify. This enables the field and displays a drop-down list of configured values for this attribute. The values are defined by specific code sets within Codes Maintenance, based on the setup of the Attributes code set. The only field that requires you to enter information in the Value field above is the GL account. You can type the GL number or click the list icon to select from a list of accounts:

Once you have entered the information for the attributes, click Save if you wish to retain your changes before proceeding, or click the Linked Constituents tab.

Linked Constituents tab

The Linked Constituents allows you to indicate individuals linked to the project. For example, you may wish to link the project manager and project staff, major donors, or project partners. To add a constituent, click the Add button on the tab. The fields will enable for data entry:

The following fields are available on this tab:

Field	Description
Link Type	Example
PIN	Example
Constituent Information	Example