Data Collection System >> Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Data Collection System and eAuthentication

I'm getting a Warning message about "Minutes" in Part G, has there been a change to this Part of the Form 7?

Yes, beginning with data year 2008 there has been a change in the reporting of Service Interruptions in Part G to average "minutes" per consumer instead of "hours" per consumer. Borrowers should see a bold message at the top of the input screen for Part G that informs them of this change in the Data Collection System (DCS). The existing edits for Part G have been modified to take into account the change from hours to minutes and very soon these edits will be modified to check for a minimum of 10 minutes for the Present Year and a minimum of 30 minutes for the 5-Year Average in order to check that Borrowers have made the change in Part G to average minutes per consumer. There will be a small number of borrowers that have so few minutes that they still fall under these minimums but all they need to do is enter an explanation that the data is actually reported in average minutes. Two headings have been changed, from "Prearranged" to "Planned" and from "Extreme Storm" to "Extreme Event," to coincide with IEEE standard 1366-2003 and RUS Bulletin 1730A-119.

My data in Part G is in Minutes, but when I print the Form the headings say Average Hours!

This should only happen on December 2008 Operating Reports; staff programmers are working on a change to the printed form and the Part G headers should read "Average Minutes" in the near future.

Can a Security Administrator complete the Form 7, Form 12, or Telecommunications Operating Report?

A Security Administrator will need to have the role of "User" in order to be able to complete entry.

When I click on the "New Form" button nothing happens; how can I create a new Form 7, 12 or Telecommunications Operating Report?

This problem can be caused by the configuration of your browser software; please check to see if you have some form of Popup Blocker running in your browser software and turn off the blocking feature, then click on the "New Form" button again. If the problem continues, contact the Rural Development Help Desk at RD.HD@stl.usda.gov or 1-800-457-3642 (choose Option 2 and Option 2 again).

Is it still required to mail a paper copy of the Form 7, Form 12 or Telecommunications Operating Report to Washington?

A paper copy is no longer required. The Certifier's eAuth ID serves as the electronic signature.

Does the DCS system automatically send copies of the Form 7 to anyone within Rural Development Utilities Programs?

Yes, the DCS system automatically sends a copy of each newly-certified Form 7 or 12 to the financial analyst in Washington that is assigned to that borrower and sends them an e-mail notification that the form has been submitted.

How can I designate CFC to receive a copy of my newly-entered Form 7 (or 12)?

Once the checks are run and addressed, the Certifier is ready to certify the Form and at this point should select the option to "share with CFC". Upon doing so, a copy of the newly-certified Form 7 will be transmitted to CFC, with the Certifier's name printed where the signature would normally appear.

What if I have already certified and submitted my Form 7, but did not "share with CFC"? Can I go back and now "share with CFC" to send CFC a copy of my newly-entered Form 7 (or 12)?

Yes. Just go through the steps to "edit" the 2006 Form 7 that was just submitted, then re-submit it this time selecting the option to "share with CFC". To do this, the User should choose to edit the 2006 version. It is recommend that you re-run the checks and ensure that there are no errors and that the warnings all have explanations. Then the Certifier has to Certify the form again, ensuring that they choose the option to share with CFC. They can then submit the form again.

Does CFC (NRU-CFC) require a paper copy of the Form 7 or 12?

CFC recently sent an E-mail to some (maybe all) of its borrowers talking about how to designate CFC as a recipient of the Form 7 filed with Rural Development Utilities Programs. The E-mail also asks the borrower: "After you file with Rural Development Utilities Programs and authorize CFC to retrieve your data electronically, please mail a signed copy of the Form 7 to CFC."

Can I "share" or send a copy of my Form 7 to my G&T (or to CoBank, etc.) automatically, as is possible for CFC?

No, that capability was not built into the DCS system, and is not likely to be added within the next 12 months due to resource constraints. One option to consider might be for the G&T to designate a person that it wants to be able to VIEW Forms 7, and then ask each of its distribution members to set this G&T employee up as a VIEWER to view-only with no data-entry capability (but not as a User).

 

Updated 2/9/2009