Thursday, July 29, 2021
As software vendors continue onboarding districts for WISEdata Finance, we have been getting questions about the use of project codes and Project/Program Tags. The purpose of these tags is to fulfill a request that WISEdata Finance allow flexibility in the local use of project codes. As the use of DPI-specified project codes expanded over time, there has been overlap between DPI’s project codes and districts’ local codes.
The Project/Program Tag is an additional piece of data that your software vendor attaches to a local account, letting DPI know what that account’s project code is for. You are not required to use Project/Program Tags for all accounts, only when needed for non-DPI grant programs and conflicts between local and DPI-specified project codes.
There are three Project/Program Tags that all districts and LEAs will need to use as appropriate:
- FedDirect: Direct grants from the federal government.
- FedOther: Federal grants from other State of Wisconsin agencies.
- WisOther: State grants from other State of Wisconsin agencies.
If you are using a non-DPI project code for a DPI program, assign it with the Project/Program Tag for that program. For example, if you track Title I-A locally with project 901, then your project 901 local accounts would also have a Project/Program Tag of FedT1A.
If you are using a DPI project code for a non-DPI local purpose, there is one more Project/Program tag to use: LocalUse.
Continuing the previous example, if you are using local project 901 for Title I-A and then local project 141 for another purpose, there is a conflict because WISEdata Finance will want to read both your project 901/FedT1A tagged accounts and your project 141 accounts as Title I-A. Assigning the LocalUse tag to local project 141 tells WISEdata Finance to ignore those accounts, so that only your project 901/FedT1A tagged accounts are read as Title I-A.
If there is no conflict then the LocalUse tag is not required for local project codes, although it will not cause any problems if you do so.
Software vendors have developed or are developing utilities to assist with assigning Project/Program Tags so you don’t have to assign them manually, one account at a time. Contact your vendor for assistance with using their Project/Program Tag utility.
The current list of Project/Program Tags, including an Excel export, is available in WISEdata Finance under Account Reviews > Project/Program Tag. A tag is not specific to a fiscal year and is not part of any WUFAR account string.