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I. PAMS and other Campus Systems
PAMS is a web-based Post Award Management System that displays near real-time data from the financial system in a post award context for Department and EFM fund managers and management teams who conduct daily post award management activities as well as invoice/report submission to sponsors and fund closeout.
PAMS facilitates more efficient and effective financial management of sponsored awards and compliance oversight by providing a customized worklist for the individual user to prioritize work and monitor progress.
PAMS facilitates more efficient and effective financial management of sponsored awards and compliance oversight by providing a customized worklist for the individual user to prioritize work and monitor progress.
The RAPID Smart Closeout Tool is an Excel tool used for preparing your Closeout Packet, while PAMS is a multi-faceted web based post award management system. In PAMS, users can:
- Upload, approve and route their Closeout Packets
- Follow a workflow to complete the closeout process
- View a worklist or “to-do list” geared to the individual user
- Connects users, allowing all individuals reviewing the closeout packet to see the same information at the same time
- Provides a workflow to guide the user through the closeout process
- Centralizes on-line document storage, including financial reports and invoices submitted to the sponsor
- View deliverables that are pending your action
Currently users will continue to use the RAPID Smart Closeout tool, then upload their RAPID COP through the PAMS system. This allows users to take advantage of the PAMS worklist while using the RAPID COP function for closeout packets.
No, PAMS is not replacing the UCLA Financial System. The UCLA Financial System will continue to be the system of record for all transactions.
No, PAMS is not replacing UCLA CDW/QDB. These tools will continue to be used as they are today.
No, DACCS will still be used as it is today.
No, since DACCS will still be used for other systems, access will not change.
With UCLA’s transition to UCPath, the Personnel Payroll Query Database (PP QDB) became a legacy system that is no longer actively loading payroll data. Moving forward, for every new department user who uses the RAPID tool, UCLA Information Technology Services (ITS) manually needs to provision access so the employee can view PPS payroll transactions. This is an additional step that departments need to complete in addition to provisioning the employee’s access in DACSS. To ensure that RAPID tool users can view PPS payroll transactions, please coordinate the following action items with your Departmental Security Administrator (DSA):
- Verify that existing employees who use the RAPID tool have the following DACCS function: PPDDBINQ (PER/PAY - EDB INQUIRY FOR DEPARTMENTS).
- If the employee has this access and if the access was provisioned December 2020 or earlier, no further action is needed. The employee will see PPS payroll transactions for contract and grant funds they are provisioned to.
- If the user does not have this access and needs it, or if the user’s DACCS function was provisioned on or after January 2021:
- Send an email to: support@qdb.ucla.edu
- Email Subject: PP QDB access request for RAPID Tool
- Email contents:
- This is a request for ITS to grant the following new employee access to PP QDB.
- New Employee Name:
- New Employee OASIS/QDB Logon ID:
- Model the new employee's access after the following existing employee
- Existing Employee Name:
- Existing Employee OASIS/QDB Logon ID:
II. Access and Assignments
If you are new to a department currently in PAMS, please complete the New User Request Form.
If you are a department that needs to gain access to PAMS, please contact PAMS Help.
Phone: (310) 794-0008
Phone: (310) 794-0008
The PAMS Access Form needs to be approved by each unit’s Authorized Official. An authorized official is someone who has a DSA role or equivalent authority to grant fund managers’ access to UCLA financial system, including payroll reports. Titles for this position can vary across schools based on their practice of delegating authority; to name a few, AVC, Director, CFO, CAO, MSO, etc.
The following roles and associated functionality in PAMS include:
- Department Roles
- Fund Manager
- Department Administrator
| Function | Fund Mgr | Dept Admin |
| View individual worklists | X | X |
| Prepare, upload, and approve closeout packets (view linked closeout packets including payroll and non-payroll transactions) |
X | X |
| View financial reports and invoices | X | X |
| Access to all funds in the cluster | X | |
| View worklist for entire cluster | X | |
| Manage assignments for cluster | X |
A department, or group of departments, that have the same department management administering the post award activities for awards in PAMS. The PAMS cluster dictates the department, PI’s, and awards that users have access to. The name of your PAMS Cluster is located on the Personnel Page.
PAMS allows users to have access to one cluster at a time. We recommend that users are granted PAMS access to their primary cluster. Users should request the department fund manager from the second department to be a liaison for them. This liaison will upload and submit closeout packets on their behalf. The liaison will be assigned to this department code/PI combination on the Assignments page and closeout packets and financial deliverables will appear on the liaison’s worklists.
PAMS can be accessed using the PAMS website. To log on, use your single sign-on login and password.
No, Principal Investigators will not have access to PAMS. PI can access PI Portal to check fund status.
PAMS pulls the information for the Assignments page from a variety of sources in the Campus Data Warehouse.
The main reason this occurs is due to the status of the Closeout Packet. If the fund has a COP in the status of “In Process” when the assignment change is made, the update will not occur if the number of reviewer(s) is changing.
For example: If a fund has 1 reviewer and the assignments are changed to 2 reviewers the change will not be effective on funds where the status is In Process.
PAMS Help can assist when this happens. When reaching out to PAMS Help please provide the following information:
- Fund
- Principal Investigator of the Closeout Packet
- New Preparer Name
- New Reviewer(s) Name
Department fund managers can access closeout packets and associated documents for closeouts they previously approved in PAMS. If the current department fund manager(s) did not approve the closeout packet previously, then they cannot view such documents in PAMS. To view these documents, please ask your Department Administrator to download the documents from PAMS and email them to you. You can find your department administrator by looking under the Administration/Personnel section.
Ask your EFM Accountant to reopen and reject the closeout packet submitted to EFM back to the Department Preparer. PAMS will refresh the assignments, granting access to those individuals currently assigned on the Assignments page (see also FAQ #17).
There are a few actions the Department Administrator needs to take:
- Update the Assignments page to remove the employee from the Preparer and Reviewer roles
- If the employee was the Default Owner for the cluster, update the Personnel page to reflect a new Default Owner
- Fill out the Remove User Request Form and email the signed form to PAMS Help
III. Worklists
When departmental assistance is needed to complete invoices or financial reports, deliverables will appear on your PAMS worklist under “Invoice and Reports Due to Sponsor”. These deliverables will have a status of “Pending Department Action”, indicating departmental assistance is needed to complete the invoice or financial report.
To view your “Pending Department Action” deliverables, first click the number that appears on the “Invoices and Reports Due to Sponsor” Worklist. A results grid will appear, which includes the fund number. Navigate to the Deliverables tab, input the fund number and locate the deliverable with a status of “Pending Department Action”. Clicking the Edit Status button will display the information needed to complete the invoice or financial report. Take action on requested items so that the invoice or financial report is submitted to the sponsor by the deadline. Once EFM receives the requested information from the department, these deliverables will no longer appear on your worklist.
For more information on the different Closeout Packet and Deliverable statuses please refer to the Financial Deliverable and Closeout Packet Values Quick Guide.
IV. Closeouts in PAMS
Upload RAPID COP Through PAMS: This option is available to all users in PAMS. It indicates the closeout packet will be prepared using the RAPID Smart Closeout Tool. The closeout packet will be submitted to EFM in PAMS.
EFM still requires the PI to sign the certification page and this page should be uploaded with the closeout packet in PAMS. The workflow facilitated in PAMS by clicking the approve button on the Fund Balance and Approvals page will be used as confirmation by departmental approvers.
When uploading a closeout packet in PAMS prepared using the RAPID Closeout Tool, you will see an “Upload RAPID COP” button on the Fund Balance and Approvals Page. This is where you can upload the RAPID COP, PI Certification page, additional supporting documents, or sponsor specific template invoices and financial reports.
The most common reason why an “Invalid Fund” appears is because you are not assigned to the fund and therefore do not have access. To correct this, contact your Department Administrator to update the Assignments Page.
If you are assigned to the fund but still get the “Invalid Fund” message, please reach out to PAMS Help.
V. Training and Resources
Please refer to the PAMS Training Materials and Resources page for training materials. Quick Guides are available which explain the different pages in PAMS. Training videos are also available for users to watch. Additional training material will be provided as further development is completed.
If your question has not been answered, please contact the PAMS helpdesk at:
- Email: PAMShelp@research.ucla.edu
- Phone: (310) 794-0008