New Zealand Case Management - Bulk Annual Assessments of Child Support – NZIR to Child Support 277-08200000

Before starting, BAA, key stakeholders must be engaged to ensure the process is run efficiently and to reduce the impact on current workloads.

Check the previous year's report (saved in the G:Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder) to identify any key issues which may need to be discussed with stakeholders.

To discuss the BAA project schedule and agree timeframes, contact the following stakeholders:

• NZIR by phone/email to discuss exchange of the relevant information
• BAA Project Team in person to discuss preparation of cases to be batch run and actioning rejected cases/cases identified requiring manual processing
• the Director - Child Support International in person to discuss the timeframe over which BAA will be run and provide direction to Team Leaders on managing the impact of BAA on staff and customers
• ICT – Operations Support by creating a service request for the creation and running of BAA against Cuba
• International Child Support by phone/email/in person - provision of Overseas ID’s
• New Customers Team Leader by phone/email/in person to report New Zealand (NZ) ‘In’ cases registered and those that are in progress
• International Central Authority (CA) team by phone/email/in person to report on amended certificates processed and those still in progress
• Employer Services (ES) by phone/email to discuss the actioning of Payer Arrangement Default (PAD) letters rejected as a result of BAA, and
• all Operational Teams working on NZ ‘In’ cases by phone/email/in person to discuss operational impacts as a result of BAA

As a result of the above engagement, a project schedule should be developed considering all potential business impacts as a result of running BAA. The project schedule should set out:

• identified impacts
• desired project timeframe
• resources required, and
• considerations for next BAA

The BAA working sheet spreadsheet is prepared and checked for the automated batch run.

Reformat the BAA working sheet spreadsheet as follows:

• open the spreadsheet located in Hobart shared drive folder titled Int
• highlight the entire sheet, copy and paste ‘values’ in the same sheet. This removes all formulas and copies the values as text
• remove all columns that include data in NZ$$
• insert 5 columns far left with the following headings:
• Batch run sheet
• Status
• Identified as ‘Do not run’
• Not to be run until after 1st May (case processed after 15 March), and
• New Rego rec’d – Not to be batch run – Advise Smart Centre team
• rename the CSID column ‘CSID Supplied by NZIR’
• move the columns (cut and paste) named below into the following order (this is the same order of the batch run template sent to ICT for batch processing). Highlight the following headings in a different colour:
• Monthly Assessment $AU from 01/04/{YY}
• Assessment Debt $AU
• 10% Penalties $AU
• 2% Penalties $AU
• First Name, and
• Last Name
• insert another column to the immediate left of Monthly Assessment $AU from 01/04/{YY} and title it CSID matched / found by ACSA (to be used for batch run). This column will be used as a comparison to the CSID provided by NZIR. A report will be sent back to NZ detailing the incorrect CSID’s with an expectation that NZ will update their records with the correct CSID

The accuracy of the CSIDs provided on the BAA working sheet spreadsheet cannot be guaranteed as it is sourced from the NZIR database. The CSIDs provided must be verified with information on Cuba. See Step 6 for more information.

To confirm the CSID provided by NZIR, send an email to International Child Support, to request an Active Case Report from the New Zealand Case List.

To narrow down the search, include the following search criteria in the email request:

• only cases that are active
• where the payer’s address is in Australia, and
• where the payee’s address is in New Zealand

In response to your email, the following information will be provided by International Child Support in the Active Case Report:

• CSID, and
• Overseas ID

Save the Active Case Report in the Hobart shared drive folder Int\NZ\20yy BAA folder.

Perform a VLookup function. Use the Overseas ID provided on the spreadsheet as the search criteria. Compare the following spreadsheets:

• BAA working sheet, and
• Active Case Report

Check Overseas ID and CSID information from both spreadsheets:

• If the Overseas ID provided on the spreadsheet is different to the Overseas ID on the Active Case Report, update the customer’s Overseas ID number in the Individual Customer Details window and document in the notepad
• If the CSID provided by NZIR is different on the Active Case Report produced by International Child Support, use the CSID supplied by International Child Support. Update the CSID matched/found by ACSA (to be used for batch run) column on the spreadsheet

Note: NZIR will be advised of correct CSIDs at the end of BAA to ensure their records are updated.

• If the case cannot be located on the Active Case Report a manual search of Cuba must be conducted to obtain the correct CSID. Update the CSID matched/found by ACSA (to be used for batch run) column on the spreadsheet

The following cases must not be batch run for BAA (that is where Cuba automatically updates with assessment information received from Inland Revenue, New Zealand (NZIR)):

• cases not registered between 15 March and 31 March - as more up to date information is provided on BAA data
• amended certificates processed after 15 March – as more up to date information is provided on BAA data and Cuba cannot identify BAA data over an amended certificate processed within the same month
• cases with potential excess cash - cases cannot be identified exclusively, so all cases with a $0.00 maintenance balance must be checked
• cases where the payments already received (but not included in New Zealand's calculation of arrears) will exceed the new liability as per the BAA data

If Child Support staff have finalised all NZ 'In' registrations with an ongoing liability by the 15th March, the registration process does not need to be manipulated to manually include the BAA data.

To identify cases not to be batch run as they have not been registered by 15 March or there are outstanding amended certificates not yet processed by 15 March:

• request a pending registration report from the Business Improvement Team
• check the Hobart shared drive folder Int in the folder titled Acerts In for any spreadsheets where the amended certificates have not been completed, the title of the spreadsheet will include to be completed

Contact the:

• Smart Centre Team Leader to identify all New Zealand (NZ) ‘In’ cases (with an ongoing liability) that have been allocated but not registered by the 15 March
• International Child Support team to compare the data on the transmittal spreadsheet with a current case list, and
• International CA team to identify all amended certificates not processed by 15 March, see New Zealand Case Management (NZ In Case) - Amended Certificates from Inland Revenue, New Zealand (NZIR) to Child Support

Note: contact the Smart Centre Team Leader promptly to ensure no registrations are processed beyond this date while the cross-matching process is being conducted

Cross match the cases identified above, by performing a VLookup function, with the list of customers on the BAA working sheet spreadsheet located in the Hobart shared drive folder Int.

Record the following on the spreadsheet:

• For the cases not registered - 'Do not run – new Rego to be finalised by Smart Centres using BAA data'
• For the amended certificates – 'Not to be run'

If an amended certificate is processed after 15 March notify the BAA Project Team by either phone or email to ensure it is identified and recorded on the BAA working sheet spreadsheet located in the Hobart shared drive folder Int.

The BAA Project Team Leader will determine what action to take depending on which assessment information is most recent - BAA or Amended Certificate.

• If the Amended Certificate was received after the BAA data - record ‘Do not run’ on the spreadsheet
• If the BAA data is more recent, and the Acert was processed after 15 March, the BAA data cannot be run until after 1 May - record ‘Not to be run until after 1/5/20yy - case processing after 15 March’ on the spreadsheet

The remaining cases can be prepared for batch processing.

If a customer has excess cash at the time of the batch run, the excess cash will not form part of the calculation, making the new arrears amount incorrect.

As there is no way to identify customers with excess cash, check cases identified on the SASI Active Case Report with a $0 maintenance debt balance to determine if the customer is regularly in excess cash:

• If the customer is likely to still have excess cash at the time of batch processing, mark it on the spreadsheet as ‘do not run - excess cash’
• If the account balance is only in excess cash after a payment is made and there is likely to still be excess cash at the time of batch processing, mark it on the spreadsheet as ‘do not run – possible excess cash’. These cases can be checked on the day of batch processing, and if not in excess cash, they can be run on that day
• If the account balance is $0 and there is no excess cash, mark on the spreadsheet as ‘OK to run’

The following spreadsheets and documents are used to record the BAA information in Cuba and create new assessments:

A BAA working sheet spreadsheet:

• contains the confirmed and reformatted BAA data, and
• is saved in the G:Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder

A Batch Run Master spreadsheet:

• a template spreadsheet containing required formatting
• must be saved and renamed before copying any data into it, and
• ‘Save As’ a Batch Run Sheet (nn) sent for Batch process ddmon20yy spreadsheet in the G:Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder

A Batch Run Sheet (nn) sent for Batch process ddmon20yy spreadsheet:

• is populated with data from the BAA working sheet spreadsheet
• contains an unlimited number of customer records
• is sent to ICT for batch run, and
• is saved in the G:Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder

A Batch run control spreadsheet:

• tracks the progress of amended certificate processing
• allocates a job number for ICT processing
• is used to pre-determine the accurate dates for ‘arrears as at’ (the last day of the previous month) and ‘includes pyts from’ (the last schedule of payments to NZ date) which are used for batch processing calculations, and
• is saved in G:Int\NZ\20yy\PP Aust – Ins\Acerts folder

A Specs for batch run document

• is created with the information from the Batch run control spreadsheet, and
• provides a format for ICT to identify the specifications required for processing

A Reject report spreadsheet:

• reports cases that reject from the batch run process, and
• is saved in G:\Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder

A Master Reject Report spreadsheet:

• tracks the progress of ALL reject processing, and
• is saved in G:\Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder

If the columns in the BAA working sheet and the Batch Run spreadsheets are not the same go back to Reformat spreadsheet.

Before to sending multiple BAA sheet (nn) sent for Batch run ddmon20yy (nnn) spreadsheets, a sample of BAA data is sent to ICT for testing. To prepare the test data, complete the following in order:

• Open the Batch Run Master Sheet spreadsheet located in folder titled DO NOT TOUCH Batch run Master sheet (located in the Hobart shared drive folder Int)
• ‘Save As’ and rename the spreadsheet BAA first test sheet sent for Batch run ddmon20yy in the folder titled Batch Run Sheets (located in the Hobart shared drive folder Int)
• Select 100 cases from the BAA working sheet and add Test sheet 1 sent dd/mm in the batch run sheet column
• Copy the selected test cases from the BAA working sheet spreadsheet and paste special (values) to BAA first test sheet sent for Batch run ddmon20yy spreadsheet including the following fields for all test cases:
• CSID to Identifier
• Last Name to Surname
• First Name to First Name
• Mthly Assess Amt in $AUD to New Mthly Amt in $AU
• Assessment Debt in $AU to New Debt Amt in $AU
• 10% Penalties in $AU to 10% Penalties in $AU
• 2% Penalties in $AU to 2% Penalties in $AU

Note: make sure the columns in Australian $$ only are selected.

• Shorten any customer’s first names that exceed the column width for example, remove the customer’s middle name
• Remove any punctuation marks included in the customer’s name
• Send the spreadsheet to ICT to process a test batch run – go to Step 4 Send spreadsheet

ICT will email the test results to the NZ Admin Unit mailbox with the reject report. The BAA Project Team Leader will check customer records in Cuba for the following:

• correct calculations have been applied, and
• correct notepad has been recorded

See Step 6 - Confirmation of batch run and scrutinise results.

To prepare the remaining BAA spreadsheets:

• Open the Batch Run Master Sheet spreadsheet located in folder titled DO NOT TOUCH Batch run Master sheet (located in the Hobart shared drive folder Int)
• ‘Save As’ and rename the spreadsheet BAA Batch Run Sheet (nn) sent for Batch process ddmon20yy(nnn) in the folder titled Batch Run Sheets (located in the Hobart shared drive folder Int)
• Open the BAA working sheet spreadsheet
• Use the filters applied to the column headings, to identify all cases that are ok to be batch run
• Select the desired number of cases and update the Batch Run Sheet column with the intended BAA sheet number it will be pasted into
• Copy from the BAA working sheet spreadsheet and paste special (values) to BAA sheet (nn) sent for Batch run ddmon20yy (nnn) spreadsheet the following fields for all cases to be processed:
• CSID to Identifier
• Last Name to Surname
• First Name to First Name
• Mthly Assess Amt in $AUD to New Mthly Amt in $AU
• Assessment Debt in $AU to New Debt Amt in $AU
• 10% Penalties in $AU to 10% Penalties in $AU
• 2% Penalties in $AU to 2% Penalties in $AU

Note: make sure the columns in Australian $$ only are selected.

• Shorten any customer’s first names that exceed the column width for example, remove the customer’s middle name
• Remove any punctuation marks included in the customer’s name
• Add ‘sheet n sent dd/mm/yyyy’ under the column batch run sheet on the BAA working sheet

Use the mySupport Cuba Service and Business Request form, and complete fields where appropriate. See Resources for a link to mySupport

In the Incident Details section of the webform:

• Paste the contents of the Specs for batch run document into the field 'Full details of incident'
• Attach the batch run sheet at the field 'Attach the file'
• Select both the impact and urgency fields with 'High'. This should remove the need to call ICT to ask them to forward the job to CS Batch Management

After completing the webform:

• Press the 'submit to service desk' button
• Copy the SD number provided and paste it into the Batch run control spreadsheet
• Write the SD number on the printed out copy of the webform, and place in the central folder

Use the template below to create the Specs for batch run document for the webform and file record. Save the word document as Specs for batch run sheet dd/mm/year, in G:Int\NZ\20yy BAA folder and copy the text into 'full details of incident' text box on the Cuba incident form.

Batch Run Request Number: NZBAA xxx/20xx cases for bulk run

Please create an interaction in Service Manager and assign to Julie Swinton’s position in Child Support Applications Branch (CSAB)

** This batch job can run on or before DD/MM/YYYY **

Hi

Attached is a spreadsheet of Bulk Annual Assessments received in March 2015 for batch processing (containing xxxx records)

Parameters for this spreadsheet are as follows:

Certification Date DD/MM/YYYY

Include payments from 01/06/2015

Date of processing = day of batch run

Notepad: BAA notepad (do not use Amended Certificate notepad - must be BAA 2015 notepad)

Could we please have any reject reports in Excel format and returned to the International NZ Administration Team.

Any queries please call (requesting officer name and full phone number)

When ICT action the email request they will send a confirmation email to the International NZ Administration Team.

Scrutinise batch run results

ICT do not provide a job number reference in their email confirmation. Use the reject report and the BAA working sheet to locate the BAA sheet (nn) sent for Batch run ddmon20yy (nnn). Select a record with the same CSID to confirm which batch run the result applies to.

Open the relevant BAA sheet (nn) sent for Batch run ddmon20yy (nnn) and select 4 random records (preferably the first, last and 2 records in the middle) from the batch job. Check the Cuba notepad from ICT for each of the 4 records to ensure:

• there are no issues that is, the BAA calculation is correct or overpayment not created
• ICT have used the correct notepad that is, notepad titled ‘BAA YY’ rather than an amended certificate notepad, and
• that the case has only been run once (there will be multiple notepads in the case window if the case has been run more than once)

Create a Master Reject Report spreadsheet to track all reject reports from BAA.

Add the rejected records from each batch run confirmation to the Master Reject Report.

Note: PAD letters not created are captured on a separate TAB within the Master sheet. If the batch run was successful employer letters may need to be issued manually.

Action Reject Report

Open the Reject Report spreadsheet in the email confirmation from ICT and take the following actions:

• Reformat the CSID column to numbers with zero decimal places
• Add another column to the far right titled status. Update this column when the request has been actioned, and
• ‘Save As’ and rename the spreadsheet Sheet nn reject report (nn)

There are several reject reasons:

• PAD letters not created
• no children with periodic amounts
• client has no International case
• client not found
• no child under 18 with care found
• client has more than 1 International case, and
• error from liability det CAB

For more information regarding the reject reasons see New Zealand Case Management (NZ In Case) - Processing Amended Certificate, Amended certificate automated batch run, Step 7.

These reject cases will either need to be:

• processed manually, see New Zealand Case Management (NZ In Case) - Processing Amended Certificate, Manually process amended certificate, or
• the error corrected and batch run, go to the Automated batch run table

Note: the BAA Project Team Leader will determine whether another batch is prepared or if cases are allocated for manual processing.

Report back to the nominated NZIR Team Leader via phone and/or email any anomalies from the BAA process including a list of:

• CSIDs provided by NZ that are incorrect (provide the correct CSID so NZ can update their records)
• cases that have been rejected for the reason - no International case registered
• cases that were identified at the beginning of BAA as not yet registered, and
• cases that could not be located/found

Advise the Director - Child Support International:

• performance of project team against the project schedule, and
• additional impacts that were not previously identified

These reports are saved in the G:Int\NZ\20yy\BAA folder.