Purpose of this Article: This solution article provides information about the Department Vacancy FTE Dashboard in SF Reports & Analytics available to users that previously had EP reporting access.
Audience: SF Budget
Author: Leilani Carandang
Version/Update Date: 1.1 / 6/6/2022
The Department Vacancy FTE Dashboard is available in SF Reports & Analytics for users. This report was created to standardize the way that vacant positions are calculated, incorporating other position budgeting that has a real effect. Click on the attached PDF to view the presentation hosted by Risa Sandler, Controller’s Office Budget & Analysis Division Citywide Budget Manager and Jack Huang, Controller’s Office Systems Division SF Report & Analytics Analyst, on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Refer to the published answers to the questions received during the live training and watch the recorded live stream below.
SF Reports & Analytics: New Department Vacancy Report Live Event Session Q&A 05/26/22
Q1: What is the reason for including off-budget positions?
A: Off-budget positions are part of the ASO and AAO total FTE count.
Q2: This is great! Can you drill down in each column to see which positions are included in the count?
A: In the lower table in the report, you can select views based on job class and job family, with or without ASO totals included.
Q3: Hi! Should Column A equal what's printed in the AAO?
A: Column a-permanent + Column b Temp should get close to what is in the AAO, but because this report allocates attrition it may not be exact.
Q4: Do you filter out commissioner job codes from budget and actual FTE?
A: Commission job classes are included in the temporary positions total – please see the notes at the top of the report page.
Q5: Will we be able to view by Division as well as Dept Group? Large depts have separate business units
A: Division is not available currently.
Q6: Please clarify if 9995M and 9996M are included or excluded from the attrition calculations. Thx
A: These classes are included in the attrition total – please see the notes at the top of the report page.
Q7: Should the word "estimate" be included in the headers for the attrition and temp-funded FTE columns? There's a big range between the cheapest and most expensive job classes which could result in a surplus or deficit being reported when dollars are on a budget.
A: Regardless of the dollar amount of attrition, the AAO contains budgeted attrition FTEs and budgeted temporary positions. We will review the language in our next update to the report.
Q8: Is there a view of Job Code available as a citywide rollup, or only by individual departments?
A: Yes! The lower table provides a view of all job classes Citywide, as well as by department.
Q9: Would it be possible to add filters like fund or project activity?
A: We will be reviewing what information will be available in the report in our next update.
Q10: Looks like FY22 is double previous years on the summary page? Is that an issue for this report?
A: The report was refreshed at the back end and this has been corrected.
Q11: If two incumbents occupy the same funded position (e.g., the position is filled with a Cat 17 while the incumbent is on medical leave and still receiving a salary), will it still only count as one filled FTE?
A: The report provides actuals based on actual hours. In this example, the hours of the incumbent in the permanent position would appear in column a, and the hours of the Cat-17 temporary position would appear in column e – filled temp.
If it is a permanent position, it would only count as one filled FTE or the budgeted position FTE. For temp positions, the payroll hours of both employees for the entire fiscal year will be used to calculate the average annual FTE for the position and may result in greater than one FTE if both are still getting paid in the same position within the same pay period(s).
Q12: How will the report account for budgeted positions that are filled by a PEX or TEX appointment? From a budget perspective, the funds are being used by that temporary appointment, but the budgeted position will appear vacant. Will the report match up filled temporary positions to the vacant permanent position?
A: Yes, the report will show filled temporary positions in the temp-filled column e, for the job class the temp position is filling and will net against the total so that this position is treated as filled instead of vacant.
Q13: Where is the data from? How are there non-zero values in column b for classes other than TEMPM/N when that information isn't in the budget?
A: For the budgeted columns, attrition is prorated among funded permanent FTE positions that are not fully filled. The temp budget is also allocated to positions with actual Temp FTE. The allocation of attrition and temporary positions is an example of how this report uses a standard method to project vacancies. A description of the sources of information has been added to the definitions table at the top of the report page.
Q14: Was the question about Commission Positions addressed?
A: Yes. Commissioner positions are included in the temporary position category.
Q15: We also consider substitutions up and down when looking at how we're doing compared to our total salary/fringe budget. Just looking at vacancy FTEs leaves out this other impact on the use of funding.
A: Substitutions of permanent positions will appear in the underlying budgeted class, not the class that substituted the budgeted position. Substitutions of temp positions appear in the job code in which the temp position is working.
Q16: Will there be a biweekly report developed ongoing, so we can monitor how our vacancies change over the course of the year?
A: You can run this anytime, and for the current year could select any prior pay period up through the current pay period.
Q17: How does the report handle cases where the Actual FTE is in a job class where there is no budgeted position? I have an example from ADM where there are actual FTE values for job classes 1071 and 1091 but no Budgeted FTE (from the Labor BvA report, customized to include Job Code)
A: Only budgeted positions should have actual positions filling them. Employees working without a position number are not included in the vacancy report. This is not a standard City hiring practice. Could the asker of this question reach out to Risa so we can research by position number?
Q18: Does temp include non-regular pay – Sick Leave Pay (SLP), Vacation Pay (VAP), etc.?
A: Temp includes all actual hours that are reported, including sick leave pay, vacation pay, and other paid leaves. Please note that overtime hours are not included in this report.