Income Maintenance/Child Care (IM/CC) Random Moment Sampling (RMS) Sample Observations Random moment sampling is used to document staff effort in support of federal, state, and local programs. System generated RMS Sample Observation emails (Observations) are sent at random times during the workday for individuals in the sample. Requested information will include identifying case information, if working on a case, the program area and the activity you happen to be engaged in at a randomly chosen moment. All responses of staff in the sample are used to determine the distribution of staff and overhead costs to various programs funded with federal, state, and local dollars. Each quarter the RMS system automatically sends RMS observations to employees at a randomly selected date and time. Samples are generated about two to three business days before the start of a quarter. For more information about this process expand content below. RMS Sample Observation Timeline Based on the system generated sample created at the end of each quarter, employees are sent a system generated RMS Sample Observation email (Observation). Observations must be answered within 24 hours/one business day of the sample time: excluding weekends, holidays and non-polling days. If an observation has expired, an employee will no longer be able to submit their activity. Observation e-mails are from email addresses IM/CCRMS2 or IM/CCRMS3 (depending on the RMS county group to which your county is assigned) The subject line includes the group number, sample number, last name and type of email (initial notification or reminder). An original notification email is sent out at the exact same date and time of the RMS sample. Six hours after the original notification was sent, a second RMS email is sent with ‘reminder’ in the subject line. The notification is also sent to supervisor or liaison. Four hours before the sample expires, a third email is sent, again with ‘reminder’ in the subject line. The notification is also sent to supervisor or liaison. The employee’s response needs to reflect what the worker was doing at the exact random moment sample time. It is important that all sample observation e-mails are responded to within a 24-hour period (excluding weekends or non-polling days). Supervisors/liaisons may update an employee’s sample directly in RMS if the employee was on leave or in training at the exact time of the sample. The supervisor/liaison has two business days after an RMS observation expires to submit a leave or training observation on behalf of the employee. Two business days after an RMS observation has expired, the RMS administrator will manually close out the observation with coding for ‘not valid – no response from employee.’ Employee Responsibilities Observations must be answered within 24 hours/one business day of the sample time: excluding weekends, holidays and non-polling days. If an observation has expired, an employee will no longer be able to submit their activity. Employees may receive up to three emails for every observation: the original sampled moment, 6 hours after the sampled moment, and again four hours prior to the observation expiring. When an employee receives the observation email, they must do the following: Click the link to the RMS system in the email and log into the RMS website. Program code - Select the program(s) from a drop-down box. The program selected should specifically list the programs being worked on or affected at the time of the sample survey. For example, if you were working on both FS and MA, if there is no specific program option that lists both of those programs, then the 025 – IM programs is the only option should be selected. If working on CC, BC, and MA, there is a specific program that lists all three codes, CC/BC/MA, and that should be selected. If not, the code 075 – IM/CC program option should be selected. (025 should be used when no CC is involved and 075 should be used when CC is also involved.) If on leave or a break - Program code 370 is used when coding for break, lunch, leave, vacation, sick, FMLA, PTO, county holidays, closed for emergencies (i.e., snow, fire), sampled outside of normal work hrs or when working on general administrative activities (and no other program choice applies). Activity Code - Select the best applicable activity choice from the drop-down box. If working on a case, record the case number. Case numbers are collected for federal or state audit purposes, and strict confidentiality will be maintained. If a case number has not been assigned, or is not available, then the client’s name or the Request for Assistance (RFA) number should be reported. Comments – Required when using the social services program code and a comment noting the activity when you use the “other” activity code. You can also enter other comments if you want to provide additional information. If samples are not updated within the 24-hour timeframe, the sample will be manually closed out with coding “not valid – no response from employee.” Once an expired sample has been closed out, it can only be updated by the RMS administrator if the employee was on ‘leave’ or in program related training at the time of the sample. Two business days after the observation has expired, the observation will be manually closed out with coding “not valid – no response from employee.” Expired RMS Observations Once an observation has expired, an employee may not submit their activity. If the employee was not in work status or was in a training session, please press “reply” to this email and provide the type of time being used (e.g., vacation/ PTO, sick time, comp time, etc.). This email will be forwarded to your supervisor so that they may submit the observation on your behalf. If samples are not updated within the above 24-hour timeframe, the sample will be manually closed out with coding “not valid – no response from employee”. Once an expired sample has been closed out, it can only be updated by the RMS administrator. Per federal requirements, DCF staff are not allowed to record the observation on your behalf. Employees must login to the RMS system and submit their activity. If the observation has expired and an employee was not in work status or was in a training, then their supervisor/liaison has two business days to log into the observation and provide the type of leave time used (e.g., sick time, vacation/ PTO, comp time, etc.), or program code for training. Supervisor Responsibilities Some RMS observations will require the supervisor to submit the observation on the employee’s behalf. Supervisors are cc’d on RMS observation reminder emails for staff who have not submitted their observations six hours after the sampled moment and again four hours prior to the observation expiring. Supervisors have up to three business days from the sampled moment to submit non-work activity on behalf of their staff. RMS observations that require supervisor submission are covered below. Employees attending training or on leave - Login and record observations on behalf of staff who are either NOT working at the sampled moment or who were in a training session, AND who are not expected to return to the office prior to the expiration of the sample. Employee Working at Sampled Moment - Supervisors may ONLY record observations on behalf of staff who were either not working at the time of the observation, OR for staff who were in training. Supervisors may not record any other work activity on behalf of their staff. Non or Invalid Response - If employee was working at the sampled moment but was unable to record the RMS observation before it expired, please press “reply” to this email so that the RMS Admin may close the observation as a non-/invalid response. Extended Leave - If an employee is on an extended leave such as FMLA, maternity/ paternity leave, military leave, etc. send an email to the DCF RMS Administrator with the employee’s name, start date and anticipated return date in order to temporarily halt RMS observation notification emails. Employee No Longer with Agency - If an employee is no longer with the agency, press ‘reply’ to the email and include the reason for leaving and the date that the employee has left your agency. Responses after 24 Hours or One Business Day - Per federal requirements, DCF staff are not allowed to record the observation on your behalf, so you must login to the RMS ePolling system to submit your activity. If the observation has expired and you were not in work status or were in a training session, please forward the RMS Notification email to your supervisor and provide the type of time you were using (e.g., sick time, vacation/ PTO, comp time, etc.), so that they may submit the observation on your behalf. Do NOT call the service desk to have your sample recorded, they cannot access RMS to complete the sample. View RMS Program and Activity Codes View how to Access the RMS System
