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ProTracts Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Please Contribute Your Questions
Frequently Asked Questions will be posted to this site based on support requests and your feedback. If you have questions you would like to see
answered on this page, please
contact us.
Q:
My pop-up
windows don't work in ProTracts. What is going on?
A: Make sure you have not disabled pop-up windows
through another program (e.g., aol®
or google®). If
you do, you must enable them to use ProTracts. See also the ProTracts help topic
"Set Up Your Browser" for additional details.
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Q: I've just opened ProTracts, and it doesn't work. What
should I do?
A: Make sure that you have the correct version of
Internet Explorer (IE), and then check the security settings. ProTracts requires
the Microsoft® IE browser, version 6.0 or higher (i.e., you can't use an older
version of IE). Also, IE must have the correct security settings.
See also the ProTracts help topic "Set Up Your Browser" for additional details.
If you are still experience problems, contact ProTracts Support (ProTractsSupport@ftc.usda.gov).
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Q: I can't find the options to modify a
contract.
Where are they?
A: Make sure you have permission to modify contracts.
First, verify your permissions by clicking the View Permissions button in
ProTracts. If you are supposed to have the permission and don't, contact your
state program manager or ProTracts coordinator.
If you are on the
ProTracts training site, you can give yourself the permission to modify a
contract by using the Tools menu from the main navigation bar or
by logging on as a state program manager or ProTracts coordinator.
If you still experience
problems, contact ProTracts Support (ProTractsSupport@ftc.usda.gov).
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Q: I am having a hard time uploading my cost list. What am
I doing wrong?
A: ProTracts interacts with Excel to upload and check
a cost list. To successfully upload a cost list:
- Log in to ProTracts.
- Click on the Cost List
menu.
- Click on Upload Cost
List.
- Select the fiscal year,
county, and state.
- Click Upload on the
Cost List toolbar. The Upload a Cost List
dialog appears.
- Type in the filename for
the cost list or click Browse to select
the file with the Choose File dialog.
- Click Check Cost List. This
opens the Check Cost List dialog and
displays a prompt asking you to make sure your
browser settings permit initializing and
scripting of ActiveX controls not marked as
safe. (See ProTracts Help topic, "Set Up the
Browser" for more information.)
- Click OK on the
prompt. A prompt appears asking if you want to
replace the cost list file.
- Click Yes. This
minimizes the Check Cost List dialog
and opens the cost list spreadsheet file in
Excel. Do not close the Excel
window.
- Re-open the Check Cost
List dialog by clicking on the Windows
task bar.
- Click Begin Checking.
This runs an error checking program on the
cost list. A check mark appears in the box
beside each test as it completes. A prompt
tells you when
all
checks are finished.
- Click OK. This
closes the Check
Cost List dialog.
- Click Submit on the
Upload a Cost List
dialog. This uploads the cost list file to
ProTracts for the selected fiscal year, county,
and state.
- (Optional) Type a User Description
of
the cost list.
Refer to the ProTracts Help topic, "Manage Cost Lists" for
additional information. If you still have a problem
uploading the cost list, send the cost list file to
Protracts Support (ProTractsSupport@ftc.usda.gov).
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Q: I get an error every time I try to upload a cost list. What should I do?
A: Make sure that you have a county selected for
the cost list. Currently, you cannot upload a cost list for All Counties.
Also, run Check Cost List. This ProTracts program can identify errors in
the cost list.
If you still have a problem uploading the cost list, send the
cost list in a zip file to
Protracts Support (ProTractsSupport@ftc.usda.gov).
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Q: I want to enroll a new employee in ProTracts but can't
find that person. What should I do?
A: Look the person up in the employee directory (see
links below). Then use the directory information to enroll the person in
ProTracts. If you need to, you can later correct this information in ProTracts
(see the "Enrollment Process" help topic). Then at
your convenience it is recommended to contact human resources (HR) to have the
information corrected in the employee directory.
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Q: What if an employee is listed in a state office instead
of my area office?
A: Go ahead and enroll the employee in ProTracts using
the correct office. Then, at your convenience, contact HR to update the
employee's information.
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Q: What do I do if I don't have the time to update
ProTracts with all of my state and field users?
A: Designate someone who can help you. All you have to
do is enroll someone in ProTracts with the role of ProTracts Coordinator. This
gives him or her the necessary permissions to add users.
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Q: When I look at the NRCS offices in my state, some
offices are actually in another state. Can I remove these offices from my state
list?
A: This problem is caused by inaccurate information in
the OIP database. Contact IT to have it corrected.
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Q: Can I enroll a district employee in ProTracts?
A: No. For now, you must be an NRCS employee to be
enrolled in ProTracts.
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Q: What if one of my employees is temporarily assigned to a
different office?
A: Add the temporary office and county to the
permissions for that employee. If the job becomes permanent or ends, you can
again make the needed changes to the employee's permissions to reflect the
change. If you need additional assistance, you can also email ProTracts support
(ProTractsSupport@ftc.usda.gov).
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Q: I'm enrolling users, and I want to change who has
responsibilities for approving contracts. How do I do this?
A: Use the
Manage Permission functionality (from the main ProTracts
navigation bar, select Tools and then Manage Permissions). If you are a
program manager, you can modify the permissions associated with a program role.
ProTracts provides a default set of permissions, but each state program manager
can customize these permissions to meet state needs.
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Q: Can I delete a local subaccount after it has been
released?
A: No. Once an account has been released in ProTracts,
you cannot delete it from the ProTracts program. Contact ProTract support (ProTractsSupport@ftc.usda.gov)
for assistance.
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Q: What if I don't see any Fund Codes for my county?
A: This happens when a program has not yet been funded
for the fiscal year or the national or state manager has not allocated the
funds. You will not see anything until the funds are released. When a fund is in
the draft state, no one except the person working on it can make changes
to it.
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Q: What happens to the funds when I delete a local
subaccount?
A: The funds are returned
automatically to the county allocation.
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Q: Where can I get Protracts documentation?
A: The ProTracts Training and Production sites both let
you download a zip file that contains the online help, divided into the
following topics: General ProTracts, Cost Lists, Applications,
Contracts, Fund Manager and Reports. Access this file by
clicking the Help button on the ProTracts navigation bar.
Also see the following pages on this web site:
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Q: How are applications sorted in the Manage Application
Module?
A: It depends on whether or not a fund code was
selected:
-
If a fund code is selected, the sort for
Manage Application is sorted by Priority,
Ranking Score, Tracking Code, Participant
Common Name, and Contract Status.
-
If a fund code is not selected, Manage
Application is sorted by State Code, County
Name, Priority, Ranking Score, Tracking Code,
Participant Common Name, and Contract Status.
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