Frequently Asked Questions and Help

PAWS Information. 1

Users. 1

Navigation. 2

Applications. 2

PAWS Account Maintenance. 2

Change Password (expires every 90 days) 2

Security Questions. 3

Forgot Password. 3

FAMRS Information. 3

PAWS.. 4

Beacon. 4

Maintenance. 4

Supervisors – Adding/Deleting Employees. 4

Enforcement 4

All Personnel 4

Frequently Asked Questions. 5

Q: Is Leave required to be entered into FAMRS?. 5

Q: If I do enter leave why does the Cost Center become disabled?. 5

Q: Why can’t I find tractors or boats on the equipment lookup screen?. 5

Q: Why is there an option for the start day of the week when comp time is always calculated from Sunday thru Saturday?. 5

Q: I have dial up and my computer throws and error when I try to add a cost center. Why?  6

Glossary. 6

 

PAWS Information

The Portal Access to Wildlife Systems (PAWS) site creates a single point of access to WRC applications.  PAWS provides standard graphics, navigation,  and user authentication and security.

Users

PAWS is available to all WRC staff (including contractors and temporary employees) via the Internet regardless of their physical location.

Navigation

Use the left side menu to navigate to different applications and functionality within PAWS.

 

All employees have access to Employee Search, FAMRSNET, and Administration.  Administration allows you to administer your account by changing your password and/or updating your security questions.  FAMRSNET allows you to track time and mileage against specific cost centers.  You only need to use FAMRSNET if directed to do so by your supervisor.

 

You will only see links to applications and functionality assigned to you.  If you feel you are missing an application or do not have the appropriate access level to an application, please have your supervisor submit an issue for assistance..

Applications

Please complete the issue submission form for technical issues.

 

PAWS Account Maintenance

Change Password (expires every 90 days)

Your PAWS password expires every 90 days. 

 

You will receive an email ten days and five days prior to your password expiring if you have an email address on file.  When you log into PAWS, you will start receiving a notice of password expiration starting 5 days prior to expiration.  If you try to log in after your password has expired, PAWS will require you to create a new password.

 

When it is time to change your password, click on the Administration link in the left navigational side menu.  Then click on the change password link under the Administration link. 

 

You will enter your current password, your new password, and your new password a second time for confirmation.

 

Your new password must be

·        at least eight characters in length,

·        use both upper and lower case letters, and

·        use at least two numbers or special characters.

 

Valid special characters are

~ ! @ $ % ^ * ( ) - _ + = [ { ] } \ | ; : , / ?

 

Tabs and spaces are not allowed.

Security Questions

PAWS requires you to create four security question/answer pairs when you first log into the system.  You may change these at any time.  These question/answer pairs are used to identify you if you use the Forgot Password functionality.

 

To change your security questions, click on the Administration link in the left navigational side menu.  Then click on the security questions link under the Administration link.

 

You will change the question and/or answer for any of the question/answer pairs you want.  You must have four question/answer pairs.

Forgot Password

If you forget your password, click on the Forgot Password link on the login page.

 

You must enter your login name and click the Get Security Questions button.  PAWS will prompt you to answer two of your four security questions.  After successfully answering the questions, PAWS will send a randomly generated password to the email address on file in PAWS.  If you do not have an email address on file in PAWS, please follow the same procedure for contacting WRC IT to reset your NCID password.  If you wish to add an email to PAWS, please contact your Roster Admin.  They are listed on the Employee Search page.

 

Once your password has been reset, PAWS will require you to change it when you log in.

 

FAMRS Information

The recommended setting for screen resolution is 1280 x 1024. The application will function at any setting however scrolling may be necessary. To set your screen resolution right click on the desktop, select properties, select settings and move the bar to select 1280 x 1024.

PAWS

To access FAMRS you will login into the Portal Access to Wildlife Systems (PAWS) website.  This website allows you access to all web-based applications developed by WRC.  At this time, we can not integrate with applications not developed by WRC.  For more information about PAWS please see the PAWS Overview documentation located on the Intranet at http://www.insidewrc.org/div08_IT/div08_PAWS.asp.

Beacon

Beacon is several years away from having the capability to handle the level of detailed required for federal aid tracking and auditing.  Until that time WRC employees will be required to use two systems – Beacon for timekeeping purposes and FAMRS for both federal and state project time and expenditures. 

 

Maintenance

Supervisors – Adding/Deleting Employees

To add or delete an employee to your supervisory list you must contact the Roster Admin for your area.  The contacts are listed at the bottom of the Employee Search screen in PAWS.  Supervisors who have employees assigned to them will be able to view those employees in a drop down list and by switching to an employee will be able to view, add, and edit the weekly entries for that employee.  A report allowing supervisors to view all employees during a month will be added as time permits.

 

Enforcement

Enforcement personnel will have 2 additional screens available for activity and expenses.  Enforcement personnel can also enter time on either a daily basis or weekly where the final Sunday of the week can contain all entries for that week. 

 

All Personnel

FAMRS is NOT the official mechanism for reporting or tracking leave types.   That responsibility will fall under the BEACON guidelines.  FAMRS does allow employees to record leave entries for reference purposes only and does NOT calculate leave types such as Annual Leave or Comp Time earned.  Non-Enforcement personnel have the option of entering time on a week that starts with Monday or a week that starts with Sunday.

 

When employees first log in to FAMRS, the calendar will automatically go to the last week the employee has entered activity.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Leave required to be entered into FAMRS? 

A: No, it is optional.

 

Q: If I do enter leave why does the Cost Center become disabled? 

A: Leave is not tracked at a cost center level so none are recorded when adding any record type other than regular hours.

 

Q: Why can’t I find tractors or boats on the equipment lookup screen? 

A: Currently, only vehicles have assigned rates which allow us to determine a cost associated with that equipment.  If reimbursement needs to occur for equipment or boats then an hourly rate of operating expense must be determined and entered in the system.  They will not show on screen until this rate is assigned.

 

Q: Why is there an option for the start day of the week when comp time is always calculated from Sunday thru Saturday? 

A: The Enforcement week runs from Monday thru Saturday and since the entire agency is using the same screens for hours entered it was necessary to provide the option of using either start day.   Once you select the preference you desire click the “Check to Always keep as my 1st day” option to have the preference recorded permanently.

Q: I have dial up and my computer throws and error when I try to add a cost center. Why? 

A: The newer technology does use a larger Footprint than the previous application.  The response time on dial up can be very frustrating and if you are in a large agency like Wildlife Management then you are attempting to pull back many, many cost center codes and the page will time out before receiving all of those cost centers.  We are currently researching some alternatives such as air cards for dial up users or high speed alternatives where available.  In the mean time, you can either email, or mail your timesheet to our DP folks at the Centennial Office or, if you are a dial up user and you need to add cost centers to your Frequently Used List you can contact us by submitting an issue to IT and we can add that cost center for you.  The division wide cost centers are only pulled back when you click the “Add Cost Centers” button.   

 

 

Glossary

Beacon

Payroll and Personnel application used by the state to track employee information (time worked, leave, benefits, personal information, etc.) and payroll information.

FAMRS

Federal Aid Management and Reporting System.

System used to track time and money at detail levels for federal and state grants.

FAMRSNET

New version of FAMRS application.

NCID

Login and password used as a means of authentication and authorization into several other state applications including Beacon.

PAWS

Portal Access to Wildlife Systems.

System used as a means of authentication and authorization into several WRC applications including FAMRS.  Also used as a clearing house to allow access to WRC applications from one location.