How do YOU calculate staff FTE for OVS-ES?

[minature_hero]

Hi,

 

I've had lots of differing advice from a few software suppliers regarding how to count staff FTE when setting up an OVS-ES agreement with Microsoft.

 

The official wording I can find says:

 

FTE count is made up of Faculty and Staff members where:

Faculty are any employees, contractors and volunteers who teach or perform research for the institution for more than 200hrs per annum and Staff are non-faculty employees, contractors and volunteers who perform work for the instruction for more than 200hrs per annum and use an institution qualified desktop.

Employees such as maintenance, grounds keeping, and cafeteria staff may be excluded from the faculty/staff FTE employee count if they do not use institutional devices.

 

Regarding Teaching Staff. I know I have to include all teachers but what about if they are part time? We have a lot of job shares, so I see this, as if they work more than 200 hours per annum then they count at 1FTE? Or do I count their FTE according to their part time share? eg they get paid 0.3 and 0.7 FTE so I count 1 FTE between the two staff.

 

Regarding Teaching Assistants. One supplier says that I need NOT include TA's if they work less than 20% of their time at a shared desktop, ie they don't have a dedicated device or they rarely use a computer in their day job. I have a lot of TA's like this, maybe they only check email and make a word document or do some internet research for about an hour a day. Other suppliers say I need to count them the same as teachers.

 

Office staff count as 1 FTE if they work more than 200hrs and Caretakers/Cleaners etc are excluded as they don't use a computer.

 

Does anyone have any extra information and maybe links to documentation on how they calculate their FTE count, specifically for Teachers and TA's?

 

Thanks!

[Steve21]

For UK it's as simple as 200 hours counts as 1.

 

So part time teacher whether 1 hour a day or more if it's 200 a year it's included as a single user.

 

In regards to TAs -

 

Non-teaching staff whose role requires only infrequent use of the Qualified Desktops would be permitted to access the Qualified Desktops and run the licensed software for the purpose of administration. Administration includes the use of the school management information system, the school virtual learning environment, the school email system and or the school intranet/internet access system

 

Infrequent use is defined as less than 20% of that person’s time requiring use of the technology on a shared device which is not assigned to them. For the avoidance of doubt, non -

teaching staff using an assigned device (i.e. a device specifically allocated to an identified member of staff and not licensed under other arrangements) will need to be counted if they are to run the licensed software

 

Which basically leads down to, if they're assigned any device they count, and if they're using it for non-admin work e.g. Teaching/Supporting a kid it counts as does if they use any other software, e.g. Photoshop as an example

 

Steve

Edited March 1, 2016 by Steve21

[localzuk]

Its all down to hours. So, job shares are somewhat irrelevant. If they work 200+ hours per year and use a computer, they count as 1FTE.

 

I don't know where that supplier got that 20% figure from. We've been buying OVS-ES since it was launched and have never been told that by any of the suppliers I've talked to.

 

We include everyone who works over 200 hours and uses a computer as part of their job. So, includes admin, senior management, teachers, technicians, the canteen manager, teaching assistants, SENCO, librarian, and the site manager. The only people not included are cleaners, lunchtime supervisors, the rest of the kitchen staff (cashless catering equipment doesn't count as "using a computer"), and any staff who work less than 200 hours per year.

[sparkeh]

We include everyone who works over 200 hours and uses a computer as part of their job. So, includes admin, senior management, teachers, technicians, the canteen manager, teaching assistants, SENCO, librarian, and the site manager. The only people not included are cleaners, lunchtime supervisors, the rest of the kitchen staff (cashless catering equipment doesn't count as "using a computer"), and any staff who work less than 200 hours per year.

^ This is how I, and everyone I have ever spoken to about it, counts it.

[Boredguy]

Its all down to hours. So, job shares are somewhat irrelevant. If they work 200+ hours per year and use a computer, they count as 1FTE.

 

I don't know where that supplier got that 20% figure from. We've been buying OVS-ES since it was launched and have never been told that by any of the suppliers I've talked to.

 

We include everyone who works over 200 hours and uses a computer as part of their job. So, includes admin, senior management, teachers, technicians, the canteen manager, teaching assistants, SENCO, librarian, and the site manager. The only people not included are cleaners, lunchtime supervisors, the rest of the kitchen staff (cashless catering equipment doesn't count as "using a computer"), and any staff who work less than 200 hours per year.

 

We've used the same calculations as @localzuk since the OVS-ES scheme came out

[minature_hero]

There is some discrepancy here for sure!

 

Steve21, where did you get that quote from? If it's in official MS documentation for the UK I'd really like a copy of the PDF or a link to the page please.

 

I think most others are counting every TA to work out their OVS agreement

 

For UK it's as simple as 200 hours counts as 1.

 

So part time teacher whether 1 hour a day or more if it's 200 a year it's included as a single user.

 

In regards to TAs - Non-teaching staff whose role requires only infrequent use of the Qualified Desktops would be permitted to access the Qualified Desktops and run the licensed software for the purpose of administration. Administration includes the use of the school management information system, the school virtual learning environment, the school email system and or the school intranet/internet access system

 

Infrequent use is defined as less than 20% of that person’s time requiring use of the technology on a shared device which is not assigned to them. For the avoidance of doubt, non -

teaching staff using an assigned device (i.e. a device specifically allocated to an identified member of staff and not licensed under other arrangements) will need to be counted if they are to run the licensed software

 

 

 

Which basically leads down to, if they're assigned any device they count, and if they're using it for non-admin work e.g. Teaching/Supporting a kid it counts as does if they use any other software, e.g. Photoshop as an example

 

Steve

Edited March 1, 2016 by minature_hero

[minature_hero]

Hi again, Thanks to Steve21 I've found the wording in the Memorandum of Understanding to the UK Government Cloud Transition Agreement Jan 2016 - It's at the bottom of point 6.1. I assume this point must have been in previous MoU's.

 

So this probably means a lot of primary school are paying over the odds as the resellers are not passing on this information accurately; each TA who uses computers less than 20% is actually being treated as a Teacher and a full FTE is worked into the price.

 

Let me know what you all think!

[Steve21]

Ooops sorry been kicking our sound desk about

 

I also count all of ours too, because they do use other programs that aren't included in that list random example being Dyslexia screening tools etc, and use it for other non-admin purposes.

 

But it's Page 8 under special terms, last paragraph:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493283/Microsoft_memorandum_of_understanding.pdf

 

Steve

[lovelldr]

I'm just going through renewing our OVS subscription at present now...

 

Like all posted above, I previously counted everyone as 1 person, if they worked over 200 hours and used a machine at the school or from the school... However, I recently got a quote from someone for something else, who told me I was paying too much, and need to perform a calculation to get the correct payment. We have recently become an academy, and the business manager who works at another primary who is joining also told me that it is wrong to calculate like that, and there's a formula to calculate the FTE. This formula I got given is:

 

Full Time Teachers + (Part time teachers / 3) + Full time staff + (Part time staff / 2)

 

I'm not sure of this, and it sounds like fiddling the system to me... I would usually have done a calculation of 50 for this, but using the above formula, it is only 36... Using this formula, would save me over £260, but then are we properly covered? I would say no, but the other people I've spoken to say yes?!

[sparkeh]

I'm just going through renewing our OVS subscription at present now...

 

Like all posted above, I previously counted everyone as 1 person, if they worked over 200 hours and used a machine at the school or from the school... However, I recently got a quote from someone for something else, who told me I was paying too much, and need to perform a calculation to get the correct payment. We have recently become an academy, and the business manager who works at another primary who is joining also told me that it is wrong to calculate like that, and there's a formula to calculate the FTE. This formula I got given is:

 

Full Time Teachers + (Part time teachers / 3) + Full time staff + (Part time staff / 2)

 

I'm not sure of this, and it sounds like fiddling the system to me... I would usually have done a calculation of 50 for this, but using the above formula, it is only 36... Using this formula, would save me over £260, but then are we properly covered? I would say no, but the other people I've spoken to say yes?!

Whilst that formula is in the OVE-ES documentation it is the *US* formula. The UK FTE count is the 200+ hours.

From MS OVS-ES FAQs

Note: If you are outside the United States, the method for counting FTE employees may differ. Please contact your local reseller for details

 

Bit more info here: http://marksams.com/blog/how-calculate-fte-count-microsoft-ees

Edited March 14, 2016 by sparkeh

[lovelldr]

Whilst that formula is in the OVE-ES documentation it is the *US* formula. The UK FTE count is the 200+ hours.

 

 

Bit more info here: How to calculate the FTE count for Microsoft EES | marksams.com

 

Thank you. I thought I was correct in the way I was doing it, but just wanted to make sure... Thanks

[witch]

We pay for all our TAs - Microsoft advised us to. I shall be very very annoyed if this turns out not to be the case. TAs just log on to an IT suite computer to check their emails and maybe do a little bit of resource creation now and again.

[minature_hero]

How did you contact Microsoft to get this information? I can't find any specific information from Microsoft themselves, only the The Memorandum of Understanding on the UK Gov website. It states in point 6.1:

 

"Where such Faculty and Staff’s use of Qualified Desktops is for teaching purposes, it must not exceed 200 hours per year. Non-teaching staff whose role requires only infrequent use of the Qualified Desktops would be permitted to access the Qualified Desktops and run the licensed software for the purpose of administration. Administration includes the use of the school management information system, the school virtual learning environment, the school email system and or the school intranet/internet access systems.

 

Infrequent use is defined as less than 20% of that person’s time requiring use of the technology on a shared device which is not assigned to them. For the avoidance of doubt, non-teaching staff using an assigned device (i.e. a device specifically allocated to an identified member of staff and not licensed under other arrangements) will need to be counted if they are to run the licensed software."

 

I've not had a single reseller that can give any specific information from MS or that will give any definitive, black and white information that I can keep on file to say why we decided not to include TA's.

[limawhiskey]

Just to resurrect this, do you guys count staff that work and use computers in your institution but for another company, e.g. catering managers / cleaning managers?

[Steve21]

Do they use your computers? (Like all the time I mean, not once in a blue moon)

 

Steve

[limawhiskey]

Yes, for example the catering manager uses a desktop to connect to her company's email, order supplies etc. Site team get jobs allocated through an online helpdesk.

[Steve21]

Yes then both count, (Post #2) gives more details, but if it's more than the normal hours per year it's a license needed.

 

Steve

[klop]

Sorry o dig up an old thread but did anyone get to the bottom of this?

 

We are an SEN school and therefore have a high number of TA's - many of whom are part time.

They all work in access of 200hrs per year though so all have historically been counted.

 

Very few of our TA's though use the PCs. A handful have laptops or PCs for their use but most just access their emails from their personal phones (a separate issue!).

 

If we do not have to include those TA's who do not use PCs frequently it would help us a lot!

 

thanks.

[minature_hero]

I discussed this at length with some of the main UK software supply companies and they were able to quote Microsoft documentation that shows only TA's that use a computer as part of their main job role needed to be included. I think I included the snips from the documents in the posts previously. Teachers are included as they teach using a computer. Caretakers and Midday Meal staff are not included as they don't use a computer as part of their core job role. It's the same with TA's, their main role is to support the children’s learning and as such they are not using a computer, the child is. If a substantial part of their job role was using a computer you'd need to include them (eg inputting data or preparing electronic resources). If it's a TA that is part time that uses a computer as part of their job role they count as 1 FTE if they work more than 200 hours per year. Just checking email/online training on a shared PC (eg using an IT Suite) didn't count as it wasn't part of their core job role and was only done on occasion. For instance our Midday Meal staff are required to do online training for safeguarding etc but I don't include them, so I didn't include the TA's that didn't use a computer. I got the Headteacher to agree how many TA's use a computer as part of their job role.

 

I think much of the wording was still open to interpretation though. At the end of the day the Headteacher had to understand the points researched as it was them that signed the agreement with Microsoft.

[Steve21]

From my first post on this thread:

 

Non-teaching staff whose role requires only infrequent use of the Qualified Desktops would be permitted to access the Qualified Desktops and run the licensed software for the purpose of administration. Administration includes the use of the school management information system, the school virtual learning environment, the school email system and or the school intranet/internet access system

 

Infrequent use is defined as less than 20% of that person’s time requiring use of the technology on a shared device which is not assigned to them. For the avoidance of doubt, non -

teaching staff using an assigned device (i.e. a device specifically allocated to an identified member of staff and not licensed under other arrangements) will need to be counted if they are to run the licensed software

 

So if any of the other staff TA/Catering/Maintenance use it for any work, anything linked to teaching etc yes they do count.

 

"Note: Employees such as maintenance, grounds keeping, and cafeteria staff can be excluded from the faculty/staff FTE employee count if they do not use institutional devices."

 

Steve

[limawhiskey]

Another bump for this thread - does anyone know if there is a new Microsoft memorandum of understanding or similar to give guidance on FTE numbers, for those of us renewing after 1 July this year?

[buzzard]

Again resurrecting this thread, does anyone know what the stance is on this? As the MS memorandum of understanding has expired what are we now counting as FTE?? Any pointers or official MS text would be great, I'm really struggling to find anything!

[synaesthesia]

Our licensing provider (national, MS partner) has confirmed to me that anyone that would use a computer and is over 20 hours a week is counted; so doesn't including catering staff, cleaners etc if they're not using machines or have email accounts etc set up.

[jmak]

Our licensing provider (national, MS partner) has confirmed to me that anyone that would use a computer and is over 20 hours a week is counted; so doesn't including catering staff, cleaners etc if they're not using machines or have email accounts etc set up.

Is that a change, or something you've worked with for years?

 

Our documentation has always stipulated 200 hours/year, which is only 5 hours/week. We do exclude people who don't have computer accounts though, such as midday supervisors and cleaners.

[3s-gtech]

200 hours per year was the old count - that changed some years back and shouldn’t be used as the gauge now. I can’t recall the current metric.

 

I just redid our count for renewal. I went through the staff list in SIMS - if they have a PC logon, they get counted. That didn’t include agency cover staff though.