Accountability Report Forms Pilot FAQs

These are annual documents that employees with financial or administrative responsibility for a budgetary unit or a research grant or contract complete to confirm their awareness of and adherence to U of T’s policies.

The University strengthened the accountability framework and transparency of financial management by introducing annual accountability reports. Learn more on our website.

All employees with financial or administrative responsibility for a budgetary unit or a research grant or contract.

The new online Accountability Forms are designed to save time, ensure correct routing based on specific roles, and simplify management of storage and retention. While we encourage you to complete your annual Accountability Forms online. If there are any issues around using the forms online, please contact the team.

The online format simplifies the process by integrating digital signatures, improving workflow, and centralizing storage, making it more efficient and user-friendly.

The content of the forms hasn’t changed. The updates focus on improving how the forms are accessed, completed, and submitted through the HR Service Centre.

The online system eliminates redundancies, such as follow-ups and manual corrections, by ensuring easier access, validation, and centralized storage for all forms.

We welcome your feedback! Please contact the team with any suggestions or concerns.

While the current Accountability Report Forms are functional, they lack several key features that can improve efficiency and clarity, including:

• Clear guidance on which form is required for each role
• Prompts for any blank fields
• Real-time tracking of form completion status
• An option for electronic signatures via UTORid
• Centralized, secure storage of completed forms

Currently, form responsibility, review, and storage are decentralized, and many staff are only notified to complete a form if requested by a direct manager. There is no centralized method to confirm how many forms are fully completed each year. Additionally, proper storage and retention depend on individual discretion.

The pilot includes approximately 200 employees from the Finance Division, PSEC, the Arts & Science Dean’s Office, and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

The goal is to expand the online system to all divisions following the successful pilot program.

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please contact our team.

If you are in the pilot, you can access the online forms in the HR Service Centre.

Yes! Check out our Guide for step-by-step instructions on accessing and submitting the forms.

The Health & Safety Coordinator form is excluded from the redesign because its content and workflow differ significantly from the other Accountability Forms. You can access the paper-based form on our website.

When answering ‘N/A,’ briefly explain why you believe the question doesn’t apply to your role. If you’re unsure, please consult with your one-up manager.

All forms must be submitted by June 30 each year. Managers can only submit their forms after their direct reports have completed theirs. Divisions may set earlier deadlines to meet this requirement.

The pilot program focuses on transitioning to the online version, so participants are encouraged to use the new system to test and improve the workflow.

HRIS data is uploaded to the HR Service Centre and “locked in” for the accountability forms pilot as of mid February. This means that, occasionally, the data in the HR Service Centre may not reflect a recent change in staff assignments, such as when a position changes between March and the June form completion deadline.

In these cases, we recommend that the position’s one-up manager decide who should complete the form.

Contact the team and we can help.

HRIS data is uploaded to the HR Service Centre and “locked in” as of mid February. This means that, occasionally, the data in the HR Service Centre may not reflect a recent change in staff assignments, such as when a position changes between March and the June completion deadline.

In these cases, we recommend that the position’s one-up manager decide who should complete the form.

When you submit the online form using your UTORid, it acts as your digital signature, removing the need for physical signatures.

Completed forms will be securely stored in a centralized system within the University’s HR Service Centre environment, making them easily accessible for audits whilst keeping them secure.