Stake Cannot View Ward LCR Finance Screens

[guycolbyiv]

I have been a stake financial clerk for more than ten years, and one of my most important responsibilities is to provide training, guidance, and support to ward/branch clerks and financial clerks. A critical element in fulfilling that responsibility has been the ability to access ward and branch MLS finance screens from unit computers.

I have been excited about the emergence of LCR, with its enhanced capabilities, and I have watched eagerly as finance functionality has migrated gradually from MLS to LCR. Recently, however, it has become apparent that there is at least one potential problem area associated with this change. It seems that as stake financial clerk, I am presently unable to access any ward/branch financial screens in LCR. I became aware of this issue when I began to receive inquiries from unit clerks about using LCR to conduct tithing settlement, and I discovered that I have no access to any LCR tithing settlement screens. Digging a little deeper, I found that I likewise have no access to any of the LCR ward/branch finance report screens. Nor can I view their donation batches, their expense summaries, or even their monthly Unit Financial Statements. I am accustomed to looking at all of these on a regular basis in order to monitor and respond to unit needs, particularly as I assist them in addressing audit deficiencies. I'll be OK as long as I can still see everything in MLS, but my understanding is that at some point in the near future, MLS will be decommissioned, and all finance activity will be accomplished using LCR.

I have used the feedback feature on LDS,org to recommend that stake clerks and stake financial clerks be given "view only" access to all ward/branch financial data in LCR. Without this capability, our task at the stake level will become much more difficult. LUS has acknowledged my request and forwarded my message on to the programmers and developers. I'm wondering whether anyone on this forum can shed additional light on this subject? Is there a solution already in place, or in work, and I just don't know about it? I would be grateful for any comments.

[eblood66]

This has been a problem with all of the functionality that has been moved to LCR. Stake clerks can't see what ward clerks can see so they have a hard time helping them. Ward clerks don't know what auxiliary leaders can see and what they can't so it's hard to know how to guide them without looking at the same screen at the same time. Clerks can't see some of the things bishops can see so it's hard to help more technology challenged bishops figure out what to do (again without looking at the same screen at the same time).

There has been at least one case where access was given at the stake level to ward level information (lesson schedules). But generally that hasn't been done. Mostly we haven't been given any reasons. Perhaps it's just a matter of limited development resources. Perhaps there are other reasons like privacy. But the trend is for there to be little to no support for helping stake and/or ward clerks know how to train others they are responsible to train. Ideally I think it would help if there were a training site with fictitious data but that's a lot of work to setup a separate system and to create and maintain the data.

As for this specific case, from one side it seems like stake access would be appropriate because of audit responsibilities. On the other hand, ward level data is personally sensitive because it shows how much individual members have donated. They may want to restrict who has access to that information. There are indications that may be the case. They have restricted access to tithing declaration status in LCR so that only bishops, ward clerks, the stake clerk and the stake president can see them--even ward and stake finance clerks can't. And from the access table it looks like even the Stake President can't see donor reports. Together they hint that the church is trying to keep sensitive information on a need-to-know kind of basis even when it can make things inconvenient.

The only solution I know of currently is to sit down with a ward clerk and together see what can be done and how to do it.

You've already submitted feedback which is good but you may also want to see if your stake president wants to raise the issue with his area leader to provide additional weight to the request.

[guycolbyiv]

"The only solution I know of currently is to sit down with a ward clerk and together see what can be done and how to do it.

You've already submitted feedback which is good but you may also want to see if your stake president wants to raise the issue with his area leader to provide additional weight to the request."

Thank you for your helpful and informative reply. Basically, you confirm what I had suspected; from a training and support standpoint, this is rather discouraging. We will do as you suggest and alert our stake president to the issue so that he can decide if he wants to elevate it to his area leader.

[guycolbyiv]

Having received further "light and knowledge" from LUS, I thought I'd post an update to this thread. LUS has called my attention to a tiny "down arrow" icon in the upper RH corner of the stake LCR Finance screens, next to the stake name and unit number. Clicking this icon allows you to tab to the LCR Finance screens for every unit in the stake. This capability (which I realize is not really very intuitive) resolves most of the concerns expressed in my original 7 Nov post, so I thought I'd pass it along.

[eblood66]

Having received further "light and knowledge" from LUS, I thought I'd post an update to this thread.

Very good to know. Thanks for returning and giving an update.

[jonesrk]

Having received further "light and knowledge" from LUS, I thought I'd post an update to this thread. LUS has called my attention to a tiny "down arrow" icon in the upper RH corner of the stake LCR Finance screens, next to the stake name and unit number. Clicking this icon allows you to tab to the LCR Finance screens for every unit in the stake. This capability (which I realize is not really very intuitive) resolves most of the concerns expressed in my original 7 Nov post, so I thought I'd pass it along.

That helps, but I still can't see everything the ward sees. For example I have none of the tithing settlement menus, so I have a hard time helping out the wards as they ask questions.

[guycolbyiv]

"That helps, but I still can't see everything the ward sees. For example I have none of the tithing settlement menus, so I have a hard time helping out the wards as they ask questions."

Yes, that's what triggered my original post to begin with, and why I said that the LUS response resolved most (but not all) of my concerns. However, I'm getting the impression that we may have to live with that, at least for the time being; my sense is that LCR access is going to be more finely tuned and tightly controlled than in MLS. As eblood66 said in his reply to my initial post, when it comes to the tithing settlement screens, "The only solution I know of currently is to sit down with a ward clerk and together see what can be done and how to do it."

I do plan to reply to the LUS rep who told me about the "down arrow" icon and point out that the stake still has no access to tithing settlement screens. At least we'll be on record with the programmers and the developers!

[eblood66]

At least we'll be on record with the programmers and the developers!

Small (but I think important) point to remember. It isn't the programmers and developers who decide these things. It's the general authorities in charge of the tool (in connection with the product manager). But your point about being on record with the product manager and decision makers is valid.

That helps, but I still can't see everything the ward sees. For example I have none of the tithing settlement menus, so I have a hard time helping out the wards as they ask questions.

Are you an assistant stake clerk or the stake clerk? According to the access table the Stake Clerk himself (and the Stake President) can see tithing declarations. I'm not sure if that's only on the stake level. But if the stake clerk can see that information on a stake screen but not on a ward level screen then it seems more likely that they could enable the ward level screen for those two stake individuals. Then at least someone could help train the bishops and ward clerks. Of course, I expect they wouldn't want stake callings editing declarations so it may be more complicated than just enabling those screens.